Notes from Underground Part I

In The Underground Man the reader is quickly introduced to man that appears to be both physically sick and not fully mentally present. This man has convinced himself (and tries to convince others) that those who think consciously are dumb. He feels he is smarter than everyone else by realizing this truth. The Underground Man even denounces science in stating, “..there is no such thing as choice…science has even now succeeded in analyzing man to such an extent that we know already that choice and what is called freedom of will are nothing other than..” (A, 595). He is adamantly against “going with the grain” and doing what society and science predict what is best for you.

In the New York Times Article, “Mind Games: Sometimes a White Coat Isn’t Just a White Coat” by Sandra Blakeslee, studies claim that when someone puts on a white coat, they are actually smarter. The article states: “The effect occurs only if you actually wear the coat and know its symbolic meaning — that physicians tend to be careful, rigorous and good at paying attention.” This study actually supports the Underground Man’s way of thinking that people act and think according to how a society has led them to believe and not on their own. In this instance, it is that physicians are highly intelligent people. Putting on the white coat evokes people to feel intelligent as well.