Free Will or Determinism: What Does Camus Think?

Free will is the idea that people are in control of their own behavior and their actions result from a conscious decision. The free will ideology also states past events will not implicitly influence present or future actions. Finally, free will says that we are wholly responsible for our actions.

Determinism is that idea that everyone’s course of action is predetermined. Determinism would mean that if we were to go back in time and relive what we have already experienced, no events or conditions would be altered. Conversely, determinism says if we were able to gather substantial information, we could accurately predict the future.

What does Camus think?
Albert Camus believes in a person’s ability to have free will that within what is predetermined and has a novel hypothesis about consciousness. In his essay on Sisyphus he writes, “If this myth is tragic, that is because its hero is conscious” (2). His argument says by maintaining the illusion of free will we are able to avoid tragedy. There are certain things we are fated to do; certain toils we must endure, certain successes we will have, certain journeys we will go on. But how we get from point A to point B—what music we listen to while we do our chores, what color pen we will use on the science test we are about to ace, whether to take I-290 or side streets to get downtown—is where we can exercise our freedom. The major plot points are already laid out, but we get to write in the details.

We must be careful, he implies, of getting too caught up in the things we cannot control, because by doing so we will find ourselves disheartened and stagnant. We must find where freedom hides and savor it when we do.

Existentialism- Meaning of Life

The argument of existentialism that we have talked about in class and that Camus touches on in the myth he tells is very complex. The argument of love, justice, e.t.c being social structures that have just been around since the beginning of human life is very intriguing.

At first, it seemed very odd because all of these things are what we live our lives by. I do agree with the argument that they are just social structures because it is a fact that we are not born with any of those things, we are trained by society that that is what is important. Furthermore, I would not say that I agree completely with the existentialism beliefs because for me, the meaning of life is about feelings good and enjoying life anyway you want too. If you really wanna find love, if you wanna cure diseases, or make a ton of money, whatever makes you feel happy and good inside is what one should do. That is what the meaning of life is for me and that is the flaw in existentialism that I cannot agree with.

Bojack Horseman: The Modern Existentialist

When someone mentions existentialism, some very serious figures come to mind: Sartre, Camus, and Kierkegaard. However, it is often through the lens of comedy that themes of existentialism bleed into the cultural conversation. “Bojack Horseman” is one of these pieces of art that represent existentialist ideas in their modern form.

The show focuses around a washed up actor who struggles to find the meaning in his life while repeatedly ruining friendships, his own career, and a few cars. The title character is meant to represent the modern existentialist to the audience. Bojack continues to search for things to make him happy but always arrives at the conclusion that there is nothing in this world that has inherent meaning, which often results in either a profound realization and development in his character, or a turn back to objects and the comfort of drugs and alcohol. This pattern of existential dilemmas followed by anxiety and resolution is repeated throughout the show.

This anxiety exhibited by Bojack is what gives people ultimate freedom, argues Kierkegaard, the grandfather of existentialism, and what causes so much anxiety and depression in the human experience. The idea argues that anxiety is caused by the knowledge that we as humans have so much freedom and are free to make any decision that we can that we often lose ourselves in the possibilities and over analyse. Bojack repeatedly has panic attacks throughout the show based on his decision making and will turn back to the objects, mainly drugs and alcohol, to cope. This is often followed by a deep depression and regret that Kierkegaard also argues is an essential part of the human existence. Humans will only act to live and regret those decisions. Only when we can accept the absurdity of our world and decisions, he says, will we ever find happiness. The first episode addresses this dilema when Bojack remarks, “I’m responsible for my own happiness? I can’t even be responsible for my own breakfast!” This declaration reflects the views of the existentialists that it is up to us as individuals to define our own happiness rather than have it be assigned to us by external forces. This philosophy is also shown through Bojack’s old friend Cuddly Whiskers who informs Bojack that, “It takes a long time to realize how truly miserable you are, and even longer to see it doesn’t have to be that way. Only after you give up everything can you find a way to be happy.”

Despite Bojack Horseman’s somber music and themes of meaninglessness, the show is ultimately optimistic. Bojack again and again does not give up on his search for happiness, and continuously chooses to live his absurd life rather than give up. It is this, “leap of faith” that Bojack takes, that things can truly be better, which provides the most hopeful note in the show. So if talking animals, colorful animation, and deep questions about the meaning of life interest you, take a little time and watch Bojack Horseman.

Life Without Social Constructs

Camus’ argument in his essay The Myth of Sisyphus on the quality of Sisyphus’ life seems very inaccurate. He argues Sisyphus is living a happy life while pushing a rock up a mountain just to see it roll to the bottom when he reaches the top. Camus' existentialist beliefs bash social constructs, which is why Sisyphus is able to live a "happy" life. Although social constructs often get the worse of people, they also are necessary for having a structured and meaningful life. If everyone was an existentialist, life would be extremely boring and not worth living.

Imagine a world full of Meursaults. It would be terrible. Or imagine being Sisyphus, and claiming to be happy. There would be very little pleasure or fun in life, and Camus would be lying to say he would be fine living Sisyphus’ life. Just living to live isn’t happy by any means, and Camus doesn’t seem to understand that. It could be argued that feelings are a social construct, but they are also very natural, and life without emotion or feelings is unhealthy. People need motives in their life to be productive, and existentialists lack this, which makes the quality of the world go down, consequently making the quality of life decrease. Based off of Camus’ The Stranger, existentialists seem to be self-centered and mean, which is something this world definitely doesn’t need more of.

We are the Ants of the Universe

This past week in class, we have discussed socially created structures that give life order and meaning. Most prominently, love, family, friendship, and knowledge are at the forefront of the dominant narrative of what gives life importance. However, despite this narrative, existentialism states that all of these values are arbitrarily created by society in order to associate certain events with feelings.

What if life is all an illusion? What is all physical and mental perceptions are just creations of the mind? What if the mind does not exist at all? What if MY being does not mean anything in the grand scheme of the world?

The fact it is that all of these are probably true! Think about it: the universe has existed for 13.8 billion years. The average human lives 79 years. That means that each human lives for approximately 6x10^-7 % of the overall life of the universe. If you look at it this way, the humans are the ants of the universe. When humans pass an ant on the street, they often step on it or fail to notice it at all. Ants appear to be completely arbitrary in the general order of the earth. They neither contribute nor take away from the day to day operations of humans. They just exist.

I can't speak about the complexities of the brain because I am not a neurological scientist, but I can speak to what feelings I have as a human. Whether these feelings are constructs or not does not particularly matter to me because they make me feel like I matter. If the social constructs of society such as love, family, friends, and knowledge went away, humans would reconstruct new systems because it is human nature to organize and categorize. If it wasn't, then the current social constructs would not exist. Therefore, the discussion of existentialism is more about being capable of having human feelings. These feelings are what make humans human. These feelings are what make us feel bigger than the ants we really are.

Vienna- Timelessly Lost in Time. An Analysis on Crossroads and Settling

"I can already tell you this isn't poetry because it doesn't rhyme. Poetry needs to rhyme." - Opinionated 10 year old I'm currently babysitting.

Billy Joel's most commercially successful album, The Stranger, features nine songs that were produced by the famous Phil Ramone. Ramone has worked on dozens of Platinum albums, ranging from works by Paul McCartney to Simon and Garfunkel. On this album, the B side begins with the song "Vienna." The writing of the song is the first characteristic that sets "Vienna" apart from his usual works; Billy Joel has often in interviews explained how he can't understand how people write poetry and then fit it into music, because he'd rather "be freer than that, express myself". So we often see his work written slightly differently from his original story or theme because he's centering the lyrics around the music itself. However, the song "Vienna" was inspired by a trip he took to Vienna, Austria, to see his father who had left him in the states after his mother and father separated. During his visit, Joel began to realize the elderly population was treated similarly to all other age groups surrounding them, as many still had public jobs, did yard work, went to cafes, etc. While on a tour of the area with his father, he asked why anyone would let an old woman tend to her yard and rather not have someone younger do it. His father replied saying “She’s got a job, she feels useful, she’s happy, she’s making the street clean, she’s not put out to pasture." Throughout the remainder of his time in Vienna with his father Joel thought heavily about how the United States treats their elderly and he expanded this idea into the romanticized heavier meaning the song holds now. 
To fully grasp Joel's goal of this song, the listener needs to first understand the city of Vienna. Billy Joel encompasses the history in an interview with the New York Times; 
"Vienna for a long time was the crossroads. During the Cold War, between the Eastern                         
Bloc, the Warsaw Pact nations and the NATO countries was the city of Vienna… Vienna was always the crossroads – between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy Roman Empire. So the metaphor of Vienna has the meaning of a crossroad. It’s a place of intercourse, of exchange – it’s the place where cultures co-mingle."
Joel's idea of these crossroads of a choice to be who you are, when you are there, is what helped him pair music and the meaning behind these lyrics. He proves this statement about life, that young people should relish in what they have whenever they have it, because the world isn't going anywhere, is something he emphasizes in his lyrics.
Joel's ability to make his experiences with Vienna into a metaphor on life is parallel to what Perrine states in his work. His idea was that poetry has to give the reader an experience, rather than just information. Joel's ultimate warning from this song was for people to think about their own "Vienna."
Off the bat, the song begins with a question, "But then if you're so smart, tell me, why are you still so afraid?" Which requires his audience to question themselves, to think deeper than catchy lyrics, and wonder how they relate to what's being said. Joel is able to put fault onto the reader, forcing them to form opinions already. He follows this line with another antagonizing question, "Where's the fire, what's the hurry about?", using an exaggeration to tell the reader to calm down with a visual rather than just a command. The next stanza is the first time he refers to Vienna in the song, where directly before the statement he had mocked the audience saying, "That you can get what you want or you could just get old" about how an old societal norm forbids a nonchalant mindset. His oversimplification of life helps perpetuate the very idea he's disestablishing. The song begins to come off angry and frustrated, having asked if people are aware Vienna, or life, waits for them. Quoting, "You can't be everything you want to be before your time, although it's so romantic on the borderline tonight, tonight..." Joel uses the word romantic to signify success, an easy out, or temptation. His entire song has now completely given off the slightly judgmental but mostly warning vibe about going on a "boardwalk" to early in life. His continuous use of irony and sarcasm are seen again a stanza later, drilling this idea into his readers,  specifically young readers; "But don't you know that only fools are satisfied? Dream on, but don't imagine they'll all come true, when will you realize, Vienna waits for you?"
Billy Joel's use of irony and diction, specifically his sarcastic and bluntly honest lyric writing helps articulate himself in a way that comes off wise beyond his years. 

Life's Struggle: Pointless?

Through Mersault's life we see his acceptance in everything from the events occurring such as the death of his mother and the murder he committed to his very positions within life such as being in prison. While many may be quick to view this as either simple indifference or him giving up all hope, it may very well be something much deeper altogether. It's possible that this acceptance is Mersault seeing his position in life and life itself as what it really is; something that continues on and changes with little concern for his thoughts or opinions let alone anyone else's. While this would be almost certainly be seen as an extremely pessimistic view on life and its workings, it could be argued that Meursault lived a less sad life then most other people could even dream of. The murder of another human being did little to cause him the usual emotions that follow such an act such as anxiety, shock, and tremendous fear. Being put in prison easily became a cake walk as he found ways to past the time remembering menial things and did little suffering as he disconnected himself from the things that usually cause inmates stress such as sexual desire and interaction with others.  Even the death of his own mother brought forth no emotions from him as he was easily more concerned with the others around him and what they were doing.  Through these many trials, Meursault does little to no real suffering whether emotional or mental pain.  It can be said the he lived a life with less internal conflict than anyone else by seeing life for what it is and simply accepting it.

Can You Be A True Existentialist?

An existentialist is someone who is a free and responsible person that determines their own development through their decisions and actions. Existentialism is another theory that determines a way of life. As with every theory, society will be pushing back constantly. Our society uses family, education, religion, friends, etc. to cope with existentialism and block it out. All of these aspects of life are used to shape conformity and create a life that can block out existentialism. These aspects make people go to school or stay with their family when in reality that is not needed at all. To be a true existentialist, you must be able to shut out all of these aspects of life and live life as a true individual shaping your own path. This begs the questions if someone can ever be a true existentialist.

Being a existentialist means that you have to block out everything from life and do everything individually. If we go by these terms then no one can ever be a true existentialist from birth to death. While you are a kid you will always have someone caring for you and making decisions for you because you do not have the intellectual ability to make them for yourself. The only true way to be an existentialist is to live alone, away from society, and forever in isolation. While this may seem doable it is almost impossible for someone to raise themselves from birth. In our society, you need someone caring for you or else you might starve to death or die of dehydration. While you can become an existentialist later on in life, you still can never be a true existentialist. One cannot ignore the early years of life when you were apart of the various distractions that help shape conformity. You can only be a true existentialist to an extent because their will always be a part of your life when you are not an individual and not making your own decisions. Going back to Jessica Benjamin's Bonds of Love, she talks about mutual recognition which is in order to be an individual you must recognize others when someone is recognizing you simultaneously. If we take this into consideration when determining whether someone can be a true existentialist, then the answer is no. One who exists among others cannot be independant and an existentialist.

Meursault considers himself to be an existentialist. He shut out his family, does not show emotion when being faced with death and love, and he shut everyone else out. He makes decisions as they come to him with no real path in life and no life goals. He is someone who is not afraid of death and realizes that death is inevitable. While one could argue that Meursault is as close to a true existentialist that one can get, he will never be a true existentialist. If we interpret an existentialist by the definition of an existentialist, then it is virtually impossible to be someone who shuts out life completely.

Meursault in Albert Camus's "The Stranger" Comparison to Junot Diaz's Main Character in "Edison, New Jersey"

Meursault throughout Albert Camus's book The Stranger is portrayed from the beginning to be a selfish and uncaring human being. Meursault seems to lack love for anything or anyone except himself. For instance on page 6 when the caretaker asks if he wants to see his mother's body, Meursault replies, "'No.' He was quiet, and I was embarrassed because I felt I shouldn't have said that." When the character asks why he does not want to see his mother a few sentences later, Meursault simply replies, "I don't know." Undoubtedly, this response to his mother's death gives the reader a sense that Meursault truly is an uncaring human being. Meursault has not seen his mother in what the reader can infer as quite a while and he does not even bother to say goodbye forever. This is an insult to his mother's life because it is as if his mother never meant anything to him. Again, when asked on page 9 if he would like to see his mother one last time, he quite plainly responds no. Evidently, Meursault's life lacks meaning because he does not even care for one's who love him. He has no personal goals to reach for himself and is wandering aimlessly through his life.
Furthermore, Meursault can be more interpreted as a man who has lost his way. In chapter 5, his "girlfriend" asks him to marry him twice, his response is dull. On page 41, the text reads, "I said it didn't make any difference to me and that we could if she wanted to." This is one of the most important decisions of his life and he still has no care for it. He puts the choice on Marie, his girlfriend, and not himself. This further exhibits Meursault's inability to make decisions for himself and his lack of personal goals. He is gliding through life, taking each day as it comes, but is not really living. He avoids most important decisions in his life because they do not matter to him.
A character that relates to Meursault the most is the main narrator from Junot Diaz's short story Edison, New Jersey. The main narrator throughout the story seems lost, with no sense of direction in life. He is going through every day, taking risks in hope for something to come out of the opportunities that arise. For example, at the end of the story when the main narrator comes back from New York to drop of the woman, his coworker asks, "Was it worth it," and "Did you at least get some?". Even though he simply dropped off the woman and came straight back, he replied,"Hell yeah." This exemplifies that the narrator's goals was to get something out of taking the woman to New York, whether a relationship or sex. Just like Meursault, the narrator in Edison, New Jersey has no personal goals and is going through life without really living it.
What is going on with these two characters? Why do they just sit back and observe life, letting it pass right before them?

The Solo Life is the Only Life?

You can succeed in life!  As long as you detach yourself from everyone and everything.  Our recent class discussion about life's "deceptions" such as love, family, happiness, etc. left me at a stand still.  Essentially, everything we have been taught that is important in our lifetime means nothing.  They are pointless distractions.  My whole life, especially the last few years, I've been trying to figure out what really matters in my life and what I should let go of.  Now, after that lesson, I'm utterly lost again.

We read The Myth of Sisyphus, illuminating one of Camus's theories.  His overall statement is that Sisyphus’s fate is no different and no worse than our own.  There is no hope in our lifetime.  Our life is simply what we make of it. I agree with this statement. Everyone has the ability to look at life either optimistically or pessimistically but, in my opinion, there are other things in life that we don't have control of that can make this theory harder to live by.

For example, one argument I made in my evaluation of Camus's theory was mental disorders. While watching an interview with Louie C.K. he talked about acknowledging the sorrows of life and living through them instead of hiding from them by, for example, going on our phones. I agree that facing your fears and being aware of certain emotions in life is important but the amount you focus on them is questionable to me. With mental disorders such as depression, you tend to focus on the bad at an extreme level which can be dangerous at times. That's also why I feel it is important to have relationships with people. Even though you are, in the end, the one that overcomes these struggles, it is still incredibly important to have the support from friends and family to help you both during and after recovery.

Overall, I find his theory interesting and I'm willing to look at my life more through his idea but I don't think I want to detach myself from the relationships I have made and sacrifice the possibility to create the amazing memories I do with them.

The Meaning of Suffering

"Man's Search for Meaning," by Viktor Frankl, is the story and journey of a man being held in an Auschwitz concentration camp. The author explains how the mindset of a man can alter the longevity of their life and how they go about living it. The book poses the question,  "How was everyday life in a concentration camp reflected in the mind of the average prisoner?" Frankl uses a psyhcotherapeutic method that involved identifying a positive purpose or goal and then actively imagining how one could achieve it. He believed that the mind had more impact on one's life, rather than physical experiences or ailments. He summarizes that a prisoner goes through three stages while part of a concentration camp: they experience shock when first entering the compound, then apathy which motivates them to act in ways that only keep themselves and their friends alive, and finally the loss of morality or personality which leads to delusions of liberation or survival.

But Frankl does support the notion that there is value in suffering. It can teach you that regardless of the condition of your life, a person must maintain a look on the future, in order to survive the present. In the simplest terms, suffering allows a person to hope, which is an extremely powerful and inspirational force in the right circumstances.

In King Lear, the suffering Lear experiences leads him to realize his past follies and acquire a sense of empathy and remorse. He would not have fought against his evil daughters or repaired his relationship with Cordelia if he had not experienced a sense of dread and sorrow. Even though he died, he finished his last few hours with his daughter who he truly loved, and who loved him back.

Why did Camus Cross the Street? Because this Act was at the Core of His Radical Self and Free From Societal Influence

What is the meaning of life? Nothingness. Randomness. Entropy. Disorder. Chaos.

If Camus is to believed. Yet, I believe that Camus is wrong. I disagree completely with the theories of existentialism.  Existentialism argues that life is random. Death is the only constant and that no societal values (like love, friendship, family, money, success, jobs, etc) actually contribute to the essence of life. Camus explains that to be truly grasp life and to embrace your humanity, you must release all societal values from your grasp. Instead you must realize who you are at your core and embrace your "radical self". You must stop letting any external pressure affect you in any way and instead act on your intrinsic impulses. It preaches that you must reject all "bad faith". It says to achieve this perfect state of humanity, you must be super aware and conscious of these societal values and reject them completely. Yet I think that this act of rejection is intrinsically ignorant and an act brought out by unawareness of one of humanity's most important tendencies; peoples sociability. To accept existentialism is to reject the essence of all other forms of life. Social values did not just come from thin air; they were constructed by other people, by other forms of life. I think that the essence of life cannot be derived from cutting yourself off from the rest of life. I believe that though the essence of life is chaos, chaos is bound to order and that order comes from societal values.

If existentialism and Camus are to be believed, then I don't think there is a meaning to life. After-all, meaning itself is a social construct, and how do you derive meaning from randomness?

These Are All Lies

What is the meaning of life?

Walking into a room and seeing this question written on the board can mean nothing good. Answering this question is possibly the greatest conundrum humans can face because every answer that is given can also be debunked. But, this begs the question of why must we answer this question?

Who ever decided that life has to have meaning? By agonizing over the answer, we are fulfilling the expectation given to us through society that nothing can simply be. We've all experienced the class where a teacher stands in front of the room and asks a question along the lines of; "why did the author make the curtains red? What does this mean?" (this happened a lot while we read Jane Eyre in my class). My automatic response, and I'm sure many others', is maybe the author wanted red curtains so they are simply red. This one detail, and response the teacher is looking for, probably cannot contribute much to the story and perhaps we shouldn't focus a whole 48 minute period to it.

While life is not as simple as a detail like the color of the curtains, I have the same response. If life is something that we only get to experience once, we should be able to accept the inevitability that throughout life one experiences many different emotions. But, if life is enjoyable, it does not need meaning, in fact struggling to find or create meaning of life prohibits you from experiencing it in it's raw form. Any answer you come up with is a lie because, in finding this answer, you have prohibited yourself from living life thus, your answer cannot be accurate since you have not experienced it. Since it is also said that everyone experiences life in a different way, there is no outcome that would be applicable to all of life. So when I'm asked, "what is the meaning of life?" I respond, "why does it need one?"

What Gives Meaning to Mersault's Life?

In The Stranger by Albert Camus, Mersault goes through a lot internally and externally that shapes his mindset on life and how it actually plays out. In life, we think about and discover what gives our life meaning. The essence of life. What variables are involved that change us as a human. How we respond to life and its complicated structure. Mersault is a character that represents this complex life experience as a whole. He experiences a plethora of emotions throughout the book, ranging from stability to suffering. These shifts in a character allow a reader to understand the significance in not only Mersault's life journey, but also their own and how their life works.

Thinking about the meaning of life and what gives life significance is essential while reading this book because the main character struggles with life. Mersault is very removed from society and the things in life that usually contribute to its importance don't matter to him. Whether it's marriage, death, success, relationships, or morals, these aspects don't seem to affect Mersault. Sometimes I think he chooses not to be aware or care, but I also think he doesn't know better at times. He pours his emotions into things that wouldn't normally matter as much as something like death. When his mother died, he didn't seem to care, and he is blamed for this throughout the book. Moreover, after killing a man, he wasn't deeply impacted.

The interesting part of the book and the paradox of his character is shown while he is in jail and on trial. He's honest yet seen as a threat to society. He goes from calm at one moment to restless and anxious to get out of jail. His recognition of freedom while in jail allows him to realize that he's not free. His understanding of life is inconsistent because he doesn't really have a sense of good or bad. Mersault is a unique individual because he reacts to something based on how he feels, not what the world will think or what's right. Most characters aren't like him in books, therefore it's interesting to watch his life play out and the choices he makes. Mersault gives life meaning by the way he lives. In a way, he ignores the values and details that shape one's life and instead feels a certain way because of his mindset. It's confusing and complex yet fascinating. Figuring out the essence of life isn't easy.

Existentialism in the stranger+ Sisyphus

I found the short essay Albert Camus wrote on the "Myth of Sisyphus" to be very insightful and helpful in understanding existentialism in the Stranger. One of existentialism's main components is the fact that you are responsible for your actions and your fate alone, and this was very well illustrated in the "Myth of Sisyphus". Camus argues that Sisyphus, although faced with a seemingly horrible and grueling task, is in fact the most liberated among us or perhaps blissful because he accepts his fate and takes hold of it. Similarly, Meursault in the story accepts whatever life throws his way and eventually his terrible fate at the end, not because he has given up, but because he has chosen to accept rather than push away. Meursault is the (almost) perfect example of the existentialist.

However as I have come to know the existentialism and the various French philosophers associated with it (Camus and Sartre), I have found many problems with the idea that "life is meaningless, and therefore everyone is confused". To me, "The Stranger" and the "Myth of Sisyphus" overlook the idea that the world is not all artificial pain and suffering, in fact this view I would argue is incredibly cynical while being very narrow. It is important to remember intrinsic values as well as extrinsic values when measuring "artificiality" and what really matters, for at the end of the day aren't Meursault and Camus arguing that something matters in life for their desire for people to accept their fate? "Nothing" after all is something in the end.

The History Teacher

One of the contemporary poems that we did not go over in class, but that I really enjoyed is "The History Teacher" by Billy Collins. In this poem, the speaker describes a situation in which a history teacher attempts to protect his students from tragic events in history and wants to preserve their innocence. Instead of displaying the gruesome details of the events, he sugar coats each one into a less intimidating version of the story. Even though he means no harm, by doing this he accidentally damages them by not informing them of the true events that make up the world in which we live in. History revolves around the concept of action and reaction, a vital study in order to further understand the way the world works and to prepare ourselves for life's more unexpected events. By not learning about consequence and punishment of actions, the students are unprepared for life outside of the classroom and therefore engage in aggressive and cruel behaviors, "to torment the weak/ and the smart mussing up their hair and breaking their glasses." The outside people are described as "weak" or "smart," demonstrating how a child is either smart and educated in history, or is the alternative, weak and uninformed.

The diction in the story is not complex, but is rather simple and casual, telling the story how it is, the way the speaker thinks all stories should be told. The tone of the story is somewhat accusatory and views the teacher in a negative light. The lack of a rhyme scheme and randomness of the structure of the poem, could be looked at as the way the author views life itself, random and without an order that just sounds nice. By simply describing teacher, Collins seems to be sending a larger message about the education of children, and even further about life in general. Learning about the problems that the world has to deal with is part of life. It is part of growing up. Sparing the gruesome details of life fails to teach them how to work together and act in the modern day world.

The end of the poem tells of the infamous teacher walking home and innocently "wondering if they would believe that soldiers/ in the Boer War told long, rambling stories/ designed the make the enemy nod off,"showing how he is either oblivious to what he is really doing, or too "weak" to showcase and educate on the cold, hard truth.

Around My Head

Cage the Elephant is a band from Kentucky. Their lyrics and musical style are both very unique. The song "Around My Head," off of the album Thank You Happy Birthday,is somewhat hard to interpret. The first verse has the speaker questioning himself, trying to figure out how to interpret some of his feelings. The lines, "I don't know why I got these feelings, yeah/ I just can't seem to get away from/ Can you dig it?" show how confused the speaker. The line "Can you dig it?" makes the speaker seem young almost like teenager asking a friend for help. 

Later in the song the listener learns a little more. It is revealed that the speaker has a love interest. It seems as if he is in love with her but she doesn't notice him or is playing with his emotions. In the chorus the speaker says, "I don't think it's very nice/ to walk around my head all night." Thoughts of his love interest and the feelings they create are so strong that he cannot sleep. 

The speaker talks about revealing his love to his crush but quickly dismisses the idea thinking that she'll never feel the same way about him. He says, "But even still at times I wonder/ What you're thinking of me/ You're probably sure I lost my mind." He is too afraid to show his feelings for her because he thinks that she is going to think he is crazy. If you take the time to listen to this song the yelling in between versus also plays a role in the developement of the songs meaning. 

The music itself creates a sort of off beat crazy feeling. You start to feel as if you are actually in the speaker's head, hearing his actual choppy thought process. The screaming shows momentary loss of control and a true inability for the speaker to express himself. He is so flustered by his predicament he feels the need to scream to vent. 

The song is about teenage love and how if you want anything to come of your feelings you have to make a move or the missed opportunities will torment you. 

Dear Mama

Tupac Shakur is one of the most talented rappers of all time. He often said he was a poet and this is reflected the complex lyrics found in the majority of his songs. One of his most meaningful and poetic songs is "Dear Mama" from the album Me Against The World. Shakur wrote this song as a tribute to his mom and all moms around the world. The theme is appreciation and gratitude for all his mother did to make sure he had a good childhood. The song is honest, artistic, and heartfelt. In his lyrics, Shakur describes the hardships he faced as a child and how is mother always was his rock. 

When I was young me and my mama had beef
Seventeen years old kicked out on the streets
Though back at the time I never thought I'd see her face
Ain't no woman alive who could take my mama's place
Suspended from school and scared to go home,
 I was a fool with the big boys breakin' all the rules.

These few lines honestly reflect on how Shakur cause some trouble for his mom during his childhood. It talks about the temptations he faced and how even though his relationship with his mother was rocky at times, she always stuck with him. He reflects on how even though his mother was single and poor she always made sure he had everything he needed. The chorus of the song further reflects this tone. 

Lady
Don't cha know we love ya? Sweet lady
Dear mama
Place no one above ya, sweet lady
You are appreciated
Don't cha know we love ya?

Tupac uses several poetic devices in this song but the most prominent one is repetition. The chorus repeats itself several times throughout the song and within the chorus he constantly repeats the phrases "dear mama" and "sweet lady". He also repeats the phrase "Theres no way I can pay you back, but my plan is to show you I understand. You are appreciated." I think he does this because he feels like he has no way to give his mother all she has given him. He feels that he can't thank his mother enough for all the work she has done and he is ashamed that he didn't realize it earlier.

Another poetic device Shakur uses is the metaphor: 

And even as a crack fiend, mama
You always was a black queen, mama

Shakur uses this metaphor to show the listener how he though of his mom. He always saw her as a powerful queen who overcame any obstacle that came her way no matter how challenging. Although this assignment is only about lyrics, I think the music video for this song does a good job of showing Tupac's relationship with his mom. You can see it here. 

Drop the Game

The song, "Drop the Game" by Flume and Chet Faker has only two stanzas of lyrics, after which is merely repetition. But I believe these stanzas convey a larger meaning to the song. As part of the album, Lockjaw, the song has a eerie, dark sort of feel but also, to me, sounds like a sort of call out for help or a shout out for sanity.

At the beginning of the song, he is describing his encounter with someone who appears very mysterious, making him question both their life and his.

      I've been seeing all, I've been seeing your soul
      Give me things that I wanted to know
      Tell me thing that you've done

The speaker has been dissatisfied  and this one person seems to be a catalyst for his insanity. The third line seems to be a beg for understanding. He wants to know the ways of this person who brings life, or "heat" to his world in what appears to be a time of self-reflection. At the next stanza, the beat of the song changes.

      Hush, I said there's more to life than rush
      Not gonna leave this place with us
      Drop the game, it's not enough

At this point in the song, I think that his desire for sanity changes extends to more of a plea to fins the meaning of life. Maybe it's only because I now associate the word "game" with Meursault, but his plea in these lines in many ways reminds me of Meursault and brings to surface a prevalent discussion similar to The Stranger. However, rather than emphasizing that relationships themselves have no meaning, I think the song is trying to say that the expectations that are associated with relationships are where the real trap is. In other words, everyone has these notions of what someone else wants, and it becomes this massive game.

To this mysterious person, he says,"See, you are my sun," demonstrating his dependence on this soul and how he would be unable to live without it. This sort of attachment has made him insane. He realizes he is, "Not gonna leave this place with us," that the relationship is eventually going to end, and that this game of attachment is "not enough" to give his life meaning anymore.

These lines repeat several more times, each time increasing in a more desperate tone. I know we are not supposed to include repetition in the analysis, but I think it's important to the meaning of song by displaying the desperate cry for sanity and the lack of relief.

I really enjoy the music video for this song and highly suggest you watch it. It really puts to life the tone of the song adding meaning to the words and insanity and disparity of it all. There are times when he varies from looking bored to exhausted which exemplifies his loss of hope and attitude towards the meaning of life. The movements are simple, effective, and at times almost an optical illusion which I think makes it all the more powerful, and could be choreographed as a metaphor for life itself.

Life Lessons From Frankl

I though the parallels between King Lear and A Man's Searching For Meaning powerful yet surprising. Both pieces portray men struggling to find themselves and their power. King Lear is struggling to deal with the fact that he is getting older and his power is vanishing and Frankl describes his experience with a concentration camp. Although the connections between these two individuals are strong, I think Frankl's story deserves all the attention.

After reading his story, I was amazed. Viktor Frankl is incredibly determined and strong willed. He took the worst possible circumstance and still learned from it. I think this is a lesson in itself. Frankl shows that grit and hope can help anyone stay strong through any challenge or setback. Even in the most awful situations, Frankl was able to find things of beauty and I have no doubt that this ability directly attributed to his survival.

If King Lear was a real and alive today, I think he could learn a lot from Frankl. Lear would avoid many of his problems if he approached them with the determination and concentration of Frankl.