Is Golyadkin's Doppelgänger in The Double Real or Imaginary?

Dostoyevsky's The Double features one of the most iconic doppelgängers in literature. As we dive more and more into Mr. Golyadkin's story, we witness his inner turmoil and struggles, which reflect on his life and actions. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that Golyadkin has serious mental issues, the apex of which coincides with the arrival of his doppelgänger. This coincidence and the narration of the story, which reflects Golyadkin's side and is unreliable due to his mental state, raise the question of whether Golyadkin's double actually exists or if he is the product of Golyadkin's imagination. My answer to the question is that the doppelgänger is not real.

We constantly see that Golyadkin has a great inferiority complex, which alters his perception of himself and his surroundings. Despite trying to maintain the facade of a respectable man and telling himself repeatedly that he is fine, he wishes to be someone else. When he encounters his superior, he gets flustered and thinks, "It's not I." He also suggests that he is okay with being an "unimportant man," but he hires carriages and spends his money to make himself look more presentable and important. His sense of inferiority reaches a climax following the incident at the party he attends. At that moment, we catch the first glimpse of the doppelgänger. From then on, the doppelgänger acts the opposite of Golyadkin despite having his appearance, which, to me, implies that either Golyadkin reflects the person he wants to be on someone else or imagines Golyadkin Jr. as an alternative. Either way, Golyadkin despises this person just as he despises anyone else who he believes is against him.

Shortly, even though hints and evidence that support the opposite can be presented, I believe Golyadkin's doppelgänger was entirely a product of his mind.