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| Underground Man & Liza |
From my perspective, the Underground Man's relationship with Liza in
Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky is quite perplexing. Liza is a prostitute who I believe the Underground Man is attracted to. She is the first person who he is able to connect with because they share similar views which do no comply with societies norms. When the Underground Man first talks with Liza and urges her to get married, she goes agaisnt the status quote and says "not all married women are happy" (Dostoevsky 86). This attracts the Underground Man because it correlates with his nonstandard beliefs. However, she eventually breaks into tears.
Things become more interesting when the Underground Man invites Liza to his house and speaks unscrupulously towards her. He goes hysterical and cries as Liza comforts him. It is difficult to understand his true emotions towards Liza because at first he swore "she really did interest" (Dostoevsky, 87) him. Yet, towards the end of the novel, he tells her that he "had been, humiliated, so [he] wanted to humiliate" (Dostoevly 113) her. However, his intimidating behavior may be his way of expression love because at one point he says "loving meant tyrannizing" (Dostoevsky 117). Therefore, I personally believe that the underground man loves Liza, however this is debatable.
What exactly do you think the UM means when he says that "Loving meant tyrannizing?" Is it possible that in his own way, humiliating her reminds her that she matters? If she can feel humiliated, then she must feel some sense of self worth (in a weird, backhanded sort of way). Interesting quote indeed...
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