The Motif of Illusoriness in Dostoevsky’s Novel White Nights

Abstract

The article concerns the ambiguous motif of illusoriness and its significance in F.M. Dostoevsky’s novel White nights. The motif pervades the whole novel, manifesting itself in different meanings of its paradigm (a reverie, a dream, a vision, a deception, a “spirit within”, etc.), refining and concentrating the author’s ideas about the sickly process of dreaming and its healing.

Keywords

• dostoevsky
• ghostliness
• ghost; dream
• vision
• dreamer; nastenka
• white nights