The Double

Fyodor Dostoevsky was born on November 11, 1821, in Moscow, Russia, to a family of modest means. His father was a retired military surgeon and his mother descended from a merchant family. Dostoevsky’s parents instilled in him a strong sense of religious faith, which appears throughout his writings. When Dostoevsky was 15, his mother died of tuberculosis. This loss profoundly impacted Dostoevsky, shaping his views on suffering and mortality. After completing his education, Dostoevsky pursued a career in the military. He began writing and publishing his works, including translations of European literature, which exposed him to a wide range of literary influences.

Nikolai Gogol, a pioneering figure in Russian literature, strongly influenced Dostoevsky's literary sensibilities. This influence is particularly evident in The Double, which has been described as both a parody of Gogol’s The Overcoat (1842) and a response to Gogol’s Dead Souls (1842). Gogol's blend of realism, surrealism, and social commentary resonated deeply with Dostoevsky. Gogol's Dead Souls captivated Dostoevsky through its portrayal of Russian society and exploration of moral and existential themes.

Gogol's influence on Dostoevsky's early works is evident in his first novel, Poor Folk (1846), which explores the lives of impoverished communities in