Short Story: Diary of a Madman

Introduction
"Diary of a Madman" is a short story written by Russian author Nikolai Gogol in 1835. It is considered among his best works and a classic of Russian literature. The story focuses on the life of a low-level civil servant, Poprishchin, who slowly comes down into madness. Informed through the entries of Poprishchin's diary, the story explores styles of social hierarchy, conformity, and the turmoil that can be generated by the mind.

Setting and Characters
The story happens in St. Petersburg, Russia, which works as a reflection of Poprishchin's monotonous and overbearing life. The protagonist, Axenty Ivanovich Poprishchin, is a civil servant working as a titular counselor in a governmental federal government workplace. He is a middle-aged guy with no household and restricted social life, and he spends most of his time imagining power and success. Poprishchin is both the lead character and the narrator of the story, as it is told through his journal entries.

Plot Summary
The story starts with a diary entry in which Poprishchin describes his ordinary life as an overworked and underpaid civil servant. He continuously feels maltreated and unappreciated by his superiors and peers. He dreams of a more amazing life where he holds a higher position, perhaps even greater than that held by his employer, the Director of his department.

One day, Poprishchin overhears a conversation in between two canines, Fidele and Medji. Fidele is the pet of a high-ranking woman called Sophie, with whom Poprishchin is infatuated. He believes that by checking out the letters written by Fidele to Medji, he can gain insight into Sophie's thoughts and intents towards him. He starts stalking Fidele, takes her letters, and finds that they consist of gossipy information about their owners. However, no mention of him is made in the letters.

As Poprishchin's misconceptions grow, he ends up being convinced that he can interact with animals which they understand him. He visits the theatre to enjoy a Spanish play featuring a king and is struck by the idea that he himself may be the King of Spain. He thinks that he was abducted as an infant and replaced with another child, and that his real identity has been concealed from him.

Poprishchin's entries become significantly disjointed and incoherent, exposing his deteriorating frame of mind. He experiences hallucinations, such as seeing the Spanish King's throne and believing that individuals are outlining versus him. As his delusions of being the King of Spain intensify, so does his treatment of others; he mistreats his landlady and ultimately attacks her.

In a last journal entry, Poprishchin's composing exposes that he has actually been restricted to a psychological organization. He is tormented by visions of Spain and his identity as the King but is not able to connect with truth. The story ends with a mournful picture of Poprishchin being limited by 2 health center attendants, a far cry from the royal life he had actually imagined for himself.

Styles and Analysis
"Diary of a Madman" explores different styles, such as social hierarchy and alienation. Poprishchin's position as a low-ranking civil servant in an extremely structured society serves to highlight his feeling of powerlessness and insignificance. These feelings lead him to produce an alternate truth in which he is predestined for success.

The story likewise looks into the nature of the human mind and the dangers of untreated creativity. Poprishchin's descent into madness is a progressive process that begins with reasonably safe fantasies and evolves into disturbing deceptions of magnificence. The diary format of the story allows the reader to witness this descent in real-time, as Poprishchin documents his significantly irregular thoughts.

Finally, "Diary of a Madman" functions as a critique of the overbearing Russian administration and the dehumanizing results it can have on the individual. The story shows how the pressures of a limiting society can cause psychological collapse and highlights the need for understanding and compassion in dealing with those who struggle with mental illness.