Literary Analysis on Dostoevsky’s White Nights: Where Romanticism Meets Reality

In today’s day in age most are attempting to escape reality amidst the bustling world of chaos, but to achieve that is one of the greatest trials. However, this is not the case for the dreamer in Dostoevsky's short story White Nights. The dreamer, a lonesome individual who yearns for someone to confide in, uses his imagination to romanticize the world around him. Dostoevsky writes, “His mind’s eye in so magical and thrilling picture, a picture in which, needless to say, he himself, our dreamer, in his own precious person, occupies the most prominent place!” (Dostoevsky 31). Through these dimensions of fantasies, the dreamer finds moments of joy and fulfillment that create an atmosphere where he can experience emotional connection and admiration. Yet romanticism can still contain a darker side, leading to unrealistic expectations and loneliness. While a common perception of romanticism is positive or negative, there is a spectrum and if it is used in moderation, it can create a prosperous character.

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Throughout the short story the dreamer utilizes his imagination and romanticized perceptions as a protection barrier to any emotional pain, demonstrating how romanticism, when used in balance, can serve as a tool to use to become a more well-rounded character. However, there are some intriguing views that can be taken into account that delve into various perspectives on the topic of using romanticism as a protection barrier in regard to White Nights. A literary criticism titled, “SICKNESS OF THE MIND, TRIUMPH OF THE SOUL: Dostoevsky at the pinnacle of modern literature” written by Aigis Valiunas who holds degrees in from Dartmouth College, the University of Cambridge (Trinity College), and the University of Chicago, dissects Dostoevsky’s works in order to piece together physiological and philosophical themes, and how they influenced modern literature. Valiunas describes some of Dostoevsky's characters as inferior due to their intellectual arrogance, suggesting that the inability to stop producing ideas that the author is not proud of leads to a slow buildup of pain and frustration, which eventually culminates in madness (Valiunas 3).

Here, this point asserts that utilizing deep intellectual and creative thought tarnishes the dreamer’s overall well-being rather than protecting his emotional threshold. This side of the spectrum of romanticism is falling more into the negative perspective that argues that this tool is harmful to the human psyche rather than aiding it. Furthermore, White Nights portrays a lighter side of the spectrum. In the story, when the dreamer is getting to know Nastenka for the first time, he begins to describe the passion of his soul to Nastenka, telling her that something alive within him makes it easier to endure the pain of humanity, making life just a little more bearable (Dostoevsky 32).

With this scene from the story, it helps paint a more vivid picture of how the dreamer was feeling when not utilizing romanticism to cope with his reality, it was painful, and unbearable; however, the moment he started to create that positive environment even if it meant creating it for himself, he started to look at life with more prosperity and joy despite the hardships around him.

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Additionally, the dreamer’s romanticism does not come without trials, especially in his relationship with Nastenka. His passionate idealization of his love for Nastenka makes him fall in love with her despite Nastenka telling him not to and eventually she chooses another lover over him. Critics like Berman, who wrote “The Dynamics of Sibling Love in Dostoevsky: From the Dreamer to the Idiot” which covers the inner workings of relationships of characters in Dostoevsky's stories. He argues that the dreamer’s obsession with Nastenka demonstrates more of the darker side of romanticism, “In his world, the tyranny of erotic desire destroys free will because this desire turns into an all-consuming passion that takes control of the individual” (Berman, 1).

According to this viewpoint, applying oneself too deeply into a romantic desire can become an enslaving experience which ultimately becomes someone’s greatest undoing. For application of this perspective and to apply it to the dreamer’s situation, Berman’s ideology would mean that the entire time, the dreamer would experience an emotionally enslaving experience by romanticizing his love for Nastenka.

However, when the ending of White Nights is brought up it can offer a nuanced perspective that brings the perfect balance of utilizing romanticism as a protective agent for the emotional barrier. Though the dreamer experiences a semblance of heartbreak when Nastenka chooses her first love over the dreamer, his emotional attitude matures and changes direction. Instead of cracking under the weight of despair in a tragic situation, the dreamer experiences immense appreciation and gratitude (Dostoevsky 76).

The dreamer's journey, while with many hardships, created room for emotional maturity to experience gratitude and bliss, which indicates that a balance of romanticism, while sometimes painful, contributed to his emotional well-being, and growth. Ultimately, the notion demonstrates that using romanticism as a protection barrier when used in balance, can give a character the room to grow immensely.

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Moreover, the deafening loneliness of the dreamer’s setting leaves him trapped in a suffocating reality; however, he possesses the ability to romanticize his surroundings, which ultimately helps him escape his own. Waking up on a gloomy morning in Petersburg, Russia, with no acquaintances in sight, the dreamer finds himself utterly alone and plagued by depression. He claims that he feels forsaken by the world, having made no friends in Petersburg over the course of eight years (Dostoevsky, pp. 5-6). In response to his isolation, the dreamer clings to his dreamscape as a coping mechanism. This is the place where he disappears for hours on end, escaping the anxiety of reality (Dostoevsky, p. 24).

In his safe haven, free from societal constructs and judgments, he is free to create any fantasy he pleases. At first, this can be seen as the ideal scenario for someone in the dreamer’s unfortunate circumstances of loneliness. However, there is always a cost to such escapism. The dreamer eventually confesses that he feels as if he is losing touch with reality, unable to distinguish between what is real and what is imagined (Dostoevsky, p. 36).

This raises a significant concern about his mental state, as the inability to distinguish reality from fantasy could call into question his competence to fully function in society. Furthermore, in the literary criticism “Versions of Adolescence: Robert Bresson's Four Nights of a Dreamer and Dostoevsky's 'White Nights’” by Jerome C. Christensen covers the four nights of White Nights in depth from a literary perspective. Christensen analyzes the defeat the dreamer experiences when he the border does not show up to Nastenka, so she accepts the dreamer’s confession but then when the border does show up Nastenka changes her mind and takes her first lover. The main character’s dreams collapse, preventing him from achieving a livable ideal reality (1). Once the dreamer’s hopes of sharing his love with Nastenka for a lifetime are initially shattered, his dreamscape crashes into reality in a painful way, leaving him with an unfulfilled reality that he had not initially anticipated.

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This moment highlights the tragic clash between romanticism and reality. When discussing the concept of escapism, it offers both benefits and drawbacks as a means of coping with various situational challenges, whether related to the environment, relationships, or the human psyche. While escapism does have its negative aspects, it can still be a valuable tool when used in moderation, it can have the potential to spark deep intellectual thoughts and help establish meaningful connections which help build a more fulfilling life.

Additionally, utilizing speech and story narrative as a way to enhance romanticism leaves room to create more relatable and approachable characters. In Dostoevsky's short story he utilizes the character’s vernacular to switch from third to first person throughout the work in order to strengthen the bonds of friendships.

In a literary criticism, “Versions of Adolescence: Robert Bresson's Four Nights of a Dreamer and Dostoyevsky's "White Nights” by Christensen, Jerome C, goes over the different frames of youth over the course of the white nights story as well as analyzing the different perspectives and point of views the story changes to. In the article, it mentions the split narrative design which makes the reader be able to distinguish between the viewing of the first person, to be able to envision the fictional reality (1). Due to this literary device being used, it pulls the reader deeper into the story and entrancing them into this story further. This can be seen when the dreamer first started talking to Nastenka and when she had analyzed his speech she said, “You see, you talk as if you were reading from a book” (Dostoevsky 27).

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Based on the vivid way that the dreamer speaks, it enchants both the reader and Nastenka deeper making the illusion of experiencing fiction rather than spinning reality, this misalignment in the story allows for the gap between what is real and what is not, allowing the reader to fully be sucked into the vivid world of the story that the dreamer will romanticize. To gain a clearer understanding of what this split narrative design is specifically called, a literary criticism titled "Crimes without any Punishment at All: Dostoevsky and Woody Allen in Light of Bakhtinian Theory," written by Olga Stuchebrukhov, an Associate Professor of Russian at the University of California, delves into the complexities of Dostoevsky’s writing. Stuchebrukhov refers to "Dostoevsky's novelistic polyphony and narrative diabolicality" (1), ultimately suggesting a more precise term for the split narrative design that the author uses.

Furthermore, a viewpoint that the literary criticism highlights a more destructive use of the variety of narrative usage. The point of view changes briefly from the dreamer to Nastenka as she describes her life before she met the dreamer, and she is portrayed as a mature young woman. Christensen highlights that Nastenka lived an oppressive life, being tied to her grandmother, and her love life was her only source of escapism. Nastenka is portrayed as a mature woman because she would wait an entire year for her lover to return (1).

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Here, Nastenka portrays traits of loyalty and commitment. However, as the criticism progresses, and as Dostoevsky’s short story comes to an end, the narrative shifts back to the dreamer and his emotions, revealing the foolishness of Nastenka. Christensen argues that Nastenka turns into a girl rather than a woman based on her actions: she turns to the dreamer and is smothered by his pledge of love, but then she abandons him the moment her lodger appears (1).

The evidence sheds light on the intense emotions and complexity of Nastenka’s character, emphasizing the negative aspects of her narrative. Her actions, driven by foolishness, expose the weaker, more flawed side of her character. The varied use of character speech and narrative design in White Nights not only reinforces the influence of romanticism in the story, but also allows the characters to interact more emotionally, whether beneficial or harmful. As such, while vivid character speech and narrative can enhance emotional connections, they also come with both advantages and drawbacks. Finding the right balance between the two can ultimately help maintain meaningful and lasting relationships.

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In the end, Dostoevsky's White Nights and literary criticism explores the intricate balance between the themes of romanticism and reality, overall emphasizing both its profound impact and its potential for harm. The dreamer’s ability to romanticize his surroundings allows him to briefly escape the suffocating loneliness of his setting, offering him a place of solace and the possibility of emotional connection.

As the story unfolds, there are apparent contrasts between the positive and negative effects of using escapism, such as losing touch with reality, yet at the same time, it helps one forget a painful reality. Using the balance of practicality and escapism is the best outcome for existing in painful humanity. Furthermore, Dostoevsky uses character speech and narrative to aid in creating meaningful friendship bonds. However, there is a destructive narrative when Nastenka turns on the dreamer, but in the end, if used appropriately, it creates room for growth in the bonds of friendship. Dostoevsky’s stories live on in the readers, and through this emphasis on utilizing romanticism as a tool in moderation, it can help a person become a well-rounded human being to fully coexist in humanity.

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Author's note:

Thank you for reading in hopes to find the right balance between romanticism and reality, fellow creatives. Never let the passion in your soul burn out. And remember, always read an absurd amount of Dostoevsky.

With much love,

Eliza

Works Cited

Berman, Anna A. "The Dynamics of Sibling Love in Dostoevsky: From the Dreamer to the

Idiot." Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism, edited by Rebecca Parks, vol. 441, Gale,

2024. Gale Literature Resource Center,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/KEIBAX836687486/LitRC?u=nclivewtcc&sid=bookmarkLitRC&xid=f4606eec. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024. Originally published in Siblings in Tolstoy

and Dostoevsky, Northwestern UP, 2015, pp. 47-78.

Christensen, Jerome C. "Versions of Adolescence: Robert Bresson's Four Nights of a Dreamer

and Dostoyevsky's White Nights." Literature/Film Quarterly, vol. 4, no. 3, 1976, pp. 222-

229. ProQuest, https://login.proxy189.nclive.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/

scholarly-journals/versions-adolescence-robert-bressons-four-nights/docview/

226973911/se-2. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024

Dostoyevsky, Fyodor. A DISGRACEFUL AFFAIR, Stories: White Nights. 1848. Translated by David Magarshack, HarperCollins Publishers, 2009, pp. 1–76. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.

Stuchebrukhov, Olga. "'Crimes without any punishment at all': Dostoevsky and Woody Allen in light of Bakhtinian theory." Literature-Film Quarterly, vol. 40, no. 2, Apr. 2012, pp. 142+. Gale Literature Resource Center, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A291617444/LitRC? u=nclivewtcc&sid=bookmark-LitRC&xid=6ff412ef. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.

Valiunas, Aigis. "SICKNESS OF THE MIND, TRIUMPH OF THE SOUL: Dostoevsky at the Pinnacle of Modern Literature." Claremont Review of Books, vol. 22, no. 2, Spring 2022, pp. 93+. Gale Literature Resource Center, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A706197561/LitRC? u=nclivewtcc&sid=bookmark-LitRC&xid=73617f65. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.