Dostoyevsky was a rapper

I haven't yet finished Notes from the Underground, so I'm going to hold out on the philosophical analysis for the time being until all the puzzle pieces come together. I'm leaving the punks behind for a post or two now to discuss Dostoyevsky's technique . . . a technique he has in common with the best writers, poets, painters, and, yes, rappers . . .

The key is using symbols. It's been a very long time since I've read a personal essay in which the author went to such pains to express their ideas symbolically. I've already mentioned a few symbols in the previous posts, but I'll list them here again . . .

"The Wall": when Dostoyevsky wants to refer to the assumptions and certainties people take for granted, he refers to the Wall. Small minded people bump up against "the wall" and don't question it, free spirits deny it exists . . .

"The mouse": this is the symbol for how Dostoyevsky feels in comparison to his associates who question the world less. Because he is constantly second-guessing himself and everything around him, he feels powerless to act.

"The crystal palace": some people believe that happiness can be reduced to an equation . . . classic example is the white-picket-fence scenario. If you give a person a marriage, a mortgage, kids, and affluence they will be happy. That white-picket-fence fantasy we poke fun at works in exactly the same way as "the crystal palace." Dostoyevsky denies that such a palace exists for humanity. Just because certain conditions are met in a person life doesn't necessarily mean they will be happy. Instead, people need free will and independence to do things their own way, not a formula . . .

I found the use of these symbols to be incredibly effective. Dostoyevsky made it so easy to understand and remember his concepts. And it got me to thinking . . . my favorite rappers lace their rhymes with concrete imagery that function like symbols. And every great painting has an iconic image/symbol that makes it unforgettable. That is the mark of high art. Don't express an idea using vague, abstract language . . . convert it into a visual that sticks on the brain like a sticky note . . .