The s Quest For Meaning - 1122 Words

Two mice, nibbling and gnawing, representing the inexorable entity, time, which exists as a constant threat to humanity; a dark pit with death as the only certainty; a ferocious beast forbidding escape; a single branch offering delay; a drop of honey attempting to conceal inevitable peril. The powerful metaphor embedded in this Buddhist parable serves as the platform for Leo Tolstoy (A Confession) in his quest for meaning. It offers a simplistic illustration of the common predicament faced by all of mankind, to which Tolstoy and fellow thinkers, Sigmund Freud (Civilization and Its Discontents) and C.S. Lewis (The Abolition of Man) attempt to provide a solution. Each thinker offers a unique conclusion based upon their respective definitions of the problem and its perpetuating influences. The thinkers focus their investigation on the authority of science, instinct, and faith. Tolstoy is distinct in his ability to rationalize toward a purpose independent of mankind itself; he alters the circumstances of life rather than man’s capability to deal with such circumstances. Freud and Lewis confine their respective reasonings to the continuation and progression of mankind so as to better cope with the predicament of man. Their theories on the improvement of man and civilization serve only to extend the torment of mankind. Tolstoy does not hesitate to dismiss the significance of science as an answer to the predicament of man. He quotes Solomon explaining that â€Å"in much wisdom is muchShow MoreRelatedHarriet Jacobs s Story : The True Meaning Of A Slave s Quest For Freedom1682 Words   |  7 Pagestoday’s society could come close to comprehending the amount of heartache, torment, anguish, and complete misery women had to suffer and endure during slavery. However, we can all learn from Jacobs’s heartbreaking story to understand the true meaning of a slave’s quest for freedom and the inalienable bond a mother has for her children. Life was tough and very cruel for Harriet Jacobs and other female slaves. Slave women, especially young girls, found that their bodies were the property of their slaveholderRead MoreThe Epic of Gilgamesh Essay1139 Words   |  5 Pages nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In the epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh embarks upon a quest seeking immortality as a means to peace, meaning, and joy in life. He tries to reach it in many different ways, each as unsuccessful as its predecessor. The two main types of immortality are physical and through the actions or achievements of ones life. Gilgamesh tries first through his actions, but then undergoes a transformation which leads him to next attempt physical immortality. He eventually comes back toRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Rabbit By John Updike1491 Words   |  6 Pagesanswer to this question although he does not consciously think of it in religious terms. He is on a quest for meaning, and his story is in some ways the oldest story in the world: peopl e have been telling tales of quests for thousands of years. Dean Doner wrote in John Updike: A Collection of Critical Essays that the novel is successful because Rabbit is symbolic of us all, and his search for meaning and purpose in his life reflects a uniquely twentieth-century view of this search. The things RabbitRead MoreCrying of Lot 491354 Words   |  6 Pagesof Maxwell ¡Ã‚ ¦s Demon.  ¡Ã‚ §As the Demon sat and sorted his molecules into hot and cold, the system was said to lose entropy. But somehow the loss was offset by the information the Demon gained about what molecules were where ¡Ã‚ ¨ (p.105). Oedipa ¡Ã‚ ¦s purpose in the novel, besides executing a will, is to find meaning in a life dominated by assaults on people ¡Ã‚ ¦s perceptions through the use of drugs and the muting of communications. Entangled in this chaos, Oedipa has to do what the Maxwell ¡Ã‚ ¦s Demon does:Read MoreJesus And The Politics Of Interpretation816 Words   |  4 PagesDivinity school, specializes in scripture and interpretation from a femini st perspective. She has noticed masculine language which dominates in the construction of the Historical-Jesus and attempts to challenge this language to reform the context of the quest for the Historical-Jesus so it is all inclusive. Jesus and the Politics of Interpretation is not another book which seeks to describe who the Historical-Jesus is; rather, â€Å"it is a sustained rhetorical inquiry into the scholarly discourses that produceRead MoreThe Mosquito Coast Essay example1150 Words   |  5 PagesNavigating the Global explores the challenges and complexities confronted by individuals embarking on a quest for a greater meaning in their lives. The concept of globalization is an ever growing understanding of the complexities and challenges of the late 20th to 21st century world where the increase in technology and communication has lead to the homogenization of cultural values. The concept of navigating through these complexities is referred to by critic T. Friedman as â€Å"An inevitable processRead MoreGrapes of Wrath Essay1158 Words   |  5 Pagesmost apply to Steinbeck’s novel were â€Å"It’s All About Sex†¦,† â€Å"Every Trip is a Quest (Except When It’s Not),† and â€Å"It’s More Than Just Rain or Snow.† On more than one occasion these concepts are hidden within the book, and two of them actually seem somewhat linked together. After reading between the lines, The Grapes of Wrath has an extremely intricate plot and many ulterior meanings. Foster’s book helps to solve these meanings and make it so that the novel can be completely understood. According toRead MoreViktor Frankl And The Holocaust1517 Words   |  7 PagesViktor Frankl, known for his development of logotherapy, a form of therapy that teaches individuals to live a life of meaning, put this saying to use when he experienced unspeakable atrocities during the holocaust. Given his medical and psychological history, Frankl was able to withstand Nazi concentration camps and not give into the hopelessness he faced; he instead focused on the meaning of life. It seems that Frankl arrived in the world at the right time; his purpose was fulfilled by his circumstanceRead MoreFilm Noir: The Maltese falcon Essay966 Words   |  4 Pagesextremely trendy during the 1940’s. People were captivated by the way it expresses a mood of disillusionment and indistinctness between good and evil. Film Noir have key elements; crime, mystery, an anti-hero, femme fatale, and chiaroscuro lighting and camera angles. The Maltese Falcon is an example of film noir because of the usage of camera angles, lighting and ominous settings, as well as sinister characters as Samuel Spade, the anti-hero on a quest for meaning, who encounters the death of hisRead MoreIdentifying Symbols Using Foster s Teachings1481 Words   |  6 Pagesin order to find additional meaning. In any text, one can find symbols to better identify meaning. Text can be a movie, book, game, or anything that tells a story. Symbols are tools an author uses so a reader can analyze a text to gai n a greater understanding of of characters, messages, events, or even the story itself. One example of a symbol is a friendly beast. A friendly beast is a character archetype when something, often an animal, helps a hero advance in his quest. One text where this symbol