Through the Prism - How to Add More Meaning to Ones Life - Essay Example

Through The Prism How To Add More Meaning to One’s Life? Introduction: If life is to be defined in rational words, then at some point of time words themselves will feel ashamed of being used to describe something as big as LIFE. Every day we come across numerous stories of struggle and hardship, of victory and success, and of silence and peace. Yet, when we combine all these experiences, life still looms large as a phenomenon unexplained. The real of life evades our understanding keeping us aware of only parts of it. These parts are significant in defining and improving our performance in life. The paper attempts to show that giving meaning to ones life can be achieved through realization, self-knowledge and establishment of ones social role and identity. Writers, thinkers, and moviemakers have often delved this path of understanding the key indicators of what makes life meaningful for human beings, by dealing with stories unheard of previously. Situations are created and analyzed through the main characters’ eyes, while solutions are sought for enlightenment of the writer and the reader. But have all solutions been found? The answer to this is a definite NO. Many epic stories have come, ruffled our senses, raised questions, sought answers and as always have left unanswered. The realms of human imagination that have walked these untraced paths, have definitely been accoladed and awarded and a few immortal works of fiction and art have idolized a general method of finding meaning for life even when one is stuck in the most weirdest of situations. Let us start by the study by going to each attribute that we deem necessary and portrayed in literature and find how important they can be in our understanding of life and its many challenges. Realization: With the realization of truth, man can often overcome the stress and puzzle of the life he is forced to follow. The definition of truth here is relative to his surroundings, his education, and the people he holds dear in life, and may not always be absolute truth about our existence. Yet, when the man stuck in a sand dune realizes that he would rather stay back and not escape the brutality of the life he had previously felt captive in, “The Woman in the Dunes” (1964) provides viewers the moment of revelation that comes with prolonged suffering and adjustment. The fact that the man had found new life in the home of the woman who traded her body in return of having him shovel up the sand, realizes that he is happy trying to find a new motive to get themselves free from the responsibility laden on the woman and later on him, shows that even in the hardest of situations, man knows how to add meaning to his life. Through the realization that he wanted to continue his life with the woman he had so unwontedly met, the man defines one of our most hidden strengths, the power of reconciliation and adjustment against all odds. Realization is also the missing element in Oedipus, the story of a king who never knew he was one, not till he faced one from the other clan and was thrown into a duel with his own conscience. The characterization and the story of Oedipus (Versenyi, 1962, 22) would not have made its mark in the history of literature had it not been for the eternal dilemma and high headedness of the king who never realized who or what he was worth. Mere role playing had taken its toll on the life of King Oedipus by the time the book reaches its end, and we are exposed to the original thoughts of a puppet, who has been fulfilling all duties of a king, a son, a father, a brother, and a friend by the end of the book. Realization is important to bring in the real value of the life you choose to lead. These two characters and their stories have shown us that. Self-knowledge To be able to face yourself and the truth about your innate nature and qualities is a tough job for those who have been running away from facing their inner evils and following societal standards, values, and practices over the precepts of morality. Teachings of seers and sages can be followed in two ways, either by mechanically following the physical routine, or by realizing the internal transformation they lead to and facing up to the process that challenges to kill a person’s evil traits from within. But the catch lies in the fact that even if you fail to understand and accept the process in its entirety, the fact that you yourself may not be as good as you thought yourself to be remains for you to explore and accept. Knowing our own self truly is what can help us perform in tough times best. Knowing our strengths and weaknesses, and acting in accordance to our capabilities is the best back-up to balanced living. In his epic novel The Plague, Camus created characters which initially refused to accept that they were dealing with death. However, by the end of the book, these characters face and overcome their delusion of not fighting or dealing with death, their reluctance to face death, and the fact that their near and dear ones were dying (Camus, 1942, 212). They overcome the weakness and start realizing their social and moral duty of disposing the bodies in the right way and trying to take stock of the real situation in hand and devise ways of how to prevent it. Camus has through this creation brought forward his own characteristic of self knowledge which although initially was unconscious and entirely free from apprehensions in early life, later led him to face the reality about himself, that he stood for the cause of the poor people and aimed to bring out their perspectives in life (Rube & Douglas, 1960, 7). Another important example of self knowledge, lies in the many dialogues of the Justice of Aphrodite. The entire example of Greek homosexuality that has been created in this epic challenges the conservative understanding of human nature and reveals the innate silent instincts, much to the surprise of the unseasoned reader. Aphrodite brings about reversal of roles and the beloved slowly turns into the lover whose experiences of rejection , which are similar to the rejections she had imposed on her lover, later turn her assessment of her own self into one that reveals her need to be loved by a member of the same sex (Giacomelli, 1980, 137). This story of reversal of roles and the impending self knowledge that erupts from it is a unique reminder to every one of us that ultimately, it is when we understand ourselves completely do we create the support system that defines our lifestyle and adds meaning to our individual lives best. Social Identity: Man is a social animal. In no way does shunning the society help an individual add meaning into his life. In fact, his dependency on the views and comments of his friends and family members, an aspect that is innate to man’s nature, will take him back to society and societal norms. A person can refute, challenge, or contradict social norms and patterns, but he still has to continue as a part of the society. Therefore, the third most important aspect of creating sufficient meaning in a life lived wisely is by adorning a social identity that defines him to his peers. Going back to Camus’ example, we see that he had adorned a similar role in which he out rightly voiced suggestions and criticisms that challenged the strict societal norms of the decades that he lived in (Jagger, 1948, 125). But that was his own social identity and therefore, in spite of negative criticism of his work, Camus went on to win the Nobel Prize for his accomplishments. Thus, we see that society respects even the ones who stand against it and challenge its basics, no matter whether they are right or wrong. Another mammoth literary example of the need for a social identity to create depth and understanding to an individual’s existence is through the example of women in society. Whether it was in The Woman in the Dunes (1964) or in A Doll House (Ibsen, 2008), we have seen repeated emphasis on how women have been allotted a situation of silent existence filled with tolerance and sacrifice in society. In his play, A Doll House, Ibsen dramatizes this much talked about role of society in undermining the role of women in it. Nora’s character seeks to find additional meaning to her life by challenging the role she is expected to play and carving a space out for herself in the society or the house she lives in. It is indeed important to improve upon the social status of women and uplift it from being that of bearers of men’s brunt, and Nora does just the same in her role as the wife of the house. Ibsen spells power into her character in due course of the play and she not just challenges but succeeds in getting a new meaning in her life and the role that she plays in society, her house, in the family, and in her husband’s life. Similarly, the lady in The Woman in the Dunes (1964)actually showcases the singular condition of a woman who has created a social identity for herself which the villagers respect her for the deep conviction it has. Although it is not clear whether she is forced into that situation or has lived in it by choice (according to the story she tells the schoolteacher), it is still very clear that it is her social identity that helps her survive the otherwise brutal truth that her family is dead and that the sand is eating away at her house. To Be Happy, You Have To Follow A Well Defined Life The combination of all of the three attributes in life is well portrayed in another important psychological movie “Ikiru” (1952). A Japanese original, this movie is the story of an old man’s search for happiness and meaning in his life cut short by cancer. Disregarded by his son and his wife, the old man is almost desolate as to why the world considers him so meaningless and non-existent, when he chances upon a happy and self-sufficient subordinate in office and chooses to learn living her way. He realizes that she is happy because she has not only discovered her own self, found out what she likes and dislikes, and realized her true worth, but has in fact given a new definition to her understanding of her life by creating toys, which makes her feel she is playing with all the children of Japan. The old man realizes that to be able to bring new definition into his life, he has to pursue what he loves doing and once he is with his passion in the right place, success, happiness, and recognition follow suit ultimately. In the end of the movie, when the old man through his negotiations gets a mosquito infested dumpyard converted into a children’s park, his colleagues try to seek out his secret of happiness and content. Conclusion In hindsight, we see that, life does not always show us the way to make ourselves happy. But through all the challenges and tribulations, we are given innumerable chances to prove to the world, the society, and Providence that we are capable of putting more meaning into our lives. Every human being needs to use realization and self knowledge to be able to define his position in society, thereby creating and establishing a definite role in society. This social identity goes a long way in proving his presence in a world full of changes and challenges. The need to understand every aspect of our existence is further enhanced when we are in a troubled or new situation, and through this study we have elucidated the three main characteristics that can help anyone come out triumphant in any case of turmoil. References: Camus, A. (1942). The Plague. London: Penguin Modern Classics. Giacomelli, A. (1980). The Justice of Aphrodite in Sappho Fr. 1. Transactions of the American Philological Association (1974-), Vol. 110 (1980), pp. 135-142. Jagger, G. (1948). Camus’ ‘Le Peste’. Yale French Studies. I, no.1. pages 124-127. Ikiru. Dir. Akira Kurosawa. Perf. Takashi Shimura. Toho. 1952. DVD. Ibsen, H. (2008). A Doll House. Project Gutenberg Ebook. Retrieved on 3rd June, 2014 from : http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2542/2542-h/2542-h.htm Rube, P & Douglas, K. (1960). Who Was Albert Camus? Yale French Studies, 25, pages 3-9. The Woman In The Dunes. Dir. Hiroshi Teshigahara. Perf. Eiji Okada, Kyoko Kishida. Toho. 1964. DVD. Versenyi, L. (1962). Oedipus: Tragedy of Self Knowledge. Arion, Vol. 1, No. 3 (Autumn, 1962), pp. 20-30 Read More