great works ii – 2850 jta 12:25-2:05: love letters from the world

Nihilism is the philosophy that life has no meaning, therefore believing in traditional values and morals are pointless, and are often rejected. In the Endgame by Samuel Beckett, the characters Clov and Hamm portray this accurately within their conversation with one another. Hamm states, “ Then there is no reason for it to change.”Clov responds to Hamm by stating,  “ It may end. [Pause.] All life long the same questions, the same answers” (769).  In this conversation, they discuss the meaningfulness of life, and it’s overall irrelevance. Not only is life a receptive cycle, it’s not worth changing for the better. Throughout the passages, one gets the sense that most of the characters are indifferent to life in general simply because of its predictability.  For example, Clov, later in the passage is frustrated that Hamm even asked him if his seeds had sprouted. Rather than responded to him calmly, he violently yells, “They’ll never sprout” (771), in response to Hamm essentially knowing the answer to that question, which his seeds never sprout. For Nihilist, they believe why even exert effort into living, when it’s only going to result in the same outcome? Specifically for these two characters, life is indeed pointless; therefore producing any effort into it would be pointless.

In Franz Kafka’s “Metamorphosis,” both the father and chief clerk characters have very different reactions to Gregor’s metamorphosis. The chief clerk’s reaction is more of a frightened one, as described in the story, “…without taking his eyes off Gregor, moved towards the door…” (218) He was “trembling” at the sight of Gregor and soon after took flight down the stair case, as though to escape the horrible sight of Gregor. Gregor’s father had a completely different reaction to Gregor’s appearance this morning. He was “relatively calm”(219) until he moved towards Gregor with a cane and a newspaper in both hands. “…by stamping his feet, and brandishing stick and newspaper, attempted to drive Gregor back into his room.” (219) This was the action Gregor’s father took when seeing Gregor’s “metamorphosis.” It consisted of the father grabbing two items, which are well know to be used to kill bugs around the house, to “drive” Gregor back into his room. Not frightened at all by the sight of him, which was the exact opposite reaction to the chief clerks.

In Tagore’s “Punishment,” Tagore was trying to focus the readers attention on a particular problem, the betrayal of a spouse and their love. “When her husband asked her to admit to the murder, Chandara stared at him, stunned; her black eyes burnt him like fire. Then she shrunk back, as if to escape his devilish clutches.”(896) This describes the wife’s reaction to her husband when he betrays her by asking her to take the blame for his brothers doing. Chandara could not believe that her husband would risk her life to save his brothers, for something he did. She is so hurt inside from this betrayal, that she condemns herself to death by admitting that she had committed the murder of her sister-in-law. Her husband did not want her to die and quickly regrets asking such a thing from her but it is too late. The betrayal of loved ones always has a drastic reaction by the betrayed because of how hurt they are by the fact that they are even considered to be thought of in that way. In this case, I would say Chandara felt like she was disposable compared to her husband’s brother. This ultimately causes her to resent him enough to never want to see him again, she would rather die.

1. Money does not buy happiness. In Feng Menglong “Du Tenth Sinks the Jewel Box in Anger,” the character Du Tenth has her love betrayed and even though she still has a great amount of savings in her “jewel box,” she is so badly hurt and unhappy she throws it all away as well as her own life.
2. In Tartuffe, Moliere the play writer pokes fun at the idea all religious people are saints by creating a story that portraits a religious man taking advantage of a family who have never known of a religious man being corrupt.

My first impression of Hedda Tesman in Act 1 was that she was snobbish and didn’t show much manners to others. Hedda’s husband’s aunt, Miss Juliana, had brought a brand new hat so not to embarrass Hedda in case they were to go on a walk or something outside. As soon as Hedda notices the hat in the living room she says, “…her old hat lying there on that chair.”(Henrik Ibsen, 788) She then expresses embarrassment because of the hat by saying, “What if someone came in and saw that.”(Ibsen, 788). Even though she thought the hat was Berta’s, I feel that was still very rude of her to say. Hedda shows her snobbishness throughout the play also by not expressing any gratitude to her husband for buying her the house she supposedly wanted. He and his aunt worked very hard for it but yet after her first night in their new house she did not express any joy or happiness. After being asked how she liked her sleep in their new house she replied, “Fine thanks. Well enough.”(Ibsen, 787) Clearly not overwhelmed with excitement of being in her so call “must have” home, according to her husband. Hedda continuously acts as if her tastes of living aren’t being met and by doing so she becomes snobbish and unappreciative.

Both Du Tenth from “Du Tenth Sinks the Jewel Box in Anger” and the narrator of “Life of a Sensuous Woman” have a few very strong similarities like being independent woman characters. Du Tenth said, “I languished in a fallen life for several years, during which time I amassed some private savings.”(Menglong, 515) She is of course talking about her “jewel box.” Being able to have a plan for herself later in life is a very independent move. As well as the narrator of “Life of a Sensuous Woman,” she was able to leave the high priest, with money, by devising her own plan of escape. Once again Du Tenth had a plan for after they were going to be living together, “Thanks to the noble feelings of all my sisters, we will not only lack nothing on our journey but there should be a little something to help with our household expenses while we pass the time in the South.”(Menglong, 508) This indicates that she was planning ahead, which is a trait of being independent.