Keri's Tuesday Post

While reading pages seven, eight, and the top half of page nine of "Notes from the Underground" by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, I came across several significant elements that I think will contribute to the novel's whole message. The first thing I noticed is how he talks about the man calling himself a mouse without anyone calling him this. I think this reflects how self conscious the narrator is and ultimately, how self conscious people are as a whole. This part ties back to the theme that human beings need to receive validation for everything we do. I also see the theme of revenge and in general, wanting to arouse a reaction in the people who have made others suffer. This second theme can also be tied back into the theme of validation since people want to know if they have affected others in some way. As the book dictates, we contain in us a vast amount of spite and a desire for vengeance. The author then goes on to talk about how the man believes that revenge is justice but that the mouse is not so sure of this. I believe that this is trying to say that a person who is confident will be firm in their convictions and will rationalize their actions while a person who is less confident will think more about not making a scene or potentially burning a bridge with someone else. The mouse is inevitably filled with worries and doubts over whether or not to go through with the act of revenge. It appears that Dostoyevsky believes that these types of people are foolish and should just get their revenge without worry. He does not explicitly say this but his diction conveys it. 
I believe that he then goes on to describe how exactly he is the mouse. The living conditions of this mouse are similar to the author's living conditions. It is reasonable to think that he tortures himself with spite underground since it seems to be a depressing place. The author may even add memories that never occurred just to fill in the spaces of his memory. This idea draws back to this previous theory which is that when someone seeks revenge, this idea consumes them. The person seeking revenge is likely to suffer way more than the other person.
The authors talks about how the "mouse" will scream and yell when others get enjoyment from the downfall of others. He then talks about how we define everything around us and about how selfish we are. We get scared if we do not know something.
I agree with many of the author's beliefs.