Christian symbolism in the F.M. Dostoevsky's novel 'Notes from Underground'

S.L. Sharakov

Novrogod Integrated Museum Complex, Veliky Novgorod, 173007 Russia

E-mail: ssharakov@yandex.ru

Received December 3, 2016

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Abstract

The paper discusses the Christian symbolism in the F.M. Dostoevsky's novel “Notes from Underground”. In particular, it deals with the relation between the spiritual experience of the writer and the art form of their works. The paper reveals the development of the Christian symbolic worldview of M.F. Dostoevsky during the writing of “Notes from Underground” and “Crime and Punishment”, as well as discusses the features of the Christian symbolism in its distinction from the sign. The conclusion has been made about the supreme nature of the Christian character. Therefore, the concept of ascetic symbolism which assumes the symbolic structure of the inner world of a person and their consciousness has been introduced. The symbolic structure of consciousness has been revealed through the distinction between two levels of consciousness (primary and secondary).

The following methods have been used: approaches of the historical-cultural and comparative academic schools.

The paper puts forward and defends the following thesis: the Christian symbolic worldview of F.M. Dostoevsky is formed in the novel “Notes from Underground” and the subsequent novel “Crime and Punishment” as the basis of his artistic thinking that gives rise to a new type of symbolization for the writer. The thesis has been developed by comparing the symbolism of F.M. Dostoevsky with the principles of symbolization in Gnosticism and German idealism. The paper examines the relation between the ideas of the story and the theological constructions of A.S. Homyakov, analyzes the motif of living and dead faith in “Notes from Underground”, and concludes about the nature of the Christian symbolism in the story.

Keywords: F.M. Dostoevsky, Christian symbolism, natural reasoning, motif of living and dead faith, “Notes from Underground”

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For citation: Sharakov S.L. Christian symbolism in the F.M. Dostoevsky's novel “Notes from Underground”. Uchenye Zapiski Kazanskogo Universiteta. Seriya Gumanitarnye Nauki, 2017, vol. 159, no. 1, pp. 154–162. (In Russian)

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