Existentialism and The Stranger What is the meaning of life? What determines the fate of an individual? It is of these thoughts that the concept of Existentialism was borne. The concepts underlined by this ideology span many mediums, perhaps most importantly through novels, which helped to make it well known throughout the post WWII era. Of these existential novels, one of the most influential would be that of Albert Camus, The Stranger.
Treachery and Virtue in “Oroonoko or The Royal Slave” Treachery and Virtue are two things that often times do not go together. They in fact contradict one another completely. However, in Oroonoko these two themes play a very important role in the development of the story as a whole. They are the basis for this paper and they teach the reader that if a man’s word is not his bond and he allows himself to be consumed with only self gratification, then that man will abandon his virtues and often become a treacherous person. Because this novel was written during a period in history that dealt with the injustices of slavery, this paper will take on the aspect of a sociological criticism.
All of my books are basically romances; they’re stories about reconnecting with community”(Williams). The disorders in life that The Narrator and Dr. Jekyll experience on the edge of being inhuman, “My Characters are not people. They are machines that do a job. They are machines designed to destroy themselves” (Williams). Through the minds of Palahniuk and Stevenson a common ground is reached in the two books Fight Club and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; both the narrator and Dr. Jekyll create their own misfortune in trying to fix the problems of the world, or better yet what they perceive the problems to be.
Literature has always played an important role in presenting the hidden realities of the world in a context familiar to us. This in turn serves to conceptualize what we may not realize at first or what may be unseen by us. Dystopian literature is one such line of work that portrays how populations are controlled through media, kept ignorant and consequently in fear. The speculative fiction works of 1984 by George Orwell, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood are all examples that highlight the role of these tools in maintaining effective control of a society. Perhaps the single most important and powerful control mechanism for these regimes is the control of the media.
Dystopias provide for unsettling reflections on ourselves and our world. To what extent is this idea reflected in you chosen text? As the world became exposed to periods of war and political unrest, society’s belief in humanity has been conflicted due to the corruption and deprivation that has arisen. This has resulted in writers to foreshadow a perverted world by further exploring the damaging effects of such upheavals, labelling the world as a Dystopia. Dystopia refers to a fictional society whereby the conditions of living are exceedingly low, in many cases due to oppression, greed and prejudice.
Porfiry in Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment has such an intellectual way of investigating Raskolnikov and his motives. Dostoyevsky creates a character with a small role, yet such an outstanding impact that he can be thought of as the antagonist of this novel. His methods can be defined as different and leave a permanent stain on Raskolnikov as a character. Although psychology was in effect long before Porfiry steps foot onto the scene. Raskolnikov wonders why so many crimes are committed so poorly.
The oppression of individuals transcends throughout many historical eras. Many instances occur because of the misuse of power, which compromises an individual’s integrity. It is the wishful thinking of society that individuals are educated about oppression to avoid more of these incidents, yet many countries still face racial and cultural barriers. In the essay “The Metropolis and Mental Life”, Georg Simmel states, “the deepest problems of modern life flow from the attempt of the individual to maintain the independence and individuality of his existence against the sovereign powers of society, against the weight of the historical heritage and the external culture and technique of life.” (Simmel, The Metropolis and Mental Life p. 316). Simmel’s ideology portrays culture’s ability to oppress individuals due to the effects of social norms and the abuse of power.
In all of the texts I have researched, social control is portrayed in a negative light and it is the role of the protagonist to fight against the forces instilling social control in society. Social control is a topic often portrayed by authors and directors as it is an idea audiences can relate with. As they mimic reality, fictional works often present parallels to the real world in which the setting plays a big role. Often, the text is set as a dystopian type story and always focuses on one person as the root of the control who often has a strong backing either by the public or the government. The figurehead is often feared and intimidates society into conformity.
Leo de la Garza 02/02/11 IB English 2 A Existentialism in The Music of Chance. Existentialism is the philosophical point of view which argues that happiness can only be achieved by accepting one’s mortality. Sartre expands on the existentialist concept in his short story entitled The Wall in which he talks about many fundamental topics of existentialism. However, this philosophical point of view has not only influenced Sartre, but other authors as well, including Paul Auster. In his novel The Music of Chance, Auster makes constant reference to common themes in existentialism, such as “the Leap of Faith” and “ Bad Faith”.
Pyth. ii. 80, &c.) According to Diodorus (iv. 69; comp. Hygin.