Dostoevsky Essay Research Paper Thesis Dostoevsky

Dostoevsky Essay, Research Paper

Thesis: Dostoevsky’s manic and depressive episodes aided in his ability to

properly illustrate the workings of the human mind, through his writing.

Outline: I. Introduction II. What is Manic Depression and Depression. III. Other

Writers with Mental Illnesses IV. Dostoevsky’s Life V. Analysis of

"Notes┘" VI. Conclusion Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, author

of several acclaimed books-including "Notes From Underground"-a

semi-autobiographical story, introduced a new form of writing,

"stream-of-consciousness", to Russia and Europe. Soon, this form of

writing that would become the mark of the Existentialist, spread to the

America’s. Interestingly enough, the "stream-of-consciousness" that

manifested itself in his writing was actually the product of a mood disorder,

which can be characterized by intensely emotional thoughts. Caught in a rift of

contrasting thoughts, the Manic-Depressive-commonly endowed with superior

artistic abilities, can be very insightful to the ways of man. Manic-depression

can clinically be defined as a mood disorder with two contrasting states: mania

and depression. There must be an occurrence of one or more Manic or Mixed

episodes and often, the individual has also had one or more Major Depressive

episodes in the past. In Manic-Depressive disorder, also known as Bipolar

disorder, the manic and depressive episodes recur in varying degrees of

intensity. The DSM-IV describes Manic and Depressive episodes as: "The

essential feature is a distinct period when the predominant mood is either

elevated, expansive or irritable, and when there are associated symptoms of the

manic syndrome." These symptoms include hyperactivity, pressure of speech,

flight of ideas, inflated self-esteem, decreased need for sleep,

distractibility, and excessive involvement in activities that have a high

potential for painful consequences, which are not recognized. The manual

describes depressive episodes as: "The essential feature is either a

dysphoric mood, usually depression, or loss of interest or pleasure in most

usual activities and pass-times. This disturbance is prominent, relatively

persistent, and associated with other symptoms of the depressive syndrome."

These symptoms include appetite disturbance, change in weight, sleep

disturbance, psychomotor agitation or retardation, decreased energy, feelings of

worthlessness or guilt, difficulty concentrating or thinking, and thoughts of

death or suicide, or suicidal attempts. Manic Depression is also due to a

biochemical imbalance in the brain. These biochemical reactions include the

"increasing and decreasing of intra- and extracellular sodium, chloride,

and potassium (Beck 65)." The inclining and declining of these functions

support the contrasting manic and depressive moods. "The spirit of genius

no free-floating, absolute power, but is strictly bound to the laws of

biochemistry and the endocrine glands." This again credits the idea that

manic-depression can stimulate artistry. Though it is difficult to prove

Manic-Depressive disorder among those who have passed away, the occurrence of

this behavior and has been traced through letters written to friends and family,

and personal accounts. Creative people, such as Keats, Woolf, and Dostoevsky,

have been named among those who had this illness. Keats’s notes and letters were

evidence of his violent mood swings; his surgery lecture notes, embellished with

many impromptu sketches in the margins were evidence of his wide-ranging

interests, and also of his mercurial nature. Woolf became violent and delusional

in her manic episodes, and when she was in a depressive state, she barely spoke

or ate, and attempted suicide. Born in the hospital for the poor, Dostoevsky was

the second of seven children. He led a happy and peaceful childhood where he

held particular warm feelings towards his family. "It is not abnormal for

one with the Manic-depressive syndrome to live a life of normalcy┘ that

is, of course, until an element of unpleasantry enters his life (Ostow

82)." His father, murdered by his own serfs, had a hot tempered and

irritable state of mind. His mother, described as tender and sensitive with a

literary and musical talent, died when Fyodor was fifteen-years-old. After

graduating from St. Petersburg’s Academy of Military Engineers as lieutenant, he

was assigned to a military department. Dostoevsky worked there for one year

before he realized that working in a department gave him no satisfaction, and

that he wanted to write and work as an author. Later, he became acquainted with

the utopian socialist group, for which he seemed to have become strongman. This

association got him four years in Siberian prison. After a four-year stay at the

Siberian p

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