Existentialism is a very broad topic with no exact definition, and it has been interpreted in many different ways by various philosophers. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, existentialism is defined as “a chiefly 20th century philosophical movement embracing diverse doctrines but centering on analysis of individual existence in an unfathomable universe and the plight of the individual who must assume ultimate responsibility for acts of free will without any certain knowledge of what is right or wrong or good or bad”. Existentialism has influenced many authors works and lives, such as the novelist Hermann Hesse. A particular work by Hesse that was heavily influenced by his existentialist beliefs was his book, Steppenwolf. Steppenwolf …show more content…
At the start of the book, Harry was forty-seven and was upset over the belief that he had two separate being that made up his soul, a wolf, and a man, that he decides to kill himself at the age of fifty. After being given a book that spoke about the Steppenwolf, and explained that people are not singular or even two being, they are much more than that. Harry refused the idea and claims that the book did not know him. After being rude to a professor's wife, he believed his wolf side has beaten what was left of his humanity and planned to kill himself early. He stopped at a bar and met a woman named Hermine, who made it her duty to open him up to life. With her help Harry learned to stop analyzing everything and to love life and what it has to offer. Towards the end of the book, at Fancy Dress Ball Harry allowed himself to be immersed in the dancers and eventually was led from their to the school of laughter, where he learns that laughter is the most important thing to help people get through life (Hesse, Steppenwolf). Throughout the plot, Sartre’s belief that people need to take responsibility for their own lives is shown, as Harry’s failure of it almost leads to his suicide, yet his acceptance of it saves him (Baker, “Existentialist of Note”). Harry lets himself float through life lonely and depressed, unwilling to change in fear of losing his independence. Yet Hermine …show more content…
Sartre's belief of self-responsibility and Heidegger’s thoughts of “Das Nichts” influenced the overall plot of the story. Moreover, Nietzsche's belief that Christian virtues make people weak and Kierkegaard's belief that people need to laugh shape the Steppenwolf’s character development. Lastly, Mead’s ideas of the “I and “Me”, but also the ever-changing nature of the self were shown in the theme of multiple personalities, which can be seen throughout the book. Hermann Hesse’s existentialist beliefs influenced his work, Steppenwolf, in an intricate way, as shown in the overall plot, the Steppenwolf’s character development, and the theme of multiple identities. Existentialism shaped Steppenwolf in a unique way, as it has to many other books by authors other than Hesse. Without existentialism Hesse’s work would have a different meaning and it would lose the perspective it has into the human
He discusses demise in the primary sentence, saying, “The marvelous thing is that it’s painless” (Hemingway 826). As the story creates, Harry as often as possible specifies his desire to pass on or the way he feels that passing is close now. “You can shoot me.” (Hemingway 826) and “I don’t want to move” (Hemingway 827), and “There is no sense in moving now except to make it easier for you” (Hemingway 827) and “Can’t you let a man die as comfortably as he can without calling him names? “ (Hemingway 827). It sounds as though Harry is surrendering, not so much, since he is a weakling, despite the fact that his wife calls him that, yet more since he feels that, it is more agreeable for him right now to set down and pass on as opposed to sitting tight for a truck or plane that will most likely never arrive. During the rest of the story, Harry has several moments when he feels the proximity of
Known as one of the first existentialists, he conceived the notion of “life-affirmation.” “Life affirmation”
Although referred to as a distinct philosophy, it seems nearly impossible to find an exact definition for the term “existentialism.” This is primarily true because existen...
Existentialism is a branch of philosophy mostly concerned with the ideas of choice, meaning, and the limits of existence. Existentialism denies any form of predetermined systems, for they generally imply an external source of meaning, or power. Existentialism is often misconstrued of being nihilistic (if there is no predetermined meaning, then the world is completely meaningles...
Existentialism as a distinct philosophical and literary movement belongs to the 19th and 20th centuries. Although existentialism is impossible to define, some of its common themes can be identified. One of the major theme is the stress on concrete individual existence and, consequently, on subjectivity, individual freedom, and choice. 19th century Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, was the first writer to call himself existential. He wrote in his journal, "I must find a truth that is true for me . . . the idea for which I can live or die.
Existentialism is a philosophical theory or approach that emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free and responsible agent determining his or her own development through acts of the will. To Sartre, saying that som...
To start off Roald Dahl uses situational irony many times in the story to really make the theme come to life at the end. When Harry says “... I felt something on my chest, behind the book. Soft trickling(Page 1).” When he says that he's referring to the krate that is supposedly on his chest. This could be very dangerous for Harry because krates are a venomous snake that are very deadly. Another interesting quote from Harry was “...Hours and bloody hours and hours.
...ut change, growing and becoming ?somebody?, and everyone goes through this. Hesse went through many changes throughout his own life, he too, seemed to have issues finding himself, he went through three marriages, attended various institutions (including a mental one), and changed careers often. He, as did Siddhartha in his book, attempted suicide. So, basically his own life?as with many authors?influenced his novel. But there are sure to be others that see a bit, or a lot, of this protagonist in them.
The Merriam – Webster Dictionary defines existentialism as a chiefly 20th century philosophical movement embracing diverse doctrines but centering on analysis of individual existence in an unfathomable universe and the plight of the individual who must assume ultimate responsibility for acts of free will without any certain knowledge of what is right or wrong or good or bad (Merriam, 2011). In other words, an existentialist believes that our natures are the natures we make for ourselves, the meaning of our existence is that we just exist and there may or may not be a meaning for the existence, and we have to individually decide what is right or wrong and good or bad for ourselves. No one can answer any of those things for us. A good example of existentialism is Woody Allen’s movie, Deconstructing Harry. A man is haunted by his past and his past has followed him into the present. He is a wreck not because of the things that happened to him, but because of the choices he made. He is consumed by regret and insecurity and he tries to find blame in his situation with someone other than himself, however he cannot (Barnes, 2011). Throughout the rest of this paper I will be discussing two of the most prominent existentialists, Kierkegaard and Nietzsche.
Existentialism is a term that was coined specifically by Jean-Paul Sartre in regards to his own life. Sartre had adopted the Atheistic approach to life and its meaning, and while he was not the first or only one to do so, was the first and only one to come up with a way to describe it. Under Existentialism, man lives without higher power or guidance and must rely solely on himself and what he is aiming to do in order to lead a fulfilling life. This can be anything. Critics of Sartre propose that, because such a vast array of options exists within the meaningfulness of life, this philosophy is obsolete and trivial in nature. This is not true, as it is seen in everyday examples – celebrities, namely – that a thirst
Existentialism is the epitome of the unknown. There is no straightforward explanation of what exactly it is, there is only certain characteristics and behaviors that describe existentialist views. Throughout today’s world, there are examples of it everywhere, it’s found in movies, books, songs, and just people in general. Existentialists are known to think and do for themselves only. They believe that to understand what it means to be human requires understanding of themselves first. Some very well known pieces of entertainment existentialism is found in are: Hamlet by William Shakespeare, The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Stranger by Albert Camus, and The Breakfast Club by John Hughes. The Stranger is a book written about a young man whose mother dies, which soon leads him to becoming acquainted with the feeling of not caring about what his actions do to others or himself. The main character Meursault starts helping his friend Raymond, carry out ways to torment his mistress. Out of nowhere while at the beach, Meursault shoots Raymond’s mistress’s brother. He is thrown into jail and tried, but he seems to not be affected as much as he should about his actions. He first finds it hard to live without cigarettes, women, and nature, but he soon finds out he doesn’t need any of those. After being sentenced to death, he is suggested to turn away from his atheism but later realizes that human existence has no greater meaning. This realization and acceptance is what truly makes him happy (Camus). Next, The Breakfast Club is a very relatable movie about high school students suffering the consequences of their actions in detention. The kids are all of ...
The Steppenwolf, a novel written by German poet, author and painter Hermann Hesse, is a fictional story presented in the form of a manuscript written by a middle-aged man named Harry Haller. Harry Haller leaves his manuscript titled ‘Harry Haller’s records (For Mad Men only)’ to the nephew of the lady he is renting a room from, after adding a short preface to the manuscript the nephew has it published. Our protagonist, Harry, is an intellectual who is riddled with despair and melancholy. He feels he is not a fit for the world in which he finds himself. He does not allow himself to be dictated to by time, by societal expectations or what could be viewed as the bourgeoisie life style. He is disconnected, detached and, as noted by the young nephew of his landlady, he is lonely. After a chance encounter with the nephew we learn Harry refers to himself as the Steppenwolf “a wolf of the Steppes,” alone and a wanderer in this world which is unconceivable and unfathomable to him and offers him no joy, nor pleasure. The novel narrates Harry’s unease and anxiety as he attempts to overcome his debilitating sense of displacement and misery at the
Existentialism is defined as a philosophical movement that human beings are completely free and responsible for their own actions. Existentialists will try not to cause waves and remain completely uninvolved with anyone because they do not want to hurt anybody. There is absolutely no such thing as an existentialist because he would have to be so uninvolved to the point where he would not be able to live at all. Although the two stories: The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka and The Stranger by Albert Camus are very different in approach, their endings are similar in that they both support the basics of existentialism.
Existentialism is a phiosophy which revolves around the central belief that we create ourselves. External factors are not important. It is the way that we let external factors affect us that determines who we are. As individuals we all have the freedom to choose our own path and that is what life is all about. Along with the freedom of choice comes the responsibilty of one's actions which can make some people anxious but give others meaning to their lives. To overcome this anxiousness and accept responsibilty is to meet the challenges of life and to truly live it. I can adopt the existentialist approach which states that to live life is to experience happiness and absurdness and to appreciate both as a part of life.
How do we know that we exist? You cannot prove you exist, as well as, you cannot prove anyone else in the universe exists. The main idea existentialism focuses on is the question “If it wouldn’t exist without us, does it exist with us even though it is subconsciously in our minds?” Once you begin to understand how existentialists think and perceive life in general, there is a new outlook on Leo Tolstoy’s work. Repeatedly throughout The Death of Ivan Ilyich, Ivan Ilyich is struggling to accept his fate. He is determined to find a meaning to his life before it’s too late. He is frozen between what is real and what was just an illusion in his mind. In the book, What is Existentialism? By William Barrett, Barrett goes on to say “In a story by Tolstoy, ‘Ivan Ilyich’, the hero lies on his deathbed facing for the first time the prospect of his own death… ‘all men are mortal, Caius is a man, therefore Caius is mortal.’ Precisely – Caius was mortal, but who was Caius? Caius was not he, Ivan Ilyich, who had had that childhood, those parents, this particular life.” When it comes to ourselves, we often have a hard time facing the one true fact- everything that lives must eventually die. We have a hard time connecting this to ourselves, with our own experiences and memories. The Death of Ivan Ilyich is realistic- Leo Tolstoy vividly predicts popular beliefs and questions before these beliefs are known.