Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Diary of a Madman, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Social Class and Status
Writing, Escapism, and Fantasy
Insanity
Isolation
Summary
Analysis
Poprishchin writes in his diary that he is “astonished” by the slowness of the Spanish deputies, who have yet to visit him. He visits the post office to ask if the deputies have arrived but is told that there are “no Spanish deputies here.”
Poprischin assigns a seemingly arbitrary date to this entry; then again, it’s arguable that all dates are somewhat arbitrary to begin with and meaningful only to those who believe in them. Poprishchin loses patience with the social customs he is trying to uphold. His alienation from society keeps him separate from other people, however, so his delusions continue unchecked.
Themes
