PBC0086: empathy and alienation

PBC 86 is unique in conveying a Russian’s estranged empathy toward the homeland and fellow Russians: “there is no more homeland, and, by the way, I pity both Russians and their homeland, and I have no idea where this sense of pity comes from” (W403). Though inexplicable, the feeling of pity is undeniable. The unprecedented nature of this complex emotion includes a sense of alienation from both self and country.