Intro...
# Existentialist philosopher... but what is existentialism?
We were doing this cultural movement not so long time ago in Czech literature so I I will try to explain the essence of this movement. This philosophy deals with existence of individual in this crazy world, existentialists see all humans being abandoned by God so individuals like this are unable to communicate with others and live happily in world like this one. In existentialistic books and plays main characters are given freedom, but they are not aware of this freedom that is why there is a lot of despair and fear in those works.
TIP: if you are bored reading the theory check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnKuS-d4waU (pretty girl in bikini explains existentialism) =) ...
# This play was written in the year 1944. The original French name of this play is Huis Clos which literally means "in camera". The author named this play like this because the whole play is some kind of an examination of a private conversation behind closed door. This existentialistic play is showing us the afterlife in which three dead characters are punished by being locked in a room together for ever. If we imagine situation like this I think it is very easy to understand Sartre's famous quotation "Hell is other people" (BrainyQuote). Moreover as I go through some pages of this book there are just 4 characters and the play is going to be set in one single room. Therefore I believe that we are not going to see too much action or humour in this play. I think (and I hope too) that this play is going to make us think deeply about some very interesting things rather than entertain us...neat!
I think it is enough for the introduction and I think that after this intro everybody cannot wait to start reading the book.... So next time we start folks!
cheers!
--> "Jean-Paul Sartre Quotes." BrainyQuote.com. BookRags Media Network , n. d. Web. 1 Feb. 2012. <http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/jeanpaul_sartre.html>
--> Prokop, Vladimír. Přehled světové literatury 20. století. 2. upravené vydání. Karlovy Vary: O.K - Soft, 2008. 36. Print.
If we want to understand the genuine meaning of some artistic work (it can be any poem, movie, play or book) it is indispensable to know something about the author (his believes, life, religion, background etc.), about the cultural movement that influenced that certain work and other things around some particular work in order to understand it completely. Therefore let me start with those things before we start reading so that we are going to be prepared!
# Author himself... J.P.Sartre (1905-1980):
"Freedom is what you do with what's been done to you." (BrainyQuote)
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He was French existentialist philosopher, columnist and writer that refused the Nobel Prize in 1964 and he explained that action by saying that it would be the end of his freedom. According to Sartre all human beings are given the ability of freedom and without any actions our existence is absurd. That means that to be free means to act - if our life should have some essence then we should act (Vladimír Prokop).
# Existentialist philosopher... but what is existentialism?
We were doing this cultural movement not so long time ago in Czech literature so I I will try to explain the essence of this movement. This philosophy deals with existence of individual in this crazy world, existentialists see all humans being abandoned by God so individuals like this are unable to communicate with others and live happily in world like this one. In existentialistic books and plays main characters are given freedom, but they are not aware of this freedom that is why there is a lot of despair and fear in those works.
TIP: if you are bored reading the theory check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnKuS-d4waU (pretty girl in bikini explains existentialism) =) ...
I think we have some strong fundamental information about the author now. Therefore lets find out some general information about the play No Exit so that we can start reading!
# This play was written in the year 1944. The original French name of this play is Huis Clos which literally means "in camera". The author named this play like this because the whole play is some kind of an examination of a private conversation behind closed door. This existentialistic play is showing us the afterlife in which three dead characters are punished by being locked in a room together for ever. If we imagine situation like this I think it is very easy to understand Sartre's famous quotation "Hell is other people" (BrainyQuote). Moreover as I go through some pages of this book there are just 4 characters and the play is going to be set in one single room. Therefore I believe that we are not going to see too much action or humour in this play. I think (and I hope too) that this play is going to make us think deeply about some very interesting things rather than entertain us...neat!
I think it is enough for the introduction and I think that after this intro everybody cannot wait to start reading the book.... So next time we start folks!
cheers!
chris
--> Prokop, Vladimír. Přehled světové literatury 20. století. 2. upravené vydání. Karlovy Vary: O.K - Soft, 2008. 36. Print.
I like what you're doing with this so far -- and hopefully, you'll get a more concrete understanding of many of the abstract concepts you've been forced to discuss in class(es).
OdpovědětVymazatWow! I just learnt a new word! Indispensable... It goes to my collection of crucial, vital, key, and essential.... Thanks a lot, man!
OdpovědětVymazatI enjoy Sartre's quote "Hell is other people"... Sometimes I feel like that, too.