Symbolism in a piece of literature allows the author to define a character's personality. In Notes from the Underground, Dostoyevsky created a fictional character that constantly uses different symbols, which helps the reader identify the Underground Man's beliefs and thoughts. Of the many symbols the Underground Man uses, he mentions the concept of a mouse. In using this symbol, the Underground Man tells the readers what kind of person he is, as well as how he thinks of other people.

In Chapter Three, the Underground Man began to talk about different kinds of people using metaphors such as a charging bull. As he began to talk about a mouse, he associates the term to a specific type of human. However, he distinguishes this type of men as a separate section than the other part of the human race. He uses a mouse to describe a "man of heightened...