The Dream of A Ridiculous Man

The story is a psychological insight into human nature narrated by an unnamed/unknown narrator who is a nihilist. (Nihilism is a philosophical idea which upholds that nothing in this world does matter. Nor any thing related with the world. Be it relations, feelings, ideologies etc.). The narrator claims to have known the truth one year ago with a chance encounter with a young girl. Being a nihilist, he is supposed to feel indifference towards the pleading girl, he tries too but he can not. 
On that dismal evening, he had intended to commit suicide by shooting himself. That night the narrator embarks upon an inner journey via a dream which makes him conscious and beholds the truth.
On that inner journey he beholds a new world which is unstained by sin such as men's world before the original sin. After that the narrator tells us about that new earth and its residents. The tale is quite fascinating and interesting.
First written in 1877, only four years before his death, Dostoevsky seems to have put maximum experience of his life in this philosophical fiction. As usual the author has beautifully stated the idea of nihilism and their sub-ideas later on to oppose them at the full. Dostoevsky is an artist of great value. His miserable life taught him many lessons and he expressed all those lessons in his writings in different ways. In this story he has shown and opposed the idea of nihilism by portraying an analogy of this world and another world and through this analogy he has shown how absurd are the ideas indifference based on nihilism. The story touches both ideas of absurdism and existentialism as well. It is about redemption, personal growth, spiritual awakening written in symbolical way. 

In this story Dostoevsky has once again emphasised on man's meaning for life, man's inner beauty of goodness and virtue beautifully. And he asserts humanity in man's character no matter what may hinder him. And indeed this is beauty of humankind. It is a very nice allegory and social commentary. 
Here are few quotations from the short story:

1. “Oh, how hard it is to be the only man to know the truth!”

1. “The consciousness of life is higher than life. The knowledge of happiness is higher than happiness”- that is what we have to fight against.

Dostoevsky, you are immortal.