In Dostoevsky’s Note Form Underground, the underground man states that Free will means having the freedom to make choices that may damage the individual and cause suffering, but suffering is the sole cause of consciousness (Lantz 74). The Dostoevskian Character, if he achieves salvation at all, always does so by working through his crime to the repentance which lies beyond it. He never achieves salvation first and avoids committing the crime. Specific individual crime and therefore specific individual suffering is an unavoidable step toward salvation (Cox 36) .