zaaaAP Lit SuperBlog

What Makes You Existentialist?

I was watching a documentary the other night about films, and they were going through the major movies and their plots throughout time. When they were talking about Cool Hand Luke (one of my favorites) they call Paul Newman's character an "existentalist leading man." (If you have never seen the movie, Paul Newman's character is sent to prison for two years, and works on a chain-gang. He continually tries to escape, but is continually caught.)

Paul Newman's character, Luke, to me, however, seems nothing like Meursault, who might be identified as an existentialist leading man, too. I don't know if you've ever seen the movie, but there are a couple key differences between these characters. Luke is not constanly trying to please everyone. Meursault seems to base some of his actions on how others will feel- although he also does some things society deems abnormal (not crying at his mother's funeral.) Luke does base any of his actions on anything but his own feelings.

Luke's mother dies, too. But we get to see that she and Luke obviously have some sort of connection, because we witness her visit to him in prison. Luke is called "original" in the movie, which automatically makes me think, "Oh! Original... he might lead an original and authentic life..." But still, his character sometimes seems to different from Meursault to be an existentialist leading man.

What do you guys think? Have you seen the movie? Is Luke as emotionally detached as Meursault?

Movie Prediction

I really have no idea what is going to happen in the movie, but here's my best guess.

The high school dropout is going to get kicked out of her house. After all, she did kill her dad and show some extreme irresponsibility in becoming pregnant. Upon hearing the news, she will ask her boyfriend if she can move in with him. The boyfriend then dumps her and she becomes a homeless stranger to the world. She doesn't know what to do with herself, cries a lot, and I get bored of the movie.

Then, the computer geek encounters the girl. The develop a relationship where they must trust each other in order to find meaning in the world. Existentialism come in to play, they find it difficult to find meaning in the world, and a possible emotional collapse from one of them. My money is on the girl because we all know existentialism is a "male" thing and females can't handle it.

Any other predictions? Anybody think they have a better idea of what will happen in the movie?

Existentialism: All for one, and more for me.

In class today, Mr. Heidkamp mapped out a pretty well explained and straight-forward approach to existentialist ideals and beliefs. When I first got to class and saw "What gives meaning to life?" on the board, I just assumed that this would be a feely, "What makes you happy?" kind of talk, as I had no idea what existentialism was.  After walking out of class, I found myself thinking on things that I hold dear in life, and whether they really matter.  In my spanish class, I even mapped out a short version of our class discussion to Evan Munz, with illustration, in part to explain it to him and also to try to lay out how I felt about what was said. The idea that all those things on the board, love and happiness, are just illusions pressed upon us by society is one that I myself struggle with, having experienced both emotions. Can something as beautiful as love really just be a way that Halmark gets you to buy their sappy greeting cards?

My discussion question to you is, what did you think? Do you think that all the things, ideas, social constructs, whatever, that we put on that board, things that some of us hold to be the true meaning of our existence, are really just deadweight? Things like love and family that Mr. Heidkamp so unceremoniously crossed out hold people together in times of pain, suffering, and loss. (The alleged only "real things".) Can these things be holding us back from our true existense and purpose?

I still don't know what to think, and so I leave the discussion open to you. Can you drop everything and start living a "true" life? Can you be honest and a Subject and all those things that go into being an Individual, and still be happy without your measly "social constructs" like family and friends?

Camus is not an Existentialist

Sarte once said, "What is at the very heart of existentialism, is the absolute character of the free commitment, by which every man realizes himself" ("Existentialism is a Humanism," 304). 

"Existence precedes essence," the worn-out maxim of existentialism, mandates this statement. By declaring my existence, I say only that I am physically in the world. But, by declaring my essence, I say something about myself. I represent myself.  Ultimately though, in order for this representation to be about me, it must be my own free and absolute choice.

Meursault does not make any free and absolute choices. He lives his life largely as determined by his physical needs. Beyond that, he lets Raymond, Marie, his boss, and others be the guide.

You might object that in choosing not to lie, Meursault makes an existentialist choice. In the novel though, that is a character trait as opposed to a conscious decision.

You might also object that in his final wish, to die before a hateful crowd, Meursault makes an existentialist choice. However, that would be acknowledging that until that point, Meursault's refusal to play the game was something other than his being authentic. Once you have conceded this, the dynamic of the book becomes the switch between a passive role in life to an active role in life. I suggest that this theme, rather than existentialism and its innate focus on authenticity, is at the heart of the novel.

Meursault's Fascination with Death

Towards the end of the novel and the final moments before his execution, Meursault begins to reflect on the nature and reality of death. In the confines of his cell he recalls how his own father used to attend the execution of convicted murderers.

I remember feeling a little disgusted by him at the time. But now I understood, it was perfectly normal. How had I not seen that there was nothing more important than an execution, and that when you come right down to it, it was the only thing a man could truly be interested in? If I ever got out of this prison I would go and watch every execution there was (p. 110)

In the raw moments before his execution, Meursault comes to terms with the reality of death. He realizes that when everything is stripped away, when no societal constructions hold us back, the only thing our existence amounts to is the reality that we will all one day die. Through this realization Meursault continues to support the idea of existentialism. At it is core, existentialism supports the idea that all other values are meaningless and that the only true values of human existence are pain, suffering, and death. For Meursault, this is his existentialist moment.