The Double is another intriguing study of human nature a mans suffering in a meaningless world, a man trying to matter.
Set in the 19th century St. Petersburg, we are following a chaotic narration of an allegedly outside storyteller, who nevertheless seems to suspiciously “see” into the internal thoughts of the person they are telling us about.
The central character in the story is a clerk named Yakov Petrovich Golyadkin, who suffers from chronic lack of social status, validation and admiration he feels he should be getting.
Unable to leave things be and accept his lot, Mr. Golyadkin attempts to insert himself into social functions he is not invited to, and oversteps limits in various ways.
The more needy he is, the less accommodating the social world seems to become; a story as old as time.
After a particularly humiliating experience Mr. Golyadkin walks the banks of Fontanka where he suddenly runs into a stranger who, oddly enough, has the exact same physical appearance as he himself. They get acquainted spending an evening together drinking and talking.
The conversation reveals further amazing coincidences. The stranger has the exact same name as our hero, he is from the same rural area from where Mr. Golyadkin had moved to St. Petersburg. They practice the same profession.
As the story progresses we are given subtle hints that people around Mr. Golyadkin do not quite seem to acknowledge the presence of another person who’d be his “double”.
They also do not challenge him, but signs of worry are present.
After a short friendship the double starts mistreating Mr. Golyadkin. He steals his work at the office, he makes fun of him publicly, embarrasses him.
Mr. Golyadkins attempts of reconciliation are met at times with reciprocity, sometimes with scorn, and sometimes with an immediate new humiliation.
It seems like Mr. Golyadkins double only looks like him, but actually has the exact opposite personality to his: Mr. Golyadkin is insecure, the double is ballsy and confident up to a point of being obnoxious. Mr. Golyadkin is reliable and well-meaning, the double is self-serving and dubious. Mr. Golyadkin is yielding and collaborative, the double is assertive.
Most importantly: Mr. Golyadkin is at social deficit, the double charms everyone with his easygoing confidence.
The modern story of Fight Club is indeed very similar to The Double: a frustrated, insecure protagonist creates a more manly version of himself in his imagination, the man he would die to get to be one day.
The growing confusion between reality and fantasy marks his crisis, leading to a psychological collapse.
The story ends, predictably, to Mr. Golyadkin being taken to a mental hospital.
It seems that every Dostoevsky story I read becomes, in one way or another, my new favourite Dostoevsky story.
They terrify me as much as they entertain.
The insight into suffering, the lack of validation, the resulting desperation and the pull towards self-made disasters is wonderfully awful.
Unfortunately, also very familiar.
Fate Permitting 