Life Will Always Be Worth Examining

619 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Self identity introduction

Every person living life has studied their own existence in some shape or form. Picking apart our own reality is part of who we are as humans, and helps us understand who we are and why we are here. Each person has their own way of getting to some understanding of themselves, which is again, another defining part of who we are. Kurt Vonnegut, a writer who is famous for attempting to explain the unexplained, chose to show one mans story of examining his own reality by having the main character, Billy Pilgrim, be “unstuck” in time. This ability helps him connect why things happen in the future, before he sees them in his own past. Dave Eggars, the writer of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, observes the importance of living life to the fullest, and taking all the chances life gives you and how not doing so might lead you to an unfulfilling life. Both of these works support Socrates’ thought that “the unexamined life if not worth living” from the protagonists point of view of their own existence.

Slaughterhouse- 5 is a novel explaining one mans journey through his life while...

Show More
Related

  • Tim O Brien On The Rainy River Hero's Journey

    1728 Words  | 4 Pages

    Aristotle, an ancient Greek philosopher and scientist, conveys, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom”. In other words, Aristotle states that the gaining of self-knowledge provides an individual with the ability to know one’s personal gifts and accountabilities. To start one’s adult life a person must pursue the journey of self-discovery to learn in depth about their skills and weaknesses. Individuals must find themselves through the limitations and ordeals that they face during their voyage for self-awareness. For example, in Tim O’Brien’s short story, “On the Rainy River”, the narrator shares his story about self-discovery. O’Brien looks back into his past, to the time when he was called to serve in the Vietnam War. O’Brien’s initial

    Read More

  • Hole In My Life

    1385 Words  | 3 Pages

    “I have learned this: it is not what one does that is wrong, but what one becomes of as a consequence of it – Oscar Wilde” (Page before page number one).This quote comes from the book Hole In My Life by Jack Gantos. The main topics involve recovering from mistakes and overcoming setbacks. Everyone should read his book because everyone can take something away from it. Audience, voice, and content are the key points for review.

    Read More

  • Hamlet... Hamlet, What Are You Searching For?

    1113 Words  | 3 Pages

    During the course of life, one must experience different changes or actions that will mold us into the person we will become. It could be as little as receiving the 1st "F" on a test or the passing away of a loved one and they all add up to some kind of importance. Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare has Hamlet, the protagonist, struggling through life to find his true self and strives to get hold of his spot in life. However, he is always inhibited to seek vengeance for his father's unlawful death.

    Read More

  • A Brief Glimpse Of Immortality

    1000 Words  | 2 Pages

    For my final project I chose to compare two works of art from ancient Mesopotamia. A visual work of art and a literary one. The visual work of art I chose was the Statuettes of Worshipers which were created around 2900 to 2350 BCE at the Square Temple at Eshnunna, a city in ancient Mesopotamia. The literary artwork I have chosen is the Epic of Gilgamesh written roughly around 2800 BCE by author or authors unknown. It was set in Uruk, another city in ancient Mesopotamia. Both of these works of art share a common theme; the theme of immortality. It is my hopes that within this paper I can accurately show how each of these works of art express this theme, and how it relates to modern society.

    Read More

  • Amanda Ripley What Is A Life Worth Analysis

    634 Words  | 2 Pages

    Should the value of life be comparable to the average dollar? Throughout human history civilizations have valued life to their own understanding. Ancient Egypt believed in a material based afterlife, that it was not over, but the soon beginning. Religions around the world preach of a better life in another realm. However, our modern society has placed the value of life to the equivalent of paper money. Should the life of a human being be compared to dollars and coins? Many would say yes. However, I feel it is what we do in live that makes it valuable. Death is the end of the road, so let that not stop us from making the best choices while we live.

    Read More

  • The Defense of Socrates

    1218 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...shment, he states that it is not is not worth living. I agree with this because if you decide to be ignorant and not examine your life, which was only possible before man had the temptation of the forbidden fruit, you will be stuck in perpetual motion, forever misled to attain the “good” you are aiming for. By examining our lives, as philosophers have concluded, we can become aware of our patterns of behavior and adjust them so they will not recreate the negative components of our past. In addition we can all help ourselves find the purpose in everything we do, especially when we are faced with many opportunities daily to decide between what’s convenient for us and our commitments to truth and reason. No, philosophers do not think about this theory to much because without knowledge of anything, how can we as humans exercise our privilege of free will rationally?

    Read More

  • Annie Dillard The Chase Essay

    1426 Words  | 3 Pages

    Large events in our life that shape us into who we are can be broken down and thought about for pinpointing the time when this metamorphosis happens.

    Read More

  • Hamlet Still Alice Character Analysis

    2454 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the stories of Hamlet, Still Alice, and Life of Pi, the protagonists Pi Patel, Alice Howland, and Hamlet each respond to adversity very differently. Helen Keller states, ‘Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet.  Only through experience of trial can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved’” (“BrainyQuote”). By this, Keller states that one’s character is developed through life experiences and the coinciding challenges. The obstacles faced in life are what make one’s character thrive and grow. In all three literary works, the protagonists develop differently through their unique responses to obstacles of internal conflict, isolation, and suffering.

    Read More

  • The Alchemist And Siddhartha

    1507 Words  | 4 Pages

    The first of said truths demonstrates the illusion of peace and contentedness provided to everyone by suffering, wherein one becomes unable to proceed with their personal legend. In The Alchemist, the author writes: “Here I am, between my flock and my treasure, the boy thought. He had to choose between something he had become accustomed to and something he wanted to have” (Coelho 28). Santiago’s inability to commence his journey illustrates how one may become complacent if one’s desires are not satisfied. This complacency, evident with the crystal merchant who says: “I’m afraid that if my dream is realized, I’ll have no reason to go on living” (Coelho 57) proves that the obsession with the spiritual world is an individual’s leading cause of their inability to utilize gained knowledge in order to pursue their personal legend. Furthermore, in order to progress, one must act rather than obsess over how said action will turn out. In Siddhartha, Siddhartha leaves the realm of the spiritual world with the ascetics in search of the unforgiving physical world in lieu of his uncertainty of the outcome. Although this decision does not ultimately lead to Siddhartha’s enlightenment, it allows him to grasp a realm previously foreign to him. In like manner, one can plainly understand that the making of decisions is a necessary part of an individual’s journey because, notwithstanding to the consequences, one will acquire wisdom from every

    Read More

  • kjjl

    695 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the trajectory of unit one I was introduced to few philosophers that viewed life different from I did. These philosophers includes Plato, Morpheus, Russell, Descartes, and others. Their perspective of life and knowledge have left me with a puzzle in my head; questioning my place of existence in this world. There are some philosophical views that seem outrageous for me to accept. Because if I do, my life would be broken into many pieces and I would realize that everything has been a lie. However, there are other philosophers that have keep me questioning about what is real and knowledge, keeping me safe in my beliefs. This philosophers theories have open my mind to the acceptance of potentials realities. Such as the dream analogy or the possibility of living in a matrix. In the following paragraph I will discuss two main points that have impacted me the most in this unit.

    Read More

  • The Death Of Ivan Ilyich

    887 Words  | 2 Pages

    Understanding oneself is as universal question for humanity as why we are here and where do we come from. This universal question is so prominent that it even underpins itself deep into literature itself, with many novels featuring characters on personal quests of self-realization. These quests for self-realization are portrayed in numerous forms. In Daniel Defoe’s novel Robinson Crusoe, Crusoe takes off on an overseas journey in order to discover himself. In Leo Tolstoy’s novel The death of Ivan Ilyich, Ivan Ilyich’s quest for self-realization begins initially as an attempt to achieve a high social status, wealth, and other aspects of life that society deems admirable. In Albert Camus’s the fall, Jean-Baptiste Clamence believes he has gained

    Read More

  • Life Choices Stops Developing In The Early 20's

    284 Words  | 1 Pages

    Making your own life choices gives your life meaning. In the story Barrington Irving, Pilot and Educator he makes his own choice to pursue his dream. This explains the claim by showing that because he wanted to become a pilot he put his life toward becoming a pilot. This explains the claim by showing that if you want to become a pilot then you become a pilot. You can choose your own

    Read More

  • Importance Of Life Worth Living

    721 Words  | 2 Pages

    Lovin’s defines ethics as “…how we try to become good people and shape for ourselves a life that is worth living” (7). According to Lovin, Christian faith cannot be separated from our ethics as they shape and define each other. Moral choices define an individual’s ethics and each choice must be an individual decision that none other can make (7). Lovin’s definition must be divided into two parts in order to effectively comprehend his rationale. The first, ethics as an attempt to become good, encounters people in the crossroads of their lives. Christians live with the curse and blessing of being painstakingly aware of their goodness and task of doing good in the world. Lovin states “We wonder whether we pay enough attention to people in need…

    Read More

  • Robert Mckee Character Analysis

    657 Words  | 2 Pages

    “True character is revealed in the choices a human being makes under pressure - the greater the pressure, the deeper the revelation, the truer the choice to the character's essential nature.” Robert Mckee

    Read More

  • Reflection On The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living

    1105 Words  | 3 Pages

    One simple consideration that can change the course of how people think about their approach to life is, the examination of the influences that they have on other people’s lives. An individual could also look outwards and analyze the impact that other people have on that individual’s life. One should also self-reflect and search for how their thoughts and actions craft a pathway towards their own destiny. The statement by Socrates, “the unexamined life is not worth living,” is an interesting statement that requires a considerable amount of analysis.

    Read More

More about Life Will Always Be Worth Examining

Open Document