Serfdom in Tsarist Russia and the Underground Man

Abstract

In this paper we shall evaluate the Underground Man from Notes from Underground in the light of Russian Serfdom mainly from the psychological (rational and consciousness), social, economic and sexual perspectives. Serfdom in Russia, even though was not absolute slavery but the serfs were controlled by the masters or the landlords. Notes from Underground was published in 1864 and Tsar Alexander II of Russia abolished Serfdom in 1861 however, the account of the events of his younger age which the Underground Man narrates at the age of forty was a time when Serfdom was very much prevailing in contemporary Russia. From Psychological and Social points of view, the Underground Man is constantly trying to defy the ideas of rationalism and that of a Utopian society painted by Chernyshevsky in his What is to be Done? where rationality and logic preponderate. This, is indeed an attempt on his part to escape from the control of reason and not be a serf to rational thinking. However, concomitantly he is bonded to his over-consciousness and we can acknowledge instances of this in the novella. He denies logic and asserts free will but he talks about pleasure in pain and even questions whether man is fond of suffering and the idea that surfaces here is that whether in opposing a Utopian society based on reason he is actually supporting the foundation stones of a Dystopian society. From an Economic perspective, he is a serf to the civil service job which he is not fond of and he actually detests his colleagues but he cannot resign from it for the economic support it provideseven if that is little. However, he reluctantly spends money even when he is economically poor at times and the question, we ask here is that is it an instance where he is trying to momentarily escape from the control and embrace the freedom, he does not consistently enjoy much like those serfs who escaped on their way to St Petersburg to build the new city under Tsar Peter the Great? From a sexual perspective, when in the initial stage of his conversation with Liza, he tries to construct before her a free world for her if she breaks herself free from her profession as sex worker and not be under the control of her customers. However, he shifts his focus and instructs her to get married and have children- married life has been a kind of oppression for numerous women and reproductivity is something which much later Simon De Beauvoir in her Second Sex terms as a form of ‘slavery’ for women. Therefore, is he trying to emancipate Liza or attempting to make her a serf in a different way? Underground, according to Christianity is where Satan along with his fellow Fallen Angels dwell. Satan rebelled against God and was banished to Hell and can be comprehended to be nothing less than a serf as he was doomed to reside forever in Hell and tied with it much like a serf who was tied to a land of the landlord. The question we therefore ask ourselves is that whether the Underground Man too was banished and compelled to retreat to the Underground because of his momentary attempts to escape control and enjoy freedom?