The Underground Man’s Defense Mechanism in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground

Abstract

This study examines the defense mechanisms experienced by the Underground Man in Fyodor Dostoevsky's Notes from Underground (1864) through a psychoanalytic perspective. The study aims to identify the defense mechanisms used by the protagonist and explain what causes them and how they develop throughout the novel. This study employs a descriptive qualitative method, using textual analysis to examine relevant passages from the novel. The analysis is based on psychoanalytic theory, particularly the concept of defense mechanisms developed by Sigmund Freud and Anna Freud. The findings show that the Underground Man employs several defense mechanisms, including turning against oneself, sublimation, undoing, reaction formation, reversal into its opposite, repression, projection, and displacement. These mechanisms develop in response to psychological conflicts involving humiliation, social rejection, feelings of inferiority, self-loathing, fear of vulnerability, and an unfulfilled desire for human connection. The findings further reveal that although these defense mechanisms temporarily protect the protagonist from psychological anxiety, they also contribute to his isolation, distorted perception of others, negative self-image, and inability to establish genuine relationships. Therefore, the study demonstrates that the Underground Man's defense mechanisms reflect his unresolved psychological conflicts and show how he unconsciously manages anxiety, emotional distress, and difficult experiences throughout the novel.