Existentialism and Literature

Existentialism is the philosophical belief that us as humans have complete free will in a basically meaningless and random universe. We come up with what is right and wrong on our own (as individuals not a race) and what is important to us, and have to add meaning to our own lives. Although existentialism is generally an atheistic principle I couldn't help but connect it to Timshel in East of Eden. Just like timshel gives you the ability to lead a life of good or evil despite how u feel you've been predestined (basically saying there is no predetermined destiny), existentialism says you can come up with your own values and life meaning despite what society says. In A Modest Proposal  too, besides lots of satire you can also view it from an existantialist viewpoint. If you didn't have your predetermined society  influenced views on what is right and wrong his idea of eating Irish babies might seem fully logical and a very possible solution to the over population of the poor. Luckily (well if you share my viewpoints) just the mere idea of this seems completely absurd and therefore you have the ability to see Swifts satire and not think he's a complete psycho. It's in this way that I must point out that it's only natural for humans to have very nonextentialist views. As social creatures through and through the majority of us are born with the ability to symphasize with others and establish meaning and code of conducts off of the reactions of others and how their reactions make us feel. That is why the majority of societies throughout history share very similar ideas on what is right and wrong. The only character we've read about in class whose behavior and character I believe completely reflect an existential viewpoint is Catherine. She's comes up with her own system of what is right and wrong and what makes her life meaningful. Logically this turns into what gives her personal gain. Although it can be argued that you can come up with "helping others" is important on your own, I don't fully agree. We'd have to base our opinion on what is "helping" others on their reactions and then it wouldn't fully be as an individual. Generally I don't feel like having a non existential viewpoint is a bad thing (although you shouldn't completely conform). Similar ideas of right and wrong are what caused us as a species to evolve into what we are today and flourish. Not to allow any religion, society, or other individuals to influence your viewpoints simply isn't human and I feel is represented well in Catherine from East of Eden. Beside from her appearance something is just plain wrong and inhuman with her. "Warped" (what most people feel are warped) views seem to stem from existential principles and make up the characteristics of the villains in many pieces of literature and culture.

Bathos and Rape of The Lock

Bathos is a dramatic change in style from the exalted to the commonplace. Bathos can often create a humorous effect and can be described as mock heroic or burlesque. Knowing this the definition of bathos, there is no better example of it than in Rape of the Lock. The whole poem is mock heroic following the actions of Belinda to retrieve her lock of hair from her male adversary. "Here thou great Anna! Whom three realms obey, Dost sometimes counsel take-- and sometimes tea." The transition between the greatness of Anna- commander of three realms- to women Anna drinking tea is very mock heroic and humorous. The transition from great power to tea parties is so vast that our only reaction is to laugh. This is only one example from a poem filled with transitions such as these. The whole concept of a trivial object like a lock of hair floating up and becoming an eternal star is also very humorous and is an example of bathos. The role of bathos in the text and mock heroics doesn't only make fun of women but it helps bring out the original purpose of the poem. Pope wrote this to end the feud in a family when someone cut a girls hair. By placing a situation very similar to theirs close to grand and awesome things allows them to see how petty their agreement is and allows them to get over it. It also provided them with a good laugh. Bathos happens to be a very popular form of comedy in today's world as well. Many examples of bathos can be seen in South Park. How underwhelmed the characters seem over awesome spectacles and how overwhelmed they are with petty things is an often used humorous device and is bathos. The devil in South Park manifesting himself in a huge spectacle for the sole purpose of talking to Stan about his problems is mock heroic and a great switch between epic to commonplace. This is a just one example of bathos on the show and, when used right can, be pretty funny.

Ontology and Dante's Inferno

Ontology is the the philosophical study of the nature of being, reality, existence etc. as well as relations of being. Dante's Inferno, as a poem about the divine and the relationships between our earthly actions and the effects they have in our afterlife as well as the different states of being which humans go through can be analyzed very effectively through the view of an ontologist. First off the perspective which The Inferno creates for us of the relationship between this life and the next is relatively simple and hard to grasp. Like from a physics viewpoint our actions in this life have an equal and opposite reaction on our afterlife. The evil we do in this life is balanced out by the evil done to us in the next life. Although things might not seem fair, as fortune doesn't always favor the kind, fortune is fleeting- random- and only remains in life. Divine justice will have its way in the end. The nature of our being is more difficult to explain. Although it seems like our souls are basically our bodies but in a different dimension, we hear from the tree that our bodies will be returned to us during the reaping. This begs the question, what differs our souls from our bodies? Besides being able to reform (from getting cut in two etc.) and being immortal there doesn't really seem to be a difference. We can still get injured, feel pain, and everything else. Perhaps this is only the reality in hell- part of the eternal punishment. This varies greatly from the viewpoint of ghost whisperer (had a hard time thinking of any other example). In ghost whisperer ghosts seem to be free from divine punishment unless they are not sorry for their past wrongdoings and unwilling to repent. This goes along with the modern teachings of the church more so than Dante's Inferno seems to as well. Modern church teachings is that if you are truly sorry- even on your dying breath- that you are forgiven. Perhaps the harshness of The Inferno have to do with Dante's reasons for writing it. He was trying to write it to warn people and make them change their ways, almost like a scared straight program. Also ghosts in ghost whisperer are free from painful feelings associated with the body.