Date of Award

2018

First Advisor

Aimee Michel

Second Advisor

Brendan Mathews

Abstract

Fyodor Dostoevsky created works that delve into the psyche of people in harsh conditions, by creating links between the characters, and to the larger world. His depiction of moral subjectivity serves to address a greater audience by proclaiming societal culpability. While many Russian authors seem to cede to the moralistic rhetoric of the government, Dostoevsky satirically confronted a corrupt system that used morality to subdue its citizens. Over these two essays I discuss what Dostoevsky deems abusive, and how these trends are created by his society. The deconstruction of what is considered abusive derives from what Dostoevsky deems immoral within the judicial system itself, and their focus on order rather than correctness. Dostoevsky watching an evolving world attempts to establish a Russian "spirit", that was nonexistent in Russian reality. He reinforces an image of a government that is corrupt, and treatment of the disadvantaged that is conducted primarily for accolades. From this study I have written a performance piece on domestic abuse, the constant moral questioning Dostoevsky favours, and his socialist mentality to sculpt our future caring for our fellow man and children. This play derives from the knowledge that without remembering our past we can never move forward.

Comments

Ask at the Alumni Library circulation desk for the companion piece that accompanies this thesis.

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