Keri's final post

The discussions of "Notes from the Underground" by Fyodor Dostoyevsky were insightful. They, ultimately, changed my perspective on people and life in general. Although some of the points were a bit depressing, I believe that many of them were on point. I think that many of the topics brought up were so depressing that I did not believe them at first because I did not want to accept them as the truth. I did not want to view people in such a negative way because I like staying positive.
Unfortunately, I thought about the topics and realized that Mr. Shapiro was right. His points were correct but I cannot say I agree with how negative his points were. This may just be me trying to have a more positive outlook on life since the other perspective is frightening. I guess I will discover which side I agree with as I mature and have more life experiences.
However, I do think that these discussions helped me understand the book. As I was reading it for the first time, I was completely at a loss for what was going on. I understood the language he was writing in but that was about all. There were times when I thought I understood the gist but then he would latch onto a completely different point and then I was just lost. Being in class and hearing what it all meant made it so much clearer to me. I loved how Mr. Shapiro would use real life examples to explain what Dostoyevsky was saying because it all really opened my eyes to how people behave and interact.
For the same reason, I do think that this book was worth reading. The book in itself and the discussions that came along with it made me a little less naive and more in tune with what is really going on. I have never read a book like this. I have also never come out of reading a book so enlightened.
Speaking of these topics, I think the one that resonated with me most was the one about people never being fully able to be selfless. Everyone thinks that in a room full of people, or anywhere for that matter,  they are the most important. All other needs come second to theirs. I never fully realized that I think this way on a daily basis. It was so relevant. It was points like these that made me really get the most out of the discussions.