In these three pages, Dostoyevsky touches upon some of the most important themes within the novel. He begins with this idea of the mouse and the turmoil it faces. It's obvious this mouse is himself and the select few that are hyper-conscious like he is. His consciousness, which is supposedly a strength, has turned into a flaw. It has made him indecisive, meek, and unable to exert any sort of harm without receiving that harm ten fold. In short, he has become mouse like. It would seem horrible for anyone to feel useless, but it is especially for those who are capable of understanding their failure. These mice are ao hyper aware of everything, including their shortcomings to those that can act without feeling any repercussions. These men of action are blind to the world, but said blindness enables them to act.
The fallibility of scientifc reasoning is also bought up. The notion that one must believe 2 + 2 is a fact is inherently wrong since we as a race created the concept. Whose to say 2+2=4? But people accept it and this science becomes their wall. "The more you do not know, the more the ache." And the more ache, the yearning for fixed, reliable answers increases. The underground man reasons that this wall is pure stone, but still he will try to fight it. But this fight is not for his benefit, it is for those who are so blissfully unaware of their own shortcomings. Like Shap has said before, when one's beliefs are refuted, they become angry and defensive. They become men of action since someone is threatening their wall. But doesn't that therein reveal the weakness? If one cant accept a different truth without emotion, then they are protecting their perceived "cracks" in their beliefs.
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