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Dionysian and apollonian man
Dionysian and apollonian man
The different character traits of Apollo and Dionysus
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The importance of maintaining a balanced lifestyle will allow one to achieve the most worthwhile existence. Nikos Kazantzakis’ Zorba the Greek dramatizes the significance of balance between the Apollonian and Dionysian dichotomy, through the characterization of the contrasting protagonists, Boss and Zorba. Kazantzakis typifies the differences amid the philosophical ideologies through the comparison of Boss and Zorba’s beliefs. Moreover, he represents Boss by his willingness to try to improve oneself and live more like Zorba. Through the progression of their journey, Zorba’s Dionysian lifestyle becomes a primary influence to Boss and begins to alter his perspectives on the true meaning of life. Throughout the novel, Kazantzakis outlines the …show more content…
most fulfilling way of living through finding consistency between the Apollonian and Dionysian principles. Kazantzakis’ use of juxtaposition between Boss and Zorba at the beginning of the novel exaggerates and emphasises the contrasting philosophical ideologies. Boss’ Apollonian existence is displayed through his obsession and devotion to following the teachings of the Buddhist manuscript. He writes, “I had fallen so low that, if I had had to choose between falling in love with a woman and reading a book about love, I should have chosen a book” (110). Kazantzakis depicts the Apollonian view of being logical and structured, through the portrayal of Boss’ character as he dedicates his life towards the teachings of the Buddhist manuscript. However, Kazantzakis also illustrates Boss' character at fault when he chooses to ignore the basic pleasures of life such as love in order to practice his religion. Moreover, Zorba is depicted as the juxtaposition of Boss when he attains exuberance through the indulgence of women, music, dancing, and food. Boss is shown to evade these excitements in life, whereas Zorba gains happiness through living impetuously among society’s pleasures. “Why! Why!” He exclaimed with disdain. “Can’t a man do anything without a why? Just like that, because he wants to?” (12) Thus, Kazantzakis justifies the Dionysian way of life by showing Zorba for acting for the sake of personal pleasure. Due to their differences, Boss and Zorba are both analytical of the way the other chooses to live his life. When Boss says to Zorba “Man is like a tree. You’ve never quarrelled with a fig tree because it doesn’t bear cherries, have you?” (125) it represents the conflicts which evidently arise between the two ideologies. By demonstrating the philosophical dichotomy through Boss and Zorba, Kazantzakis better conveys the necessity of obtaining balance between the two lifestyles . The narrator, known more commonly as “Boss,” is an abstemious figure that personifies the Apollonian mindset of reason and logical thinking.
The novel is also written in first person from Boss’ perspective, therefore readers are given more insight to his approach towards life. Nevertheless, it is discovered that Boss is personally appalled by his own lifestyle. “If only I could live again the moment of that anger which surged up in me when my friend called me a bookworm! I recalled then that all my disgust at the life I had been leading was personified in those words” (8). The characterization of Boss’ self-discovery propels him to embark on a journey of uncovering the true purpose of life, which he believes is represented by Zorba’s philosophies. Kazantzakis specifically portrays Boss’ being as one who attempts to escape the principles of the Apollonian nature, hence he looks up to Zorba for his embodiment of the Dionysian lifestyle. Moreover, Kazantzakis depicts Boss’ strive to alter his principles as a way of symbolizing the notion of trying to achieve balance between the ideologies. “I felt, as I listened to Zorba, that the world was recovering its pristine freshness….Water, women, the stars, bread, returned to their mysterious, primitive origin and the divine whirlwind burst once more upon the air” (51). Once Boss begins opening himself to the art of living through one's passions, he is able to further pursue a life reflected by the Dionysian concepts. Kazantzakis …show more content…
believes that amid the Apollonian and Dionysian philosophies, it is essential to live a balanced life following values from both ideas in moderation. “As a child I had been full of mad impulses, superhuman desires, I was not content with the world. Gradually, as time went by, I grew calmer. I set limits, separated the possible from the impossible, the human from the divine, I held my kite tightly, so that it should not escape” (324). Kazantzakis references the innocence and carefree mindset of a child, where he or she has not live life long enough to confine in only one distinct value. As an adult Boss only restrains himself within the Apollonian nature, while Zorba is actively focused on living carefree. Through writing Zorba the Greek from Boss' viewpoint, readers are presented with the idea of changing one’s beliefs through a journey of attaining that balance. Zorba plays an influential role during the succession of Boss’ exploration of finding moderation between the Apollonian and Dionysian principles.
Zorba, who exemplifies the procreation of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and festivities, only behaves in the pursuit of pleasure. Kazantzakis suggests that once Boss gives up the manuscript, he will be able to adopt the ideas from the Dionysian culture. “I wrote all day and the more I wrote the freer I felt. My feelings were mixed: relief, pride, disgust. But I let myself be absorbed by the work, for I knew that as soon as I had finished this manuscript and had bound and sealed it I should be free” (83). For Boss, the manuscript symbolized an object which is associated with the Apollonian lifestyle, therefore when he finally renounces it; it signifies a change in philosophies. Kazantzakis depicts Boss as one who will never truly attain a life-loving entity, his analysis of the difference between the dichotomy provides the idea of trying to find a midpoint between the opposing philosophies. Zorba says to Boss, “All those who actually live the mysteries of life haven’t the time to write, and all those who have the time don’t live them! D’you see? (235) This is ironic since at the end of the novel Boss continues to write in the book instead of going out to live instinctively. Despite Boss’ best efforts to overcome his intellectual instincts, it is in his nature that he continues to harbour the Apollonian traits. Although Zorba’s
compelling behaviours impacts Boss’ perception of the world as they travel together, Kazantzakis still represents Boss confining himself to literature instead of seeking the extravagances of life by the end of the novel. It is acknowledged that Boss will never live exactly like Zorba, but Kazantzakis shows the change in Boss' mentality of life. Zorba explains, “The string you're tied to is perhaps no longer than other people's. That's all. You're on a long piece of string, boss; you come and go, and think you're free, but you never cut the string in two. And when people don't cut that ...” (323). Kazantzakis conveys that although one will never completely be able to abandon their primary ways of living, he places importance on recognizing the existence of balance between the two ideas as an approach towards living. Thus, Kazantzakis is further able to express his beliefs of the importance of finding moderation between the two opposing philosophical views, hence portrayed by Boss at the end of a novel. Even though, one can never truly be at an exact balance between the Apollonian and Dionysian philosophies, it is essential that they are at least accredited and should be strived for to achieve a worthwhile existence. Kazantzakis’ Zobra the Greek captivates the differences between the two fundamentally contrasting ways of living, therefore placing emphasis on finding equilibrium between the contrary philosophies. Boss and Zorba each represent opposite ends of the Apollonian and Dionysian dichotomy. Kazantzakis characterizes Boss to be guided by Buddhism and follow the Apollonian mindset, whereas Zorba is associated with the Dionysian morals and enjoys the freedoms of the world. As a result, Zorba the Greek explores the human traits of action versus contemplation and how it is critical to live a balanced life between the two qualities. In conclusion, Kazantzakis evokes the significance that achieving equity between the Apollonian and Dionysian lifestyle will result in the utmost satisfying style of living.
This work documented the human experience in a light that I would not have seen it had I only read the books assigned to me in class. The themes in this book and how they were portrayed helped me to be able learn symbolism a bit better and also to understand my own life more clearly.
These characters, however different they lie on the morality scale, all share the sinful trait of greed. They all ask, and take too much, ruining what the good that they had in their lives. Understanding their mistakes offers its useful readers a lesson, not to demand too much of the things we are offered. The characters struggle with their desires, each of them succombing to their passions.
In Greek Mythology a rivalry always occurs between certain Gods and Goddesses. In the case of Apollo and Dionysus there is no exception. They are half brothers, both sons of Zues and they compete just as most brothers do. Though the two Greek Gods, Apollo and Dionysus, were actually very similar in some ways, they severely contrasted in others.
The salient ideas in the novel are religion, culture, and materialism. This three are the major struggles through which the protagonist encounters throughout his existence. The auxiliary points are sin, gender inequality, and communication. These ones play a less outstanding, but a substantial part in the protagonist’s life.
Many diverse cultures are found in every corner of the world. Every culture is defined by its traditions and values. The film “The Odyssey,” depicts the culture of the ancient Greeks where it illustrates the life of a man, Odysseus, who has gone on a journey just to get back to his kingdom. Many values and traditions could be identified through the path of the journey. Some elements that are found important to the Greeks are the music, the religion, and the duty to the kingdom.
Through realistic tones that the authors create in Chato and Didion’s first person narration, it is easy to notice how unsurreal the world is. As their stories continue, the tones in their narration separate paths. In “The Somebody,” Chato’s tone is ironically optimistic, and in ‘Goodbye To All That,” Didion’s tone is filled with nostalgia and regret. Overall, there is a circling theme that revolves around the characters independence and how to use that to self-discovery the outside world and other aspects of it. And with that, they center themselves so that the world can be theirs and not someone else’s.
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“The gravest mistake a student makes when taking on a writing assignment is making the assumption that the audience is the teacher.” (Terlaje) However, instead of making the same mistake students often make, Paulo Coelho did not target one specific audience or “teacher” when he wrote The Alchemist. Through the art of story-telling, Coelho took the universal truth stating that everyone should live out their personal legends, and turned it into the eminent novel that is The Alchemist. Coelho wrote in “the language of the world;” captivating his audience with his wise words about the human life experience. Through the novel’s structure as a parable, the allusions and parallels found in the novel, and the use of archetypes as symbols, Coelho has written a novel that can still be valued by a wide array of people around the world.
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Luyster, Robert. "Dionysos: The masks of madness." Parabola, vol. 20 no. 4. (1995): Winter, pp. 43(6).
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In conclusion, the “Odyssey” is one of the greatest literary works ever known and this literary analysis should help the reader to understand the important components of the novel such as theme, characters, relationships, symbols, motifs, literary devices, and tone.
In this book review I represent and analyze the three themes I found the most significant in the novel.