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Existentialism in Literature

Existentialism in Literature. A Simplified Formula. Existential crisis.

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Existentialism in Literature

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  1. Existentialism in Literature A Simplified Formula

  2. Existential crisis Works of art or literature that contain protagonists who find themselves in existential crisis often follow a basic formula. This formula is made up of five distinct steps, and could reasonably be called an existential archetype of storytelling. This formula follows the basic tenets of existentialism itself.

  3. Step 1: Who am I? The first step is the protagonist’s self-questioning. We find our protagonist wrestling with questions concerning self-identity, fate, or the meaning of life. The protagonist will attempt to answer these questions by accessing information from outside sources, but will be dissatisfied with the results or explanations offered.

  4. Step 2: Life lacks meaning Unable to find satisfying answers to the lingering existential questions in his/her mind, our protagonist becomes convinced that life is meaningless and that nothing has any real value. Behaviors exhibited by the protagonist at this point in the story could be described as depressed or antisocial.

  5. Step 3: A feeling of alienation Our protagonist now feels s/he has the answers to the universe, which is, in essence, that there is no answer. As s/he looks around and sees others NOT understanding this, but behaving as if life is meaningful, s/he feels more and more alienated and isolated from other human beings.

  6. Step 4: Accepting despair, loneliness and death Our protagonist gets accustomed to the sense of isolation and accepts that loneliness, fear and death are all part of the human existence. In this way, the protagonist begins to recognize that his/her life does, in fact, have meaning, but only to him/her. The protagonist recognizes this to be true for all human beings, thus alleviating alienation.

  7. Step 5: Acceptance = Freedom The protagonist realizes that accepting personal meaning and responsibility can result in absolute freedom, wherein s/he is not beholden to anyone else’s expectations or pressures. Thus the protagonist can emerge from depression or despair into an empowered state.

  8. Your Task As we watch the film I Heart Huckabees, look for particular scenes or attitudes that relate to your understanding of the philosophy behind Existentialism. Also, take note of transitions from one step of this formula to the next for the protagonists of the story.

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