Mariano Marcos State University COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION

Mariano Marcos State University COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION Laoag City

Existentialism in Literature By Yza B. Atienza Janelene R. Mariano

General Description Existentialism is a movement in philosophy and literature that emphasizes individual existence, freedom and choice. It began in the mid-tolate 19 th Century, but reached its peak in mid-20 th Century France. It is based on 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.

Vignette The story is all about Dr. Lazaro, an aging medical doctor and his young son, Ben who rushed in a remote town in the middle of the night to minister a poor family whose newborn baby has a terminal case of tetanus. The journey towards the family & home seems to take on a different level when it also became a spiritual journey, most especially for Dr. Lazaro, whose beliefs about and disbelief in God, faith, love, and time seem to haunt him with a pressurized intensity; and all because he sees a wide chasm between him and Ben, his son, in terms of how they see life: He has lost so much faith in God and life, his time, and most especially love for his family.

Gregorio C. Brillantes • Born in Camiling, Tarlac in 1932 • He is one of the Philippines' most popular writers in English. • Known for his sophisticated and elegant style of writing. • He often writes about individuals under thirty, adolescent or post adolescent ones who struggle with alienation from family, society and from themselves.

Precept Paragraph Justification The proposition that existence precedes essence is a central claim of existentialism, which reverses the traditional philosophical view that the essence or nature of a thing is more fundamental and immutable than its existence. (1) Dr. Lazaro remembered nothing, his mind lay untouched by any conscious thought, he was scarcely aware of the April heat; the pattern of music fell around him and dissolved swiftly, uncomprehended. It was as though indifference were an infection that had entered his blood it was everywhere in his body. In the scattered light from the sala his angular face had a dusty, wasted quality, only his eyes contained life. He could have remained there all evening, unmoving, and buried, it is were, in a strange half-sleep, had his wife not come to tell him he was wanted on the phone. Dr. Lazaro seems to be tired and weary. In a way, he is like a zombie unmoving but awake. His life seemed to have no more meaning because of the vehement circumstances that he had faced in his life such as seeing and witnessing individuals who are experiencing pain usually resulting to emotional disturbance on the part of Dr. Lazaro and losing his first son who had committed suicide. From the latter, the Lazaro family’s love for each other died as well. It made the doctor focus mechanically on his job, just to forget his miseries in life.

Precept Paragraph Justification Ultimately, the most common denominator of existentialists is a rejection of authority. 25 Dr. Lazaro watched the young face intent on the road, a cowlick over the forehead, the mall curve of the nose, his own face before he left to study in another country, a young student of full illusions, a lifetime ago; long before the loss of faith, God turning abstract, unknowable, and everywhere, it seemed to him, those senseless accidents of pain. This paragraph describes Dr. Lazaro during his younger years. He was as faithful as his son, Ben, during those times. He relied and expected much from God that all of the things that he desired gave him pain which eventually became frustrations. Considering such, he lost his faith to Him. He doesn’t believe that God is an authority to his life because everything he views opposes to God’s doctrines. In addition, Dr. Lazaro thinks that he is the only person answerable for himself.

Precept Existentialists focus primarily on matters such as choice, individuality, subjectivity, freedom, anxiety and the nature of existence itself. The issues addressed in existentialist philosophy involve the problems of making free choices, of taking responsibility for what we choose, of overcoming alienation from our lives, and so forth. Paragraph Justification 6 His wife looked up from her needles and twine, under the shaded lamp of the bedroom; she had finished the pullover for the grandchild in Bagiuo and had begun work, he noted, on another of those altar vestments for the parish church. Religion and her grandchild certainly kept her busy … She looked at him, into so much to inquire as to be spoken to: a large and placid woman. Subjectivity It is prevalent in this paragraph that Dr. Lazaro firmly believes and holds on to his personal opinions and feelings instead of the outside influences. Despite the fact that his pious wife filled their home with religious paraphernalia, he still seemed not to care because of being cynical towards religion. 58 -59 Doctor, tell us – “Esteban took a step forward. “I did everything: Dr. Lazaro said. “It’s too late –“ Freedom to Choose This paragraph capitalizes the view of existentialists about having too much

Precept Paragraph Justification He gestured vaguely, with a dull resentment; by some implicit relationship, he was also responsible, for the misery in the room, the hopelessness. “There’s nothing more I can do, Esteban, “ he said. He thought with a flick of anger: Soon the child will be out of it, you ought to be grateful. freedom. The experiences of him as a doctor made and led him to have doubts and later questioned God why he couldn’t do anything to snatch the people from the jaw of death. With these, he no longer believes in God and chooses to rely on his own capabilities. 11 Dr. Lazaro put on fresh shirt, buttoned it with tense, abrupt motions, “I thought he’d gone out again… Who’s that girl he’s been seeing? . . . It’s not just warm, it’s hot. You should’ve stayed on in Baguio… Alienation and Estrangement In this paragraph, Dr. Lazaro said to his wife that they should have stayed in Baguio. It seems that Dr. Lazaro tries to aloof himself to his family.

Precept Paragraph Justification 12 Mrs. Lazaro had resumed the knitting; in the circle of yellow light, her head bowed, she seemed absorbed in some contemplative prayer. But her silences had ceased t disturb him, like the plaster saints she kept in the room, in their cases of glass, or that air she wore of conspiracy, when she left with Ben for Mass in the mornings. Dr. Lazaro would ramble about miracle drugs, politics, music, the common sense of his unbelief; unrelated things strung together in a monologue Also, whenever Mrs. Lazaro and Ben go for Mass, he prefers to be left at home and would ramble about miracle drugs, politics, music -the common sense of his unbelief.

Precept There are two major categories of existentialism which show opposing views about human existence – Godly and Ungodly. Paragraph Justification 25 Dr. Lazaro watched the young face intent on the road, a cowlick over the forehead, the mall curve of the nose, his own face before he left to study in another country, a young student of full illusions, a lifetime ago; long before the loss of faith, God turning abstract, unknowable, and everywhere, it seemed to him, those senseless accidents of pain There is seemingly a discrepancy of faith in the Lazaro family. Mrs. Lazaro and Ben tend to be religious as proven by their words and actions. On the other hand, the protagonist of the story, Dr. Lazaro had lost his faith to God. He quickly turned away, strangely comfortable in the sad, wallowing darkness of disbelief.

Precept Existentialism displays hostility towards abstract theories or systems that propose to describe all of the intricacies and difficulties of human life through more-orless simplistic formulas. Paragraph 69 He[Dr. Lazaro] used to believe in it, too. The power of the Holy Spirit washing away original sin, the purified soul made heir of heaven. He could still remember fragments of his boy hood faith, as one might remember an improbable and long-discarded dream. Justification Dr. Lazaro acts so ill with the doctrines of God. Unlike when he was still young, he used to believe that the teachings of God are essential for spiritual growth.

General Question Guides in Analyzing Literature through the Existentialism Trend I. Subject Matter/Theme 1. Does the literary piece highlight absurdity of existence and anxiety that results from the exercise of free will? 2. Does the literary piece adhere to the principle “Existence precedes essence”? 3. Does the literary piece believe in the idea that life is meaningless? 4. Does the literary piece feature characters/persona who experience the social distancing between the world and themselves? 5. Does the literary piece stress that a person’s judgment is the determining factor for what is to be believed rather than by arbitrary religious or secular world value? 6. Does the piece view society as unnatural and arbitrary because of its tradition, religion and secular views?

II. Characters/Persona 1. Is the existentialist character unpredictable and perversely self-destructive? 2. Does the character seek purpose and authentic existence? 3. Does the character believe that he is the only authority and is answerable only for himself? 4. Does the character take full responsibility for all his decisions? 5. Does the character fear uncertainty and death? 6. Does the alienated character in the piece struggle against optimistic assumptions of the people around him?

III. Style and Tone 1. How did the writer portray his belief about life? • Is his belief towards life optimistic/pessimistic? 2. Does the writer agree that human life is not complete and fully satisfying because of suffering and losses that occur over his life? 3. Does the writer stress the need for individual choice? • Is freedom of choice a burden to the writer? 4. Does the writer elaborate conflicting aspects of the main character based on the structure of the plot? 5. Does the writer critique or attack the prevailing religious, cultural and philosophical views of his time?

Sources of Theory Soren Kierkegaard – He is considered to be the "Father of Existentialism" and he influenced almost every existentialist after him. He was a religious philosopher who stressed the need for individual choice. – Some of his notable ideas: Three Spheres of Human Existence, Angst, Knight of Faith, Leap of Faith Jean-Paul Sartre – He portrayed humans as lonely creatures, and viewed the freedom of choice that many existentialists valued as a burden, due largely to the responsibility that follows any choice. Sartre is one of the most prominent minds in existentialism, and can be credited for bringing this philosophy to the attention of a much larger audience.

Albert Camus – Moving beyond Sartre's existentialism, he explored the meaninglessness and absurd nature of the human condition. Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche – He was a philosopher and philogist from Germany. He wrote mainly critical works that attacked the prevailing religious, cultural and philosophical views of his time. His work has contributed greatly to the development of existentialism and so-called continental philosophy. Some of his notable works: God is Dead, Homer and Classical Philology, The Birth of Tragedy, On Truth and Lies in a Nonmoral Sense.

References: • http: //atheism. about. com/od/existentialism/a/in troduction_2. htm • http: //www. docstoc. com/docs/114060045/EXI STENTIALISM-(Power. Point) • http: //www. webpages. uidaho. edu/ngier/315/2 t ypes. html

About the writers YZA B. ATIENZA is currently taking up the degree of Bachelor in Secondary Education with English as his field of specialization at the Mariano Marcos State University – College of Teacher education (CTE), Laoag City. JANELENE MARIANO is currently taking up the degree of Bachelor in Secondary Education with English as his field of specialization at the Mariano Marcos State University – College of Teacher education (CTE), Laoag City. At present, she is the Vice-President of the Communication Arts Guild of the college.