PERFORMING THE SELF: A DRAMATURGICAL ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL ROLES AND IDENTITY IN DOSTOEVSKY’S SELECTED SHORT STORIES
Keywords:
Face-saving Behavior, Front Stage, identity, pessimism, Social PerformanceAbstract
This research analyzes how Dostoevsky’s characters are constructed and protects their public image while hiding their weaknesses and fears. The main objectives of this study are to explore the difference between public and private behavior of characters, to examine how pride, shame, and insecurity shape their actions, and to apply Erving Goffman’s Dramaturgical Theory to understand these behaviors in selected short stories. This research uses a qualitative approach, focusing on textual analysis rather than numerical or statistical data. The selected short stories serve as primary sources, while books, journal articles, and critical essays are used as secondary sources to support interpretation. The study is grounded in Erving Goffman’s Dramaturgical Theory, particularly the concepts of front stage, backstage, and face-saving behavior. The findings reveal that Dostoevsky’s characters often perform a strong and respectable “front stage” role to gain social approval. In contrast, their “backstage” life exposes fear, guilt, greed, and emotional pain. This contrast highlights his pessimism, moral struggle, and social hypocrisy
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Copyright (c) 2025 Muskan Fatima , Alisha Haleem , Iffat Batool (Author)
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