Existentialism as Portrayed in Beowulf and Arrow

Existentialism is the concept that each individual decides their own values, ideas, and path in life. There is no all encompassing rules that define every person the same. This philosophy is often brought into literature through character motives, actions, or beliefs. Often the character is slightly aloof from the rest of the society in either actions or values. An author would evoke existentialism in order to better define both the characters as well as the themes of the piece of literature.

In Beowulf, existentialism takes on a small role in defining Beowulf as the character he is. This is exemplified by his passage into Grendel's mother's lair. After defeating her, one would assume that Beowulf would take all of the treasure and value out of the cave. While he might not have been able to do this in one trip, Beowulf had no problems swimming the distance while carrying the head of Grendel's mother that required four men to carry, so he would have been able to retrieve all of the treasure without risk. However, Beowulf leaves with only the head of Grendel's mother and the hilt of the sword that saved him before the blade melted. Beowulf is choosing to define his victory with the good of destroying a threat rather than the bounty of gold. This runs separate from what the society often does and values, for the Kings and powerful are defined by their wealth not the gods deeds they have done. Beowulf is setting himself separate and above the society and the material that is so often valued by them. Therefore, Beowulf is being an existential individual as he defines his values separate from the societies, and he makes his own choices. This is an important characteristic to Beowulf since it defines him as a hero that stands separate from society and the common man. In this way he can be more than the common man while still remaining mortal.

In the television series Arrow, Oliver Queen lives as a vigilante. This often leads to Queen breaking the law in order to catch the criminals. For this reason, existentialism exists in the show as Queen must decide what rules of society still define him as well as rules of his own. This concept even comes up explicitly throughout the series. For example, at one point Queen vows to no longer kill anymore. This a rule that Queen is choosing to define for himself, for he has already broken this in the past. Additionally, some of Queen's companions bring up that it seems as though they get to play by a different set of rules from everyone else, and they debate whether this is just. The reaction that Queen makes to these arguments is nearly always simply walking away. This demonstrates that while it does bother Queen in some ways, Queen is choosing to define his own rules and values separate from societies. Queen is portrayed in this manner in order to set him apart from society and even from his companion. This is done to show how being the vigilante changes him and forces him to be something other than Oliver Queen. Overall, he is being an individual that is described by existentialism. 

Bathos: Portrayed Through Examples in Rape of the Lock and Two Atoms in a Molecule

Bathos occurs when the author creates an anticlimax that alters the mood of the passage. While this is often done unintentionally, a purposeful use of bathos helps to create a mock-heroic or a mocking tone of something in general.

In Rape of the Lock, Pope uses bathos in order to create a mock-heroic. The following passage from the conflict between Belinda and the Baron demonstrates the use of bathos in order to create a mocking tone towards the conflict and characters in order to establish the mock-heroic nature of the poem:  

“See, fierce Belinda on the Baron flies,
With more than usual lightning in her eyes:
Nor fear'd the Chief th' unequal fight to try,

Who sought no more than on his foe to die.
But this bold Lord with manly strength endu'd,
She with one finger and a thumb subdu'd:
Just where the breath of life his nostrils drew,
A charge of Snuff the wily virgin threw;
The Gnomes direct, to ev'ry atom just,
The pungent grains of titillating dust.
Sudden, with starting tears each eye o'erflows,
And the high dome re-echoes to his nose” (Pope 79).

The conflict and the fight had been built up to a point of epic proportions; however, the battle is won after the Baron simply sneezes. In this moment, the Baron had been made into one of fantastic characteristics, but once he sneezes, the Baron becomes a simple man again. The fight turns from one of amazing characters to an argument of two humans in one simple sneeze. These characters are no longer part of a heroic journey, and the poem becomes mock-heroic. Pope employs bathos in this moment in order to create his poem of mock-heroism.

In the song Two Atoms in a Molecule, the band Noah and the Whale use te literary device of bathos. They do this in order to create the light-hearted and fun tone of much of their music even when describing a somewhat depressing romantic situation. This is exemplified by the following quote from the lyrics of the song:

"But then I woke from the dream to realise I was alone
A tragic event I must admit but let's not be overblown
I'm not trying to write a love song just a sad, pathetic moan
Maybe I just need a change, maybe I just need a new cologne".

Noah and the Whale have altered the original tone of a romantic song into one that is of sorrow but with a light-hearted tone. The bathos present in the song lead to an entirely different listening experience. Additionally, the light-hearted tone of the song is an important part of the music; Noah and the Whale have this tone in much of their music—even when the topic is bleak, and the tone is what attracts many listeners to the band and their themes. People are much more receptive to the theme of sorrow when it is expressed in a way that seems light-hearted. Noah and the Whale employ bathos in their song in order to create an attracting, light-hearted tone from a rather bleak topic.

The following is a link to a video of Two Atoms in a Molecule:

http://youtu.be/ld4RFdwx-yk 

Juxtaposition Demonstrated Through AP Prompt Passage and Arrow

Juxtaposition is a literary device that places two often unrelated and contrasting words or descriptions in close proximity in the text in order to create significance. This is often done thorough characters being described in opposing manners or having heavily contrasting aspects to their identity—both physical and mental. The author does this to draw the reader's attention to these details. The reader will often have to look into these aspects deeper in order to understand why two concepts so different are positioned so close in context. This investigation by the reader will consistently lead the reader to a more important meaning and theme the author has intended for in there text as well as specifically in a character in some cases. 

In the recent AP prompt, the author creates juxtaposition in a dentist, McTeague. McTeague is impressive physically, but he lacks mental intelligence. This contrast is created to illuminate the theme that McTeague is trying to be something he is not. A man of such character should not be a dentist but would be expected to be a soldier or construction worker instead. However, McTeague continues to attempt to be something that he will never fully achieve. 

In the television series Arrow, juxtaposition is initially created in the main protagonist. When Oliver Queen returns from being on an island for 5 years, he is a changed man becomes a vigilante. He has become a responsible and deeply concened man; however, he attempts to show himself to be the same irresponsible, selfish, and uncaring person his was in his past in order to protect those he cares. The contrast in his two personalities that he switches between allows the audience to truly see how much he has changed since the watchers have no complete insight to his life before the island. This change is an important part in the series as a whole as well as the theme of guilt that is present. Juxtaposition is employed in Arrow in order to reveal and accentuate the change in Oliver Queen. 

Ontology Demonstrated In Brave New World and Les Miserables

Ontology refers to the study of the existence of all things and how they relate to each other. An author employs literary devices of an ontological nature in order to define objects or characters in terms of each other as well as connect objects or characters to each other. An author can also reference ontology when a character defines himself or herself in terms of the world and where they fit in to it. Lastly, if a character does not fit into the world in his own mind this creates anxiety due to a lack of ontological security; the character does not know how they fit in the he world and can no longer define their action or being with meaning. Ontology demonstrates the connection between objects, characters and the world as a whole. 

In Brave New World, Huxley has created many characters that demonstrate a strife connecting to ontology. To begin with, Bernard is ostracized at the beginning of the novel based on his physical appearance compared to the rest of the Alphas. By being socially isolated, Bernard is excluded from much that the culture and society offer its members. Bernard is insecure with how he fits in the world due to his aloofness. Hence, ontological anxiety becomes a conflict for Bernard. Huxley employs this to create a motive for Bernard to go out into the world of the he Savages and bring back John. Furthermore, Watson is isolated from the majority culture throughout the plot. In the end, he is sent away from the mainland in order to prohibit his aloofness from influencing other members of the society. This demonstrates how the society Huxley creates has, in some manner, began to control the ontology of the society. The government controls where people are placed both from birth in a hierarchical standing as well as in mental aspects through soma and isolating radicals. Additionally, Huxley creates the greatest connection to ontology through John. John has the greatest strife about where he belongs in the he world. He is neither accepted in his original society of the Savages, nor does he fit into the society of the majority. This unresolved mental conflict may have been a large part of John's eventual decision to commit suicide. John cannot define his connections to the world, and, hence, he has a hard time creating meaning for his actions as well as his life. Huxley demonstrates the significance of ontological understanding through many of his characters; in doing so, Huxley creates the motives for these characters as well as the society as a whole. 

In the song Who Am I? from Les Miserables, the character singing, John Valjean, is debating whether or not to reveal his true identity to a French soldier. In doing so, he would admit that he is a fugitive, but he would save the life of another that is being assumed to be him. His question of "Who am I?" is directed at himself. The consideration of ontology connects to Valjean deciding how he wants to relate to the world. He can live free but then he would "be no more than an alibi." Therefore, he decides to reveal himself and his number that designates him as one who has committed crime as he proclaims himself: "I am John Valjean... 24601!". In fact, the title itself demonstrates Valjean's mental debate of where he belongs in the world. Throughout the song, ontology and the question of where to fit into the world and with others is debated. 

Below is a link to the movie version of the song: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2sanq2SM0k

Archetypes: Demonstrated Through East of Eden and Lord of the Rings

An archetype is a character basis that is present throughout much of the world's collective stories. Carl Jung was a psychologist who proposed the idea of archetypes, and he stated that all characters fit into one of these archetypes. 

An author would base a character on an archetype in order to create a strong understanding of the character based off of the reader's prior experience with a select archetype. Archetypes also help to create, influence, and push forward theme throughout a book by contributing their virtues, values, and fears into the books context. 

In East of Eden, Steinbeck creates a very definitive caregiver archetype within Samuel. To begin with, Samuel is as generous as someone could be. He would consistently fix various people's items and then take no payment for it. Even if he was in financial ruin, it meant more to him to be helping others then making money. Furthermore, Samuel has the weakness of being exploited. He allows people to take advantage of his generousity, for he does so much for others with no return fort himself. Additionally, Samuel definitely loves his neighbors as he loves himself. He goes out of his way to assist others even when it has no gain for himself. This is evident when he goes to Adam's house to free him from the fog Adam was living in after Cathy shot him. There was no gain in doing this for Samuel, but he could not bear to see a

Adam, Cal, and Aron continue on with how they were living. Steinbeck uses Samuel as the caregiver archetype to push forward his theme. 

Throughout the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Tolkien creates Samwise Gamgee to be the caregiver archetype. Samwise is willing to give everything including his life for Frodo. This is demonstrated, among numerous times, when Sam starts towards Frodo's boat as it is leaving even though he knows he can't swim. Samwise is so important to Frodo and the completion of the journey that it is unlikely that Frodo would have made it anywhere close to Mordor without Samwise there is support him. Furthermore, Tolkien uses Sam to show one half of Frodo's inner conscious. By making Samwise the caregiver archetype, Tolkien is revealing that part of Frodo is willing to give it all, even hs life, in order to accomplish the destruction of the Ring. Tolkien creates Damwise Gamgee in the visage of the caregiver archetype to demonstrate the selflessness of characters in their attempt to destroy the Ring.