Existentialism:

1. Existentialism: A Primer For A.P. Literature

2. Why We Care about Existentialism Existential themes (not �existentialist�) pervade 20th Century literature. Knowing some basic existential themes can give you right-side ideas as you think about your reading.

3. A Warning: Existentialism arises from doubt that there is any unifying order (i.e. God) running things in the universe. Please do not mistake this lecture for an expression of spiritual beliefs on my part. It is intended to be a historical look at a significant 20th century philosophical movement.

4. Before Existentialism: Until the 20th Century, it was generally accepted that �essence� preceded �existence.� That is, people thought that God had an idea for us and then made us�so, we were born into a word with purpose, into a world that made sense. Our essence was pre-determined.

5. Before Existentialism: As a result, people believed that, no matter how confused you might be about life, there was an answer out there. There was right and wrong. In literature, authors disagreed only on how to get the answer: Before the Renaissance, people tended to believe that the answers were all contained in �the next world,� that nothing of value was here on Earth. Starting with the Renaissance and through the Enlightenment, we started to think that it was reason�our rational minds. Romantics responded that no, it was through the emotions and the imagination.

6. But WWI Changed That

7. Yes, the 20th Century happened. In the face of two massive world wars, this faith in an ordered, unified existence came to be shaken. Existentialism is a philosophical reaction to the apparent lack of order and sense in the world. Why, for example, did reason not prevent us from such destruction? In fact, it seemed to lead to it! Why didn�t our compassion prevent it? Why, some thought, is God �silent� in the face of this madness? What are we supposed to do in the face of this silence?

8. Existentialism: A response to a World that has lost meaning. Existentialism is the philosophy that arose in response to those feelings, that sense of disorientation and confusion in the face of world that appears to be meaningless or absurd world, a world that defies our wishes for order and meaning. Existence, it argues, precedes essence. Hence the name, �Existentialism.�

9. Existentialism Three Themes Here, then, are the ideas that get considered in much of the 20th Century�s art, fiction, film, music, etc.

10. Absurdity The world frustrates our wish that it make sense or have meaning. Instead, it is absurd, crushing our hopes for a meaningful universe. Some novels depict this absurdity with humor, like in Hitchhiker�s Guide to the Galaxy or Catch-22. Some use tragedy, like Macbeth or Heart of Darkness.

11. Subjectivity If we are born into a world with no meaning, our only choice is to make our own meaning. And, because we all perceive the world differently, meaning is not universal; it is subjective, individual, unique. [Siddhartha�s decision to leave the Gotama] underscores [the subjective nature of meaning�his is a personal quest for a personal truth.]

12. Are all existential thinkers atheists? No. Kierkegaard said that this �responsibility� to take action and define your own meaning was God�s challenge to us. Most, however, are atheists or carry a lot of doubt, and existentialism represents their reaction to the perceived absence of a god.

13. An example: The Myth of Sisyphus In a short work by Albert Camus (1913-1960), �The Myth of Sisyphus,� the hero, Sisyphus is condemned to a meaningless life of pushing a boulder to the top of a mountain, only to have it roll back down again. But he does it, over and over. For Camus, Sisyphus is an existential hero: in the face of an impossible, meaningless existence, he persists. He finds or makes meaning in the act of trying, even though he knows it is without purpose. A claim: [Sisyphus�s heroic persistence] illustrates [the importance of personal action in a meaningless universe.]

14. Isolation If everyone makes their own meaning and perceives the world differently, we tend to feel isolated and estranged from others. Part of the �modern condition� is a feeling of �estrangement� or isolation, alienation�our inability to really communicate with other people. [Holden�s hunting cap] suggests [his estrangement and isolation in a fallen world.]

15. Awareness of Death Part of existentialism involves people facing the apparent finality of death. How to face this meaningless end causes anxiety, so many existential works involve the depiction the experience of this anxiety�they are just trying to express the experience itself. [Joyce Carol Oates�s fragmented narration] reflects [Judd�s anxiety as he contemplates the inevitability of his own death.]

16. The Sparknotes version: To say that a work is existential merely means that it asks any of the following questions: Who am I? Why am I here? What am I supposed to do? How do I connect with people? Why doesn�t the world make sense? What is right? What happens if I do wrong? (nothing)

17. So? These themes are all �right side� possibilities for your essays. Consider how imagery, tone, setting, dramatic action all explore these themes. Mention them in conclusions, too, if they don�t fit in your essays, to �open them up.�

18. One more thing I want to say but I don�t know how it fits into the slideshow. Many modern works simply illustrate the despair that comes when someone is facing an existential crisis: showing what it�s like to face the absurdity, feel alienated, etc. Some, like Siddhartha, demonstrate responses to the need for meaning, and are more positive. So, just because a work has existential themes doesn�t mean it is depressing. Some, like the film Brazil for example, suggest that laughter is our only response.

19. So, see any of this in Heart of Darkness?