Ryan Cordero Final Post

            After finishing the class discussion on Notes From the Underground I admit that I find myself thinking and reflecting a bit more than before. It’s hard to say whether or not the book was worth reading and discussing. On one hand, I have acquired new insights and perspectives on the human conditions, and how and why people act in certain situations and do certain things, such as destroying something beautiful. However, it is hard to apply all of Dostoyevsky’s ideas and theories in everyday life, if one were to think and act like the underground man they themselves would be separated from society. So how much value does this book really have and was it worth reading? I think the book was worth reading because after discussing the novel, if I went back in time and had the option to read the book or not, I would choose to read the book, which I think makes the experience worthwhile, after all it’s the journey, not the destination. I appreciate my newfound knowledge on how people behave in society. I definitely think the in class discussion helped my understanding of the ideas presented. Before we started, Mr. Shapiro warned us that the book is complex despite its length and he was absolutely correct. Although I did grasp a large portion of the ideas Dostoyevsky was expanding on, I did not understand all of the ideas fully. However, after we discussed individual passages in class, I understood both the idea on the surface and the greater application to human behavior with clarity. If we were to simply read, annotate, then turn the book in, it would not have been worth our time to read the book. I think I will remember several of Dostoyevsky’s ideas and they will affect my own views and beliefs. One particular idea I found rather interesting was the idea of the wall, which puts a boundary on the infinite. I thought it was interesting that Dostoyevsky described religion as a wall, I knew religion and the idea of God comforted people, but only because they believed a being was watching over them, protecting them. I did not identify the religion and God stops people’s minds from thinking of the infinite possibilities to the unanswerable questions. Another idea I found relatable is the struggle to act because of seeing all sides of an argument, I frequently find myself unable to make decisions because I try to see all possibilities.