Essay on Existentialism in Unknown Places - 1409 Words

Existentialism in Unknown Places Existentialism is the epitome of the unknown. There is no straightforward explanation of what exactly it is, there is only certain characteristics and behaviors that describe existentialist views. Throughout today’s world, there are examples of it everywhere, it’s found in movies, books, songs, and just people in general. Existentialists are known to think and do for themselves only. They believe that to understand what it means to be human requires understanding of themselves first. Some very well known pieces of entertainment existentialism is found in are: Hamlet by William Shakespeare, The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Stranger by Albert Camus,†¦show more content†¦Although many may breeze right through these pieces unaware of existentialist characteristics, there are examples everywhere. Three easy characteristics such as absurdism, choice and commitment, a nd alienation and estrangement can be very quickly found after analyzing. Having no answer as to why things happen is quite absurd. Existentialist views on this grotesque theme lead them to direct conflict with the universe. Many absolutely absurd events happen in these works of entertainment. For example, in The Metamorphosis, Gregor is turned into a bug. When he wakes up and realizes this strange happening, he isn’t concerned at fixing it at all; he just wants to figure out how to adapt to living this way. For instance, while he is struggling to get out of bed he expresses his feeling of just moving on and coping with what he has become, â€Å"Before it strikes a quarter past seven, I must be completely out of bed without fail† (Kafka 8). This absurd characteristic of ignoring how bad the situation is and just moving on is also shown in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†. The woman in this short story is driven absolutely crazy by the complexity of the wallpaper in her room. She sees other women trapped inside of it at certain times of the day and becomes determined to set them free. She even goes as far as saying that she can smell the yellow coming off of the wallpaper (Gilman 7). As both of these previous examples have showcased more of theShow MoreRelatedExistentialism : The Novel Fight Club 985 Words   |  4 Pages By the definition of existentialism, it is the theory that one gives an action a value by the virtue of choosing said action to begin with. It is an approach that emphasizes any existence of an individual that is â€Å"condemned to be free† (McCutcheon, p. 91) and are therefore agents who have no other choice but to be accountable for those actions in which they produce. In a way, it is as if existentialism is contrary to essentialism. 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