Yakob Petrovich Golyadkin is the main character in the novella "The Double" by Fyodor Dostoevsky. He is a low-ranking government clerk in St. Petersburg, struggling with his identity and social status. Golyadkin is characterized by his anxiety and paranoia, which lead him to feel increasingly isolated from those around him. As the story unfolds, Golyadkin encounters a doppelgänger, a double of himself, which exacerbates his mental turmoil. This encounter symbolizes his internal conflict and the themes of duality and self-perception. Golyadkin's experiences reflect the complexities of human nature and the challenges of navigating societal expectations.