notes from underground (posted at UWC)

I posted this today at the University without Condition. Obviously, I took religion classes in college over philosophy. Here goes:

Although I made time to read this passage by Kristeva late last week, I really only got the gist of half of it. Following are my limited reflections.

Kristeva thinks Dostoyevsky enjoys suffering - "As far as writers are concerned, they can extract jubilation out of it through the manipulation they are able . . . to inflict upon signs and things"(182). Said suffering reflects "man's dependency on a divine Law, as well as his irremediable difference in relation to that Law"(185).

It was her section on forgiveness that struck and threw me the most. She makes statements such as "any modern impreciation against Chistianity. . . is an imprecation against forgiveness" (190) and "he who does not forgive is condemned to death" (192), but what I noticed most in this mid-section of her piece is what I termed the born-again section.

I tend to frown upon more evangelical sects of Christianity. I believe we are saved by grace, yada yada yada. Kristeva makes some comments that reminded me of the "born-again" philosophy, such as "forgiveness seems to say . . . I take you for a child" (204) and this paragraph:

"Forgiveness does not cleanse actions. It raises the unconscious from beneath the actions and has it meet a loving other--an other who does not judge but hears the truth in the availability of love and for that very reason allows me to be reborn. Forgiveness is the . . . stage at which the latter changes laws and adopts the bond with love as a principle of renewal of both self and other"(205).

I think that Kristeva is accurate in her analysis of Dostoevsky, at least from my limited experience with Notes from Underground and Crime and Punishment. I recall forgiveness being quite significant in CandP, but not so much in Notes from Underground. Of course, I read both of these in high school, so my memories aren't too clear; I've probably read over a hundred books since then.

I just find it interesting that she makes it seem that Dostoevsky advocated such a welcoming form of forgiveness, that one can be born again through it. From my experience attending a Southern Baptist school for a good part of my life, I have to read that into her statements.

Then later on she comments, "Because it is forgiveness, writing is transformation, transportation, translation"(217). So writing is forgiveness, which is given through Christ, and causes us to be born again. Alrighty then.

Can we read some more fiction now?