Table Of ContentTHE D O U B LE
THE DOUBLE
A POEM OF ST. PETERSBURG
F. M. DOSTOYEVSKY
TranslbayGt eeodrB gier d
INDIANA UNIVERSITYP RESS
BLOOMINGTON & LONDON
FIFTH PRINTING1 966
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LIBRARYO F CONGRESSC ATALOG CARD NUMBER: 58-12204
INTRODUCTION
ITH
W hisse connodv eTlh,eD oubDloes,t oyevmsakdye
oneo ft hosberi lleixapnetr imentsc hwahriaccht erize
theb rasyho unagr tiHsitsfi. r snto vePlo,o Fro lhka,d w on
himi mmediaactcel aainmdh, e w antetdof olliotww i tah
disploafsy h eegre niuBust.f orc ritaincdrs e adeorfts h at
dayt,h eex perimento ufitzt;zh leefydo unidtt ediotuhsi,n
ando verloanngde, v etnh ea uthhoard t oa dmiittf sa ults:
"Iw rotael ootf i tt ooq uickalnydi, n m omentosff atigue.
Thefi rshta lifsb etttehra tnh es econAdl.o ngsmiadney
brillpiaasnsta agreoest hesrosd isgustintghlayIt c abna'dt
reatdh emm yselS£o"m efi fteyeena rlsa tehro,w evehre,
revisaenddi mprovtehdeb ookf ora collecetdeidti oofn
hiwso rka;n dt hreyee arbse fohirsed eathhe,c oulsdt ill
writteh ahte h adn eveerx presas meodr es eriioduesia n
literaittwu arset :h ef ormo ft het alweh ichha d" failed
uttIye ".r
Asw ek nowt odaTyh,e D oubcloen tatihnfiesr sotp en
pronouenmecnotft ha"ts eriioduesat ,h"de i vidpeedr sonal
ityw,h icihn fortmhsew holoef D ostoyevsakcyh'ise ve
mentI.t tse chniiqsuu ner esolbvuetfd a,fr r omf ailiintg ,
represaeb notlsad d vanbceey onidts so urcienGs o,g oaln d
Hoffmannt,o wartdh eea rtlayl oefts h meo dersny mbolist,
FranKza fka.A s ane xperimmeonrte,o veTrh,eD ouble
almoswto rksi:t fisr shta lifs a clevbeuri ldtuopw ard
psycholocgoilclaalip nst eh;es econhda lwf,h iclha gsso
badltyh,e raer ef lasohfefi sn ew ritiwnhgih c movet he
stotryo waridts st ranKgaelfkya nc limaFxo.rt hem odern
readetrr,a inoendc arefsuylm boliasnmdh yper-refined
analyTshiesD ,o ubrleet aaillnt sh ef reshonfea s psi oneer
4 INTRODUCTION
efforatl,tl h ec rudpeo wert,h eu npretenvtiigoouorsf, a
youthsfturli tdoew arpds ycholofigcitciaoln .
Becauosfei tmso derniTthyeD, o ublhea db affleeda rly
readeTrhse.yc oulodn lcyo mparietw itGho goll'isg ht
satiorne tsh ev anitainedsd esiroefps e ttcyl erBkust.
Dostoyevssc klye'rM kr,.G olyadkiisnn o,ta meres ocial
typel,i khei mso delisn" The Noasned"" TheD iaroyf a
Madman.H"e i si nsttehaedt hin-skviincnteoidfm s ocial
andb ureaucprraetsiscu arnedas t,t hes amtei meh,io sw n
executiUonnaebrl.te o c opwei tthh ea nxieotfiu ersb an
lifhee,r esponedist hweirt dhe fensmieveek neasnsdr e
tiremeonrwt i,t ahg grestsaicvtewi hcisc ihn eivtabflayi l.
Iti ss ignifitchaatntht de o ubfilres atp peaarfstt ehrec lerk's
evictfiroonm a lavipsahr tWyh.e nG olyadktirnit eos
attetnhdip sa rthyei, st urnaewda ya tt hdeo obry s ervants.
Hec reetpost heb acskt aiofrt sh fel ahto,w evearn,di na
scefnoer eshadKoawfkianh,ge s tantdhse irnea d arcko rner,
int hmei dsotfr ubbiasnhdl ittgeart,h ercionugr atgoee n
terF.i nahleld ya shienst toh emi dsotft heb alaln dc laims
a dancwei thK larOal sufyetvhneab ,e lloeft hea ffair.
Feelisntgr angely ehxehs acursatpseetdsa,,m apnsd s tum
blewsh ent hdea ncbee giKnlsa.ru at teasr hsr itehkce,r owd
runtso h err escauned,G olyadiksis nw epatw ayb yt heir
forcesfuurlg Aef.t efru rthceorn fushieoi nst hrowonu t
oft heb alaln,d o nh iwsa yh omet hroutghhes nowh,e
meethsi dso ublhei,ds e sifroera ggresssoicvieca olm pe
tencree,l eafsreodwm i thbiynt hvei oleenxtc lusion.
Herei,ne mbryios,t hen ewi dewah icDho stoyevsky
brougthotR ussifiacnt iotnh:ec ombinatoifio nnw ard
ando utwaprrde sstuorp erso duacs ep liinbt e inwgh icihs
somehow Irtwe aasal n.i dewah icwhe nbte yontdhs ei mple
good-ande-qeuvaitli boenhsi ontdh edro ubloefts h ea ge,
likPeo eW'isl liWaiml soonr Dickens'C aSritdoannne dy
CharlDeasr naIynD. o stoyevoswknyw 'osr ki,lt e ddi rectly
toa h osotf d oublaensdd ividseedl vteosR :a skolnisk ov'
awareniensC sr,i maen dP unishmtehnaSttv, i drigraeipl-ov
INTRODUCTION 5
resehnitossw np ervedressei rteoVs e;r sislc oovn'f ieosns,
inA Raw Youtthh,a at d oublset anbdess ihdiem and
promphtism t ot hem osste nsealcetsiso annsdfi; n alltyo,
IvaKna ramazovvi'ssi otnh edo efv aisla na ctuparle sence,
att hee ndo fD ostoyevsckayr'eswe hre,n h ew asa tl ast
ablteo c lartihfeyi mplipcrietm iosfeh ise arly novel:
nameltyh,a dtr eamasn dh allucinaarteri eoantlsh; a atn
unconscsieoluefsx isotpsp,o sitnhgec onscisoeulsaf n;d
thamta ni sl iterally idnin satuunriefi.e d
Ass cholhaarvsle o nrge cogniTzheeDd o,u blper ovides
au sefkuelyt oD ostoyevsgkryo'wsti hnm oraaln di ntel
lectpuoawle rI.ta lspoo intisna, n othdeirr ecttiooh ni,s
lesser-krnoolwaens f ormailn novaItno"r T.h eN ose,"
foirn staGnocgeo,hl a ds pooftehdde o ubtlhee mienH off
mannb yd ressain nogsi ent hceo stuomfae s tactoeu ncillor,
ands endiintogsw ne(ra l owlcyl eriknf) r ansteiacr fcohr
itH.e liketdop arodHyo ffmanna,p parenbtylp yl,a cing
hism agiceavle nitnsu rbasne ttianngdes x ploitthienigr
comipco ssibiBluittD ioesst.o yevtsokoykt hitsr ansfer
seriouHsel sya.wt haHto ffmannd'osu blbeesl oni<nt� heed
urbawno rlwdh ichha dp roductehde mt;h atth ewye re
moraet h omea,si wte rei,nf laatnsdo fficetsh ainnr omantic
settiTnhgissa. l onwea sa na dvanocvee hri sm odelisn
aesthectoincc eptiont;h ep rboubtl eomfe xecutioofn ,
combinirnega liasnmdf antapsryo,v ed behyiosin md
mediaptoew erHse. s eemtsoh avweo rkehde roen t hree
assumptifiornststh:,a tth deo ubilsep roducbeyad n a cute
staotfeh allucinianGt oiloyna dksienc;o ntdh,at th eries
alsaon a ctupaelr soann ,ew employneaem eGdo lyadkin,
onw homt hec lerpkr ojehcithssa llucinaantdit ohni;r d,
thatth efi rsttw oa ssumptipornosp,e rhlayn dlmeidg,h t
creaatnie l lusoifto hned oublaec'tsu alsioat sty o,s uggest
ther ealoiftu yn conscliiofuTesh. efi rsfitv ec haptlearisd
the grounfdowhroi rrske alipsrteimcit sheee,ff ecotfh al
lucinatbiuotin nl; a tcehra ptwehresn,t hee ffecotff antasy
was introtdhuetc weodp ,r emibseegsa tno c ompeftoer
6 INTRODUCTION
spaacned t hwer itibnegc amper olainxdr epetiGteioorugse.
Birdt,h et ransloaftt ohrie sd itifionnd,so nlpyr aifsoer
Dostoyevstkeyc'hsn iwqhuiec,ch e rtagianilnyfs o rcaen d
clarfirtoymh idse fttr anslaHtei foanit.lo ss e eh,o wever,
thaatn ewi decaa lflosnr e wm eanosfe xpressainodtn h,a t
Dostoyevhsakdmy e reilmyp rovitsome ede t tnheeids.
Thef orwmh icThh eD oubclael lfeodwr a sn oth allucina
tiobnu,ta b olsdt rookfef antacsoyn veyienrd e alidsetic
taiIltw. a sn otd iscovuenrtetidhl ef alolf1 912w,h ent he
Czecghe niuFsr,a nKza fkac,o mposheidfis r sstu ccessful
stori"eTsh,eJ udgmenatn"d T heM eatmorpho"sTihse.
Judgmenotw"e lsi tttolD eo stoyevbsekyyo,nt dh eu seo f
doubltehseb, u sintehsesm et,h ee xchanogfle e ttweirtsh
ani maginfarriye inndP etersbaunrdgt ,h eh orrendous
verdiacttt h ee ndw,h erae f athceorn demhnisss o nt o
deatbhy d rowniInngT .h eM eatmorphohsoiwse,v er, the
sigonfsD ostoyevsis nkflyu'e anrceeex tensainvdde e tailed.
Onen eeodn lcyo mparteh eo penipnagr agraipneh asc h
talteo c atcthh emA.s TheD oubloep enfso,r i nstance,
Golyadkai mni,n ocri vsielr vaanwta,k efnrso ma long
nighrte's"stl iakm ea na sy eutn certwahient hheeri saw ake
ors tialsll ewehpe,t haelral tp resegnoti nogn a bouhti mi s
realoirta yc ontinuoafth iiodsni sordderreead"m W sh.en
her egaihnisss e nstehsew, a llosfh ilsi ttle roaotm look
himf amiliaanrd"l tyh,fe o umlu,r kyg,r eayu tumndaaly "
peeirnsa th imt hroutghhwe i ndorwa thseoru rGloyl.y ad
kins huhtises y easg ai"na,st h ougrhe grethtiirsne gc ently
endesdl umbaenrdsw ishitnorg e catlhle mf oarm omen"t .
Thenh el eafprso mh ibse dl,o okasth imseilnaf mirror,
ands ay"sA:f met hinigtw oulbde i ft hewraes s omething
wrongw ithme toda.y .i fs .o methiunntgo wahradd
happenaendda, s trapnigmep hlaed c omeu po,r s omething
equalulnyp leasAatnt th.ee" n do ft hed ayfi,v ec hapters
latetrh,ep impldeo cesr upitnt hef ormof a d oublweh,o
plaifingluyr feosr thhii sl lness.
InT heM etamorpKhaofksait se,l esctohpipesrs o ceasnsd,
,
INTRODUCTION 7
witahs ingslter ockoen vetyhser ealoiftu yn conscliiofues.
Forw henG regoSra msaa, c ommerctiraalv ealweark,e ns
onem ornin"gf romun easdyr ea"m sh,efi ndsh imself
transfoirnmteaod g ianitn seLcitk.Ge o lyadkhienf ,e els
uncertaabionur te ali"tWyh:a th ash appenteodm e?h e
thougIhtwt a.s dnroe aHmi.sr ooma,r eguhluarm an bed
roomo,n lrya thteoros mallla,yq uiebte twetehnef our
familwiaalrl Ass.s"u roefdh issu rroundhiinesgy set,su rn
nextto t hew indow,a ndt heo vercsaksyta ndt her ain
makeh imm elancholy. "Wshlaete paailb noigutl tto lneg er
andf orgetatlitlnh gin so nse"n sheet, hinksa,n dt riteos
turonv erb;u th ei su nabtloem ovehi si nseschta pTeh.e
pimplteh,ue n pleasant ofurtogwmri otwhthihan bs,r eached
thseu rfoafchi es c onsciliofues.
Undoubtedtlhyei, n semcett aphcoarm ef romo ther
workbsy D ostoyevliskkeNy o,t ferso tmh Ue ndergrionu nd,
whicha nothdeirs grunctlleehrdak s " trimeadn yt imetso
becomaen i nsecotr;l "i kTeh eB rothKearrsa mazionv ,
whichD mitrcih aracttehrewi hzoelsfe a mialsyi nsecotrs ,
asv ictiomfis n sewchitcsh l ivwei thint hema ndg ovem
thesihra mecfounld uAcstK .a fkam ushta vsee etnh,ie n sect
ist hed oubliena differgeunits Ien.i mitattihneeg a rly
novehle,h ads impslwyi tcthoet dh em ores trikmientga
phoarn df useidtw itthh eo penisncge nOef.c oursteh,e
imitateixotne nbdesy ontdh ipso intto,t hea nxietoife s
urbalni fBeo.t hh erofeesa trh eoiffri cseu perifoorres x,
amplea,n db yt urnass searntd detbhaesme selbveefso re
themb;o tfhr ighttheensi urp eriooffrt sh rough startling
modeosf i llneasnsdb; o ths uffefrr oms ocioarlf amilial
exclusainodnf ,ro mt heoiwrn h iddefne aarbso uste xual
lovSeu.c pha ralslheolwhs o wD ostoyevsseaktp y r ecedent
foKra fka'usr banni ghtmabruetts h;me o svti tlailni kss t ill
theo penipnagr agrawphhe,rK ea fkas olvtehsef ormal
probloefmT heD oubwlei tahf aiatc comapnldic ,r eaat es
bridbgeet wetewno w orldTsh.a ti tw ash iosw nf ormal
probleamsw, e lalsD ostoyevss,sk eye'me sv idefnrto hmi s
