The Plague by Albert Camus | Summary

 The Plague by Albert Camus

Part One: The Initial Signs

• The narrative begins in Oran in the spring, noting that the town is situated on a bare plateau by a bay but is oriented away from the sea. The narrator, whose identity is to be revealed later, justifies his role as a historian due to his personal involvement, eyewitness accounts, and access to documents.
• The first unusual incident occurs on April 16th when Dr. Bernard Rieux finds a dead rat on his landing. He initially dismisses it but then asks the concierge, M. Michel, to remove it. The concierge vehemently denies the presence of rats in the building.
• Later that day, Dr. Rieux encounters a magistrate, M. Othon, who mentions "these rats". Rieux also briefly sees a railroad worker carrying a box full of dead rats.
• In the afternoon, Rieux is visited by Raymond Rambert, a journalist from Paris, who has been commissioned to report on the living conditions of the Arab population and sanitary conditions.
• Around April 18th, the number of dead rats found in factories and warehouses increases significantly, causing uneasiness among the townspeople. Hundreds of dead rats are collected, and the evening papers begin to question the municipality's lack of action.
• A meeting is convened, and an order is given to collect and burn the dead rats daily.
• By April 25th, the Ransdoc Information Bureau announces that 6,231 rats have been collected and burned in a single day, causing public alarm as the scope of the phenomenon becomes apparent.
• On April 28th, the number rises to 8,000 rats collected, leading to panic. However, the next day, the bureau reports a sudden end to the phenomenon, with only a few rats collected, bringing relief to the town.
• On the same day, Dr. Rieux finds his concierge, M. Michel, ill and leaning on Father Paneloux, a respected Jesuit priest. Rieux is then called to attend to a man, Cottard, who has attempted to hang himself.
• Rieux informs the police inspector about the attempted suicide but asks for a delay in the inquiry. He asks Grand, a clerk who found Cottard, to watch over him. Grand mentions he hasn't paid much attention to the talk about rats.
• Later, Rieux finds his patient, the concierge, vomiting and showing signs of fever, swollen ganglia, and black patches. The sick man keeps repeating, "Them rats! Them damned rats!".

Part Two: The Fever and Initial Measures

• The narrative shifts to the observations of Jean Tarrou, who arrived in Oran some weeks prior and is staying at a hotel. He is described as good-humored and fond of swimming. Tarrou's diary entries begin to detail the "queer fever" causing anxiety. He notes that about a dozen cases have occurred, mostly fatal.
• Tarrou's description of Dr. Rieux is provided: around thirty-five, moderate height, broad shoulders, dark eyes, prominent jaws, a big nose, cropped black hair, and tanned skin, resembling a Sicilian peasant.
• Rieux and Grand discuss Cottard, who seems interested in Grand's language lessons. Grand refers to Cottard's "grim resolve" and "secret grief" regarding the attempted suicide.
• The local press, which had reported extensively on the rats, now says nothing as men die in their homes. It becomes evident that a real epidemic has begun.
• Rieux's colleague, Castel, older than him, comes to see him. Rieux reflects on the symptoms: stupor, buboes, intense thirst, delirium, dark blotches, internal dilatation, and a rapid, weak pulse leading to death with the slightest movement.
• Despite his concerns, Rieux tries to remain rational, telling himself a few cases don't constitute an epidemic but require precautions. The word "plague" is uttered, but there is hope it might stop.
• Grand and Cottard visit Rieux, reporting eleven deaths in forty-eight hours. Rieux suggests they should call the disease by its name and heads to the laboratory. He reflects on Grand's harmless eccentricities, finding it hard to believe a plague could befall a town with such people.
• Rieux persuades the authorities to convene a health committee. Dr. Richard admits people are nervous and rumors are circulating. The Prefect advises prompt action but to avoid attracting attention, convinced it's a false alarm.
• Castel reveals there is no serum in the district, and it will have to be sent from Paris. The Prefect convenes the meeting, where the term "a special type of fever" is preferred to "plague". Rieux argues against downplaying the potential scale of the disaster.
• Following the committee meeting, the fever continues to spread. Official notices are put up discreetly, downplaying the situation and suggesting precautionary measures are sufficient.
• The measures include rat extermination, water supply supervision, cleanliness advice, reporting fever cases, and isolation in hospital wards.
• Rieux remarks to Grand that the "business of the rats" seems to have affected Cottard's mind. Cottard expresses concerns about people taking an interest in others negatively, linking it to a detective story.
• Rieux sends a minute to the central administration with a clinical diagnosis and epidemic statistics, reporting forty deaths that day. The Prefect tightens regulations, enforcing declaration, isolation, quarantine, and supervised burials. Serum arrives by plane but is not enough if the epidemic spreads.
• Spring continues in Oran, seemingly normal despite the rising death toll. The epidemic seems to wane briefly before surging again. The Prefect finally gets alarmed and declares a state of plague, closing the town.

Part Three: Life in a Plague-Stricken Town

• The closure of the town leads to a sense of imprisonment and a focus on the absent loved ones. Even sincere grief resorts to common phrases. Those separated find a "saving indifference" in their love, which protects them from general panic.
• Cottard shares stories about people trying to profit from the plague.
• Grand becomes more voluble, recounting his courtship and marriage to Jeanne, and how the hardships of life led to their separation.
• Rambert seeks a certificate stating he doesn't have the disease to facilitate his escape. He expresses his desire to return to his wife in France. The town is described as gray with dust and the atmosphere as despondent.
• Rieux is overwhelmed with the demands of his work, including the auxiliary hospitals. Evacuating the sick becomes a struggle with families. The scenes of mothers grieving over their sick children become a monotonous recurrence for Rieux, leading to a growing indifference.
• The first month of the plague ends gloomily, marked by a surge in the epidemic and a dramatic sermon by Father Paneloux. Paneloux is known for his intellectual pursuits and strong Christian beliefs.
• The ecclesiastical authorities organize a Week of Prayer to combat the plague. Paneloux's sermon becomes a significant event. He declares that the plague is a scourge of God sent to strike down the enemies of God, like Pharaoh. He urges the congregation to recognize divine compassion in both good and evil, including the plague, which he says works for their good. He references historical interpretations of plague as a means to eternal life.
• Paneloux concludes by emphasizing divine succor and Christian hope, urging the citizens to offer up their suffering to heaven.
• The Sunday of the sermon coincides with the beginning of widespread panic in the town. A few days later, Rieux and Grand observe a man laughing soundlessly in the street, suggesting the psychological toll of the plague.
• Grand discusses his writing with Rieux, emphasizing his desire for a flawless opening sentence that would elicit admiration. He struggles over the precise use of conjunctions.
• Rieux listens to Grand's opening sentence about a horsewoman in the Bois de Boulogne, noting the contrast with the reality of the plague. Grand explains his painstaking effort to capture the exact rhythm and illusion of the scene. Their conversation is interrupted by the sound of people running in the street, as some try to escape the closed town.
• Rambert continues his persistent attempts to escape, trying to leverage officialdom but finding their competence lacking in the face of the plague. He fills out forms, hoping to be authorized to leave.
• The summer brings a stark change as the sea is off-limits. Tarrou's diary notes the escalating daily death tolls, criticizing the authorities' attempts to downplay the numbers. He records poignant incidents and the disappearance of peppermint lozenges due to a popular superstition. He also comments on Paneloux's sermon, observing the tendency for rhetoric at the beginning and end of a pestilence, suggesting that truth hardens in silence during the thick of it.
• Tarrou describes the chaotic scene of people trying to buy newspapers in the morning and the overcrowded streetcars where passengers try to avoid contact with each other.
• Tarrou asks Rieux for an interview. Rieux reflects on his mother's quiet resignation. Tarrou proposes forming voluntary groups of helpers. He explains his motivation as a loathing of the death penalty, contrasting his view with Paneloux's. Tarrou emphasizes relieving human suffering over theological explanations.
• Tarrou's "code of morals" is defined as "comprehension". He begins enrolling volunteers for the sanitary groups.
• The narrator emphasizes that Grand, with his quiet courage, was a true embodiment of the spirit of the sanitary groups. Grand continues his literary work amidst the plague, finding it a form of relaxation. His unavailing quest for the perfect phrase wears him out, but he diligently compiles statistics for the sanitary groups. The narrator presents Grand as an "insignificant and obscure hero" with a "little goodness of heart and a seemingly absurd ideal".
• The struggles of people like Rambert to regain their lost happiness are seen as a form of resistance against the plague. Rambert seeks Cottard's help to find a way out of the town, mentioning his wife in France. Cottard finds the situation "extremely interesting".
• Tarrou deems the magistrate, M. Othon, "Enemy Number One". Rambert meets Garcia and then Raoul, who can arrange his escape for a large sum of money. Rambert agrees and meets Raoul's associate, Gonzales, who will facilitate the contact with the sentries.
• Rambert has to wait a couple more days. He informs Rieux of the developments. Rieux appears worn out, but the death graph is rising less steeply.
• Rambert, Tarrou, and Rieux share a drink in a crowded bar. Rambert expresses frustration with having to restart his escape plans after a setback. He mentions a record he keeps playing repeatedly, describing it as "the same thing over and over again". He asks Rieux about the progress of the sanitary groups. Tarrou reveals to Rambert that Rieux's wife is in a sanatorium. The next day, Rambert offers to work with Rieux until he can find a way out.

Part Four: The Height of the Plague

• By mid-August, the plague has consumed everything, and individual destinies have merged into a collective one defined by exile, deprivation, revolt, and fear.
• The process of burying the dead becomes a grim formality, with coffins, official forms, and motor vehicles transporting the bodies to pits with quicklime. Initially, sexes are separated in the pits, but later this decorum is abandoned.
• The real plague is described as a "shrewd, unflagging adversary". The narrator emphasizes objectivity in his account. While separation is the deepest distress, even this loses some of its poignancy over time.
• Rieux and his friends realize their exhaustion, marked by a strange indifference. Rambert, in charge of a quarantine station, focuses on his immediate tasks but loses track of the overall death toll. Others working tirelessly also become indifferent to news.
• Grand continues his statistical work and his literary efforts, clinging to the idea of a post-plague vacation for his writing. He also becomes more sentimental about Jeanne. Rieux, surprisingly, finds himself talking to Grand about his wife.
• Rieux feels that he no longer dispenses medical aid but only information, and his exhaustion is a "blessing in disguise" as it prevents sentimentality, allowing him to see the "hideous, witless justice" of the situation.
• Tarrou's notes describe a visit to the Municipal Opera House to see Gluck's Orpheus with Cottard. The opera continues to play to full houses, with the audience meticulously maintaining appearances, as if evening dress could ward off the plague. The scene on stage and in the auditorium highlights the surreal contrast of art and luxury amidst the epidemic.
• In early September, Rambert works with Rieux but takes leave to meet Gonzales and the youngsters again. He meets Marcel and Louis, who are helping with his escape. He eats with them, and Gonzales praises him.
• The escape is set for midnight. Rambert goes to see Rieux, encountering Father Paneloux at Tarrou's office. Rieux emphasizes the urgency of curing the sick. Rambert receives a map for his escape surveillance. He reveals he sent a note before seeing Rieux.
• Toward the end of October, Castel's anti-plague serum is tried for the first time, seen as Rieux's last hope. M. Othon's son falls ill, and the family goes into quarantine again. Rieux attends to the boy, whose condition is severe. The magistrate and his wife react with quiet despair. Quarantine procedures are now strictly enforced.
• The boy is taken to the auxiliary hospital. Rieux believes the case is hopeless. They administer Castel's serum without immediate reaction. The next morning, the child is convulsing. Tarrou, Castel, Paneloux, Grand, and Rambert gather to observe. The boy's suffering intensifies, culminating in a long, piercing scream that seems to embody the collective pain. Paneloux kneels and prays. Rieux reacts with fierce anger at the child's innocent suffering. Paneloux's second sermon takes place during this period of increased pessimism. He speaks of learning from the plague and reminds the congregation of historical precedents of monastic survival during the Black Death, urging each individual to be the one who stays. He describes God's love as a hard love demanding self-surrender and justifying suffering and the deaths of children as part of God's inscrutable will. An old priest finds Paneloux's boldness of thought troubling.
• Paneloux has to move from his lodgings and stays with a pious old lady. He becomes run-down and impatient with her superstitious beliefs, leading to friction. He falls ill but refuses to see a doctor, claiming it's against his principles, leading his hostess to believe he is delirious. His condition worsens, but he continues to refuse medical help. The authorities swing back to pessimism. The pneumonic type of plague spreads. Newspapers continue to present an optimistic view, which contrasts with the reality in quarantine depots and isolation camps. Tarrou and Rambert visit Gonzales before Rambert's planned departure. Gonzales is back working at the stadium. They observe the efficient but impersonal routine of the quarantine camp. Tarrou expresses pity for M. Othon in the camp.
• Tarrou and Rieux have a deep conversation on the hospital roof. Tarrou recounts his life, particularly his horror at witnessing his father, a public prosecutor, arguing for the death penalty. This experience shaped his opposition to killing in all forms, including the plague. He describes his efforts to find peace by serving others and his understanding of the "plague" within individuals. Grand weeps upon hearing of Jeanne's absence and his struggle to be "normal". He collapses, and Rieux and Tarrou take him in. Grand falls gravely ill with plague. He asks for his manuscript and instructs Rieux to burn it, but then, surprisingly, he begins to recover. Simultaneously, a young girl with pneumonic plague also unexpectedly recovers, followed by other similar cases, baffling Rieux.
• Tarrou's diary entries include observations on the convalescent Grand, Rieux's self-effacing mother, and his own memories of his mother's quiet disappearance.
• Tarrou and Cottard encounter two men who appear to be government employees asking for Cottard, who flees into the darkness.

Part Five: The End of the Plague and Reflections

• Rieux and his mother care for the ailing Tarrou. Tarrou's condition deteriorates despite their efforts. He remains lucid at times and expresses gratitude.
• Tarrou dies after a difficult struggle, leaving Rieux heartbroken and feeling helpless. Rieux reflects on Tarrou's life without hope's solace and his quest for peace through service.
• Dr. Bernard Rieux reveals himself as the narrator, explaining his intention to be an impartial observer while acknowledging his solidarity with the victims. He has chosen to focus on what people did and said.
• Rieux and Grand witness police activity near Grand's house. They learn shots were fired at Cottard's residence. Police officers prepare to raid the building. Cottard is apprehended violently. The neighborhood celebrates prematurely, thinking the plague is over. Grand mentions he has written to Jeanne and restarted his phrase, cutting out adjectives.
• Grand inquires about a memorial for the plague victims, expressing cynicism about the accompanying speeches.
• The town celebrates the end of the plague with fireworks. Cottard, Tarrou, and the others are forgotten in the jubilation. Rieux realizes the people are "just the same as ever," which he sees as both their strength and innocence.
• Dr. Rieux resolves to compile this chronicle to bear witness to the suffering and injustice endured by the plague-stricken people and to state simply that there are more things to admire in men than to despise.
• However, Rieux knows that this is not a final victory, as the plague bacillus can lie dormant and return. The fight against terror is never-ending, requiring those who strive to be healers despite their limitations. The novel concludes with the ominous possibility of the plague returning to a happy city.

Note: This summary is written with the help of NotebookLM by Google. All the content available is extracted from the original works. 

 

The Alchemist: Book Review

 The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

I came across this novel during the #Corona_Pandemic. I didn't exactly read the book but listened to the audiobook, well I was reading the subtitle if that counts. (I read it after a year)

This is a review of the novel The Alchemist (Portuguese: O Alquimista) by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho (trans. Alan R. Clarke). It was originally written in Portuguese language, published in 1988. It follows the journey of a young shepherd, Santiago, from Andalusian (his homeland) to the Pyramids of Egypt, after dreaming of finding treasure there. The novel is full of inspiration, and powerful messages about following your dreams and embracing the journey of life.

The Story is told by the third-person omniscient narrator, and it has the elements like mysticism and magic realism. It has anecdotes and references like One Thousand and One Nights (Ashliman) collection of Arabic folktales, an international folktale type classified as no. 1645 ("The Treasure at Home") in the Aarne–Thompson–Uther Index of folktales. (Aarne and Thompson)

One of the most striking aspects of the novel is the ability to convey the intended message as it has straightforward and relatable storytelling just like other popular literature. The Characters are relatable as they struggle to follow their dream and live the life they desire. It is full of metaphors that add layers of meaning to the story and make it a thought-provoking read.

If you look at it and this is that it can be seen as a reflection of existentialist philosophy. The protagonist, Santiago is in search of the treasure which he had dreamt of. The journey to find his "Personal Legend," or the path he was meant to take in life. Along the way, he meets a variety of people and learns valuable lessons about life and the importance of following his dreams. Many may point out that the novel is somewhat superficial in its exploration of life's big questions. However, I would argue that the novel's simplicity is its strength. The Alchemist is not a philosophical treatise, but rather a story of a young man's journey towards self-discovery. It is a deeply personal story that speaks to readers on multiple levels, making it an easy and enjoyable read. 

The novel also delves into the idea of destiny and the role it plays in our lives. Santiago's encounters with various characters who claim to know the secrets of his destiny, along with his own experiences and reflections on the subject, highlight the complex and nuanced nature of fate. I wanted to suggest that while destiny may guide us, it is ultimately up to us to make our own choices and shape our own lives.

As Santiago's journey comes to an end, he comes to realize that all the secrets of alchemy and the language of the world are within himself and that the most important thing is to follow his personal legend. I hope this message will resonate with readers, that they will come to understand that the most important things in life are hidden in our hearts, and that we must follow our dreams in order to find them.

In the end, he realises that the true treasure was his old life, his home, when one of the refugees from the tribal wars told him about his dream, 

"Two years ago, right here on this spot, I had a recurrent dream, too. I dreamed that I should travel to the fields of Spain and look for a ruined church where shepherds and their sheep slept. In my dream, there was a sycamore growing out of the ruins of the sacristy, and I was told that, if I dug at the roots of the sycamore, I would find a hidden treasure. But I’m not so stupid as to cross an entire desert just because of a recurrent dream."

here we find that the treasure Santiago was looking for was in the very ruined church where he spent his night at the beginning of the novel. The only difference is Santiago believed in the dream and spent most of his life on a journey, whereas the tribal refuge was stuck in the same place. It is not about the destination but the journey that we experience and enjoy. It was that journey from which he found his love Fatema, and met characters like the Textile merchant's daughter, Gipsy woman at Tarifa, Melchizedek -- (the old man) King of Salem, the Crystal merchant (shopkeeper), The Englishman, the Alchemist, and The Coptic Monk.    

Magic Realism:

Magic realism is a literary genre that blends elements of fantasy and reality, creating a surreal and dreamlike atmosphere. Magic realism can be considered one of the main themes of the novel as the story largely deals with the Omens, Soul of the World, Personal Legends, Urim and Thummim (the stones) Alchemy, etc.

The latter part of the novel (pg. no. 100-105 e-book) is an example of magic realism, a literary style in which magical or fantastical elements are seamlessly integrated into a realistic setting. Magic realism is characterized by its ability to blur the lines between the real and the surreal and to create a sense of wonder and otherworldliness. In the sequence, the boy speaks to the desert and the wind, asking for their help in finding the person he loves. The desert and the wind are personified, giving them human-like qualities and abilities, which is an example of magic realism.

Let's have look at some quotes to understand this:

"I’ll give you my sands to help the wind to blow, but, alone, I can’t do anything. You have to ask for help from the wind."

"The wind has many names. In that part of the world, it was called the sirocco, because it brought moisture from the oceans to the east. In the distant land the boy came from, they called it the levanter, because they believed that it brought with it the sands of the desert, and the screams of the Moorish wars." 

This quote shows the wind being given different names and abilities depending on the location, adding to the magical and fantastical atmosphere of the story.

Additionally, the passage also describes the wind as "blowing across the world without a birthplace, and with no place to die." This quote highlights the mysterious and otherworldly nature of the wind, adding to the magic realism in the story.

Furthermore, this sequence (wind) mentions that "you can't be the wind" and "we're two very different things," but the boy argues that

"I learned the alchemist's secrets in the desert, and I know that everything is connected. We are all part of the same universe, and we all have the same potential to change and transform." 

This quote highlights the idea that everything is interconnected, and that reality is not as fixed as we may think, adding to the magical realism in the story.

Existentialism:

One can connect this novel with existential philosophy as the protagonist is in the search of treasure, namely something on which he can keep on surviving. Like the Shopkeeper (Crystal merchant) who wanted to visit Mecca once in his life but he isn't financially stable to go on a pilgrimage. "The fifth obligation of every Muslim is a pilgrimage. We are obliged, at least once in our lives, to visit the holy city of Mecca."

When he had enough money he didn't think of going to Mecca, as he said to the boy when they met,

"Well, why don’t you go to Mecca now?" asked the boy.

"Because it’s the thought of Mecca that keeps me alive..."

If one thinks then it can be connected with Albus Camue's 1942 novella The Stranger (French: L'Étranger), also published in English as The Outsider.

Meursault, the main character of "The Stranger," begins on a quest for self-discovery and the search for personal purpose in life. He strives to find purpose and meaning in his life and eventually realises that life has no purpose or meaning and that individuals must construct their own.

Similarly, Santiago in The Alchemist wanders on a journey of self-discovery and personal significance in life. He's on a mission to uncover his unique mythology, as well as to comprehend the meaning of love and the voyage of self-discovery. He, too, realises that the world has no inherent worth and that individuals must make their own.

Works Cited

Aarne, Antti, and Stith Thompson. "The types of the folk-tale. Helsinki." Finland: Folklore Fellows Communication (1961).

Abbagnano, Nicola. “Existentialism | Definition, History, Characteristics, Examples, Types, & Facts.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 January 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/existentialism.

Ashliman, D. L. "The Man Who Became Rich through a Dream and other Folktales of Aarne-Thompson-Uther Type 1645." 1999-2021.

Camus, Albert. The stranger. Translated by Matthew Ward, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 1989.

Coelho, Paulo. The Alchemist. Translated by Alan R. Clarke, HarperCollins, 2014. 

Waiting for Godot

 Thinking Activity: Waiting for Godot

"Why you should read Waiting for Godot"  

Samuel Beckett, one of the most prominent playwrights originally Wrote “Waiting for Godot” in 1949 in French as “En attendant Godot”, later translated into English in 1954. This play has been performed as an absurd drama after the Second World War. As Martin Esslin addressed this play as, “One of the successes of the Post-war theatre” (Esslin). In this play two tramps, Vladimir and Estragon, wait for Someone known as Godot, who does not make an appearance throughout the play. The play begins with waiting for Godot and ends with waiting for Godot. The Subject of the play is waiting rather than Godot.

ESTRAGON

Let's go!

VLADIMIR

We can't.

ESTRAGON

Why not?

VLADIMIR

We're waiting for Godot.

ESTRAGON

(despairingly) Ah!

In act I Estragon said: “Nothing happens, nobody comes, nobody goes, it's awful!” this becomes one of the themes and central ideas of the play as well as of the Twentieth Century.

 In Beckett’s this play, we can find the bourgeois ideology of late modernism. Vladimir and Estragon encounter Pozzo and Lucky, they discuss their miseries and consider hanging themselves, but they ended up waiting for Godot. They do not know why they were put on the earth, they are seeking existence, and they wait for Godot for enlightenment, it is salvation for them. The play begins and ends with the same words. Its final lines are: "Well, shall we go. / Yes, let's go. / (They do not move)."

[In both the acts speaker changes]

The nature of time is also an interesting subject of the play, for some and boring for others in the play. Time moves in a cycle, with the same events recurring repeatedly. The characters are living in a never-ending loop. Vladimir, who remembers everything knows that they have been there the other day to wait for Godot, but Estragon remembers nothing. If we look at the plot, both the acts are almost similar, it would be possible to increase the number of acts with this technique of Beckett.

In both Acts, evening falls into night and the moon rises. How would you like to interpret this ‘coming of night and moon’ when actually they are waiting for Godot?

The classic interpretation of night and dark represents death. The falling of night is as much a reprieve from daily suffering as death is from the suffering of a lifetime.

Unlike traditional literature, where the falling of the night and rising of the moon is regarded as bad omens, evening fades into night and the moon rises. However, in this play, everything is different because it was created in the modern era when writers/artists were defying every rule and regulation of tradition and that is one of the many reasons. 

There’s also the issue of the moon, as its appearance in the sky is the real signal that night has come and the men can stop waiting for Godot.  

Estragon, in act I comments, the moon is "pale for weariness […] of climbing heaven and gazing on the likes of us." Though the man who remembers nothing of yesterday, he does at this moment seem to comprehend the endless repetition of his life.  And if the moon is weary just from watching, imagine what that says about the predicament of the men themselves.

If we look at the falling of night and the rise of the moon, we can perceive it in two ways. One is that the moon is providing some form of relief to them since it is the end of the day and thus the end of the waiting. The other way to look at it is with hope because Godot did not appear and there is still a chance that he will appear the next day. 

It is exactly similar to what we do throughout our life. We, humans, are accustomed to the cycle of the sun. We go to work at sunrise and come back at sunset. As soon as the moon rises we fall asleep. well, not in times like this but that is what people used to do. But the sleep through the moonrise gives them another stress and that is another day of waiting.

Existentialism

 Flipped Learning: Existentialism

This blog is a Flipped Learning task on the philosophy of Existentialism, assigned by Dr. Dilip Barad sir. In this task we have to watch video resources, which is available on teacher's blog, to understand the concept of Existentialism and ask questions from/related to the videos or the philosophy of existentialism

What is Existentialism?

"A philosophical theory or approach which emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free and responsible agent determining their own development through acts of the will." (Oxford)

"A system of ideas made famous by Jean Paul Sartre in the 1940s in which the world has no meaning and each person is alone and completely responsible for their own actions, by which they make their own character." (Cambridge)

 

Existentialism is a philosophy that emphasizes individual existence, freedom and choice. It is the view that humans define their own meaning in life, and try to make rational decisions despite existing in an irrational universe. It focuses on the question of human existence and the feeling that there is no purpose or explanation at the core of existence. It holds that, as there is no God or any other transcendent force, the only way to counter this nothingness (and hence to find meaning in life) is by embracing existence.

In short an individual trying to find what is the meaning of life and if the answer is nothing or life is meaningless then he/she might try to commit suicide. Just like the character in the following video.

The above video is from the Japanese Animation Series Called Naruto Shippuden adapted from Masashi Kishimoto's original manga series, Naruto. In this video Itachi (little boy) have seen/fought in the war (Great Ninja War). At a very little age, he is trying to understand why everybody killing each other. He asked his father why did he try to kill me? his father replied, "It is the war between nations, that's why strangers kill each other meaninglessly, that is what shinobi world is." Later at the graveyard, he asks another person who is standing aside and says, "grieving over the dead is meaningless". Itachi did find an answer from him that is 'There is no meaning in life if it is not eternal'. Further in the video, we can see him attempting suicide, that's what existentialists call 'Leap'.

I like the fifth video 'Existentialism: a gloomy philosophy’, because whenever we hear about the theory of Existentialism the first thing that comes to our mind is a depressed person who can not find any reason or purpose worth living life so he bends towards the thought of committing suicide. it seems a negative subject. But this video is showing the complete picture that why it is not a negative subject.