In Notes from Underground, an isolated and bitter man living in St. Petersburg rejects society and rational thinking. He is deeply self-conscious and spends his time reflecting on his failures, showing how pride, overthinking, and alienation lead to suffering and self-destruction.
In The Double, a shy government clerk named Golyadkin encounters a look-alike who is more confident and socially successful. The double gradually replaces him in his job and social life, causing Golyadkin to lose control and descend into paranoia and madness.