How to Live Well in Russia

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How to Live Well in Russia
Russian literature has a precise way of captivating readers and describing the human condition. Fyodor Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, and Gogol Nikolai are among the most outstanding Russian novelists whose works are applicable today. An analysis of Dostoevsky’s “Notes from underground”, Tolstoy's “How much land does a man need?” and Nikolai’s “The Overcoat” provide valuable lessons on life and can be contextualized to the larger Russian history.
Dostoevsky demonstrates that humans value free will even where it works against their best interests. Throughout the novel, Dostoevsky presents a convincing case against individuals who consider themselves “rational egoists” and “utopian socialists.” These people believed that a misguided sense of profit resulted in destructive behaviors in the world. They further held that if all individuals did what was in their best interests, they people would not engage in destructive activities. The theorists further thought that understanding human behavior through reason could lead to the attainment of utopia.
The protagonist in “Notes from underground” indicates that he is sick, spiteful, and unattractive. Although he knows that he will soon die, he does not intend to consult a doctor and has never done it, despite his “respect for medicine and doctors” (Dostoevsky). Here, the author demonstrates that rational egoists and utopian socialists underestimate the human desire for free will. They fail to understand that humans wish to exercise their free will at all costs. Tolstoy proceeds to teach that humans can use their will to chase material wealth in futility. Pahom wants to be a large landowner. He considers that upward mobility will provide him with financial freedom. Pahom wants to move to the upper class and escape the oppression of the peasants. However, Pahom’s quest for land gets him into debt, he is forced to travel long distances on foot and abandons his family. Eventually, Pahom dies of exhaustion. The author concludes that all that Pahom needed was land “Six feet from his head to his heels&...