by Katherine SantanaThe three books I have chosen, are Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson and Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl. I have chosen these books, because each demonstrate the hardships and beauty of life. These books, have taught me that life is beautiful. Our hardships, help us grow stronger and our mistakes allow us to thrive. There is so much more to life than what we make it out to be. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley The story of Frankenstein is one of just many gothic classic novels that have always spoken to me. While it is a work of fiction, it carries several life lessons that changed my outlook on life and people. I started reading Frankenstein at a very young age and was one of the very first books that got me to into reading in the first place. I have watched several versions of Frankenstein movies books. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley like many other works on Frankenstein, demonstrates the fear of the unknown. It taught me how human beings, tend to reject and avoid something that they do not understand. Frankenstein, was a misunderstood creation and because of that, it frightened many. It also expresses the fear of oneself, as sometimes we can be driven by impulses that seen unfathomable. The effects of playing “God” is also key as Dr. Frankenstein felt the need to create a human being out of body parts of the dead. This book showed me that one must not tamper with nature. Life is a cycle in which everyone that is given life will die at some point. This book has taught me, that the world is full of judgement and misunderstanding. It made me think about moments in which I have misunderstood others. It made me think about moments in which I have encountered fear. Frankenstein, taught me that the unknown is scary yet magical. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, is once again one of many dark classic novels that intrigued me. The display of human personalities, demonstrate the complexity of human behavior. Everyone in this world, is like Dr. Jekyll as he like everyone else has a dark side. His dark side, is none other than Mr. Hyde. Everyone has a dark side, and it demonstrates the many faces that human beings must keep up with in this world. Dr. Jekyll is feeling the effects of expectations set by society and set by himself. Mr. Hyde is the result of unrealistic expectations and repressed emotions. This is much like us human beings today. We all face the constraints of society and the desire to release. Personality and human emotions is very difficult to understand and even harder to control. This book I feel, is an amazing way in understanding the complexity of human behavior. It made me think about ways in which that I have repressed my emotions, and moments that I have felt as though I was being given too high of an expectation. It made me think about my own behaviors and my own dark side. This book helped me realize that each person is unique, complex and fascinating at the same time. Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl Man’s Search for Meaning has got to be by far one of my most favorite books. I read this book as part of Professor Rougier’s Death and Dying course and it taught me many things. This book demonstrates the courage and strength that everyone has within them. Most importantly, it depicts the different forms of suffering and how meaning is created. Viktor Frankl, had a first-hand experience of the horrors in the Nazi death camps. He shares his story, as he expresses how he was able to keep moving forward despite the horrendous environment and mistreatment. Amidst the chaos, he was able to come up with a form of psychotherapy called logotherapy. Logotherapy, are the ways in which people find and pursue meaning in their life. This was very prevalent in Frankl’s book, as he teaches that suffering is essential to human development. There is no such thing as living life without suffering and we must be able to accept it and conquer it. Frankl demonstrates, how the love for his wife kept him alive. He, stresses the importance of solitude and taking time to think about one’s own life. My favorite sentences in this book, is that suffering is unique to everyone. I connected a lot with this, because my suffering can be different from someone else’s. Suffering for everyone is unique. The way we cope with suffering is unique. However, we must all learn from our experiences and use it to create meaning. Frankl never lost hope, and mentions how having hope is essential as you never know what will be at the end of the road. This book taught me that life is difficult, but it is also beautiful. Life is complex, people are complex and sometimes it takes time to understand both life and people. These books, have taught me that the world is not black and white. The world is scary, yet beautiful. It is destructive, yet life producing. The world is full of suffering and yet filled with happiness.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Categories
All
Archives
November 2017
|