Fun Home A Real Life Example of the Absurd Paradox of Death - Literature Essay Samples

Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home is a groundbreaking piece of literature in which an audience is able to experience an autobiographical piece unlike any other. Through the illustrations in this graphic novel as well as the utterly human words and concepts discussed by Bechdel, she is able to express her struggles with her family dynamic, her father’s secrecy, coming out, and living life as a woman and a lesbian. Throughout the piece, Bechdel covers many different themes and concepts, a few of which revolve around the typically heavy and touchy subject of death. However, when discussed by Bechdel, death is a routine sort of thing, something even to joke about. Bechdel and her peers even call the funeral home down the street where her grandmother and father work the â€Å"Fun Home†. Christian W. Schneider relates all of these ideas to their ties to the gothic themes presented in the â€Å"Fun Home itself throughout the graphic novel in the article â€Å"Young Daughter, Old Artificer: Constructing the Gothic Fun Home†. To Bechdel, death is an absurd concept much like life when described by Camus as well as simply just an absolutely ridiculous concept and therefore something not to be afraid of or to hold as a taboo of conversation, but rather something to discuss or even joke about from time to time. Bechdel spent her childhood and young adulthood discussing death as a joke (especially since her father was an undertaker), â€Å"visiting gravediggers, joking with burial vault salesmen, and teasing [her] brothers with crushed vials of smell salts† as a routine part of life (50). However, upon losing her own father, she finds that exact mindset is what has set her up to be so unable to grasp the reality of her own father’s death, trying to still sort of be light and funny about it by comforting herself with questions like â€Å"who embalms the undertaker when he dies?† (51), but finding herself nothing more than irritated at his passing. It is here that the true absurdity of death is depicted- what is more absurd and ridiculous and senseless than a thing which is most incomprehensible to those closest to it in their daily lives? Alison’s irritation makes her experience all the more human and absurd. As discussed in Christian Schneider’s article, she spends her life â€Å"trying to escape the secrets and lies that finally prove to be her father’s death, as their power over her life still remains† (7). Alison proves to be absurd in her self, where the more she tries to escape the effect of her father’s death on her life, the more power the death has on her life. This paradox is as ridiculous as the aforementioned paradox of exposure to death causing more confusion when actually faced with it. In all reality, the absurdity of death is all based in the utter paradox of it. Bechdel, even when conflicted about her own father’s death, handles death very well because she does understand that it is absurd. She does not only consider that â€Å"death is inherently absurd†¦ in the sense of ridiculous [and] unreasonable†, but she also considers death as absurd â€Å"through Camus’ definition of the absurd—that the universe is irrational and human life meaningless† (47). In this definition of absurd (as displayed in the Absurdist school of thought which extends into existentialism and nihilism), one can see the simple tie of Bechdel’s thought on life to her thoughts on death. Bechdel never demonstrates a need or seeking or belief in an innate purpose and sees life as absurd and lacking logic, especially when she learns the secrets of her family. Therefore, it is very reasonable that she views death the same way- as meaningless and irrational. The two concepts of absurd of course tie together, as if life and death are ridiculous and silly, they’re bound to lack logic or meaning and vice versa. So while Bechdel makes a point of separating the two sort of definitions of absurd, it is apparent that if one definition of absurd is observed, than the other will almost always be observed either as a supplement or as a result. It is evident that Bechdel’s exposure to death at such a young age is what gave her this absurd view on death and inevitably caused her struggle with her father’s passing. When death is truly examined for what it is, however, it can be viewed as nothing but absurd. It is a senseless, irrational, ridiculous, concept and perhaps one of life’s few concepts that can never be grasped while in this life. Life and death do not exist for any innate purpose, they just kind of happen coincidentally, without logic or purpose, so why not just accept them and enjoy the utter ridiculousness of the pointless existence of humans? Works Cited Bechdel, Alison. Fun Home. New York. Houghton Mifflin Co., 2006. Print. Schneider, Christian W. â€Å"Young Daughter, Old Artificer: Constructing the Gothic Fun Home†. Studies in Comics. 1.2 (2010): 337+. Web.

The Cold War And The Soviet Union Essay - 965 Words

The Cold War was a period in world history marked with increased tensions primarily between the United States and the Soviet Union. Both countries desired to expand their ideologies across the globe, the U.S. urging capitalism and democratic elections and the Soviets promoting communism. After the allies had obtained victory in World War II, the Yalta Conference was held. Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union, wanted to expand his sphere of influence into Eastern Europe and demanded that Poland, as well as other Eastern European countries, act as a buffer between Western Europe and the Soviet Union. These Eastern countries were instilled with a pro-Soviet government by the Soviet occupation and Poland was forced to become a communist nation by not being allowed free elections and the suppression of any dissenting ideas. President Truman, on the other hand, vowed to stop the aggressive expansion of communism and demanded that Poland have a democratically elected government. With the inflamed words going back and forth, the Soviet Union closed off all of the countries under its control from Western trade and dropped the Iron Curtain. Stalin vowed to surpass the American lead in military weapons, more specifically, atomic weapons, and spread the will of the Soviet Union across the globe. Thus the Cold War arms race began. George Kennan, an American diplomat that lived in Moscow, advised President Truman that the Soviets will keep expanding communism until itShow MoreRelatedThe Cold War And The Soviet Union973 Words   |  4 PagesThe Cold War was a state of economic, diplomatic, and ideological discord among nations without armed conflict. The Cold War was between the United States and the USSR because these were the two major powers after WWII. Basically, the Cold War was a series of proxy wars that had taken place back in time involving surrounding countries. One of the main causes for Cold War was that the Soviet Union was spreading communism and the United States didn’t like that so they were trying to contain communismRead MoreThe Cold War And The Soviet Union1233 Words   |  5 PagesThe Cold War is unique among war’s to be not a war between states, but a war between ideologies. The United States and other allies defend social democracy capitalism, as the pinnacle of freedom and equality; and the Soviet Union though communism was the pinnacle of equality. These ideologies manifested themselves through the superpowers, which caused the conflict between them. Both the United States, and the Soviet Union are to blame for the outbreak of the Cold War. The United State’s missionRead MoreThe Cold War And The Soviet Union1697 Words   |  7 PagesThe Cold War, in fact didn’t take place in the winter season, but was just as dangerously cold and unwelcoming, as it focused on two contrasting powers: the U.S. and the Soviet Union. 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(Viewpoints Article: the Soviet Union Start the Cold War) I believe The Cold War was triggered by the theory of two superpower countries in a race for dominance in the worldRead MoreCold War And The Soviet Union859 Words   |  4 PagesAMS2270 Cold War This essay will discuss about cold war, including the background, beginning, progress and ending. As we know, cold war is a struggle between U.S. with NATO and Soviet Union with WTO from 1947 to 1991. It is a significant event in history, and it influence the almost all of world, it directly lead to the radical change of eastern Europe and the breakup of the USSR. In 1946 February, George.F.Kennan wrote a â€Å"Long Telegram†, it clearly said the strategy of containing Soviets and itRead MoreThe Cold War On The Soviet Union1230 Words   |  5 PagesThe Cold War’s effect on the Soviet Union Shortly after the World War 2 ended, the United States and its North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies entered the cold war with the Soviet Union. 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The Soviet Union used force and supported coups to spread communism while the United States installed democratic governments as a way to counter communism in Eastern Europe. These small conflicts that the two superpowersRead MoreThe Soviet Union And The Cold War1038 Words   |  5 PagesAfter a series of events during the time of World War II, tensions between the United States and the Communists such as the Soviet Union and China, developed into a military and political conflict such as the Cold War. During the Cold War, which went on for 50 years, the Soviet Union and the United States competed to expand their economical and political influence. Although, the United States military has increased in size and it’s strategy. The United States power today is highly supreme when it

Analysis The Tain, Warriors Ferdia And Cuchulainn

Often, in a morally ambiguous culture, ideologies contradict one another—however, the basis of cultural values merge these various beliefs into one cohesive creed. Throughout The Tain, ideals of the morally ambiguous culture of Ireland present the considerations of its citizens and the characteristics which possess value to them. Many of the heroes, who manage to leave behind a legacy strong enough to appear in The Tain, demonstrate themselves as worthy heroes who represent principles that the Irish hold dear. However, the two heroes, Cuchulainn and Ferdia, display the moral vagueness of Irish values and epitomize the cultural standards during the time of the epic in the greatest sense. These foster brothers, trained under the same†¦show more content†¦The characteristic of fearlessness that symbolizes Cuchulainn is made evident when he disregards his age and transforms himself to appear older when fighting warriors in Ireland. This concept exhibits fearlessness becau se Cuchulainn, a seventeen-year-old, with no beard (a way of displaying age and manliness in Ireland during this time period) engages in single combat with some of the strongest and greatest warriors of his time. Ferdia, in comparison to Cuchulainn, demonstrates many of the same qualities, yet is not regarded in as high regards to the all-mighty warrior. Ferdia represents integrity and trustworthiness but also shares the quality of fearlessness. The representation of integrity, through Ferdia’s battle with Cuchulainn, portrays the importance of truthfulness in the Irish at the time of this epic. This ideal of integrity, symbolized by Ferdia, can be noticed when Ferdia, knowingly battles Cuchulainn in Cuchulainn’s fiercest state, never cheating, and abiding by all the rules set out for him in the warrior code of honor. Ferdia states â€Å"By the way of deceit no good can come† which represents his belief and the belief of the Irish people that manipulation and deceit serve no ability to enable good in the world (197). This showcases the ideology of the Irish people being one that appreciates a person’s honesty rather than their ability to win a battle. Ferdiaâ€℠¢s trustworthiness is unquestionable when he holds his promise to Queen Medb in a higherShow MoreRelatedEssay on Heroes of Celtic and Germanic Mythology3702 Words   |  15 Pagesand Germanic mythology exhibited similar characteristics regardless of whether or not they were Anglo-Saxon, Rhenish, or Irish. Indeed, there are many parallels between the behaviors demonstrated by the heroes of Beowulf, the Nibelungenlied, and the Tain Bo Cuailnge. Some of the most striking of these parallels are: the noble and divine lineage of the hero; the hero’s increased endurance and his exceptional combat abilities (including the use of powerful weapons and berserker behavior); the hero’s

Essay about Reviving Psychophysical Supervenience

Reviving Psychophysical Supervenience ABSTRACT: Many philosophers have lost their enthusiasm for the concept of supervenience in the philosophy of mind. This is largely due to the fact that, as Jaegwon Kim has shown, familiar versions of supervenience describe relations of mere property covariation without capturing the idea of dependence. Since the dependence of the mental on the physical is a necessary requirement for even the weakest version of physicalism, it would seem that existing forms of supervenience cannot achieve that for which they were designed. My aim is to revive the concept of supervenience. I argue that if we construe supervenience along Davidsonian lines — as a relation connecting predicates rather than properties —†¦show more content†¦In light of this, many have lost their enthusiasm for this idea. My goal in this paper is to renew our faith in supervenience. To do so, however, will not require the development of a new formulation of the concept; instead, it involves clearing up some misconceptions about an existing version of this relation. I refer to Davidson’s original treatment of supervenience. Most have assumed that Davidson’s brand of supervenience is equivalent to Kim’s weak supervenience, which is too weak to express dependence. I will argue that Davidson’s conception of supervenience is, despite certain formal similarities, quite different from Kim’s and clearly captures a sense of psychophysical dependence that is of use to forms of physicalism. As I see it, the difference between Kim’s approach and Davidson’s lies in the items supervenience is thought to connect. Kim’s formulations of supervenience connect properties, which he takes to be the ontological building blocks of events. In general then, Kim treats supervenience as a metaphysical thesis about the distribution of properties in possible worlds. By contrast, Davidson has little tolerance for the idea that events should be analyzed in terms of property exemplifications. Given Davidson’s reluctance to endorse properties, he prefers to think of supervenience as a relation between

Chastity in The Rape of Lucrece and A Woman Killed with...

Chastity in The Rape of Lucrece and A Woman Killed with Kindness Renaissance England has been labeled a culture of shame - a society in which an individuals identity was primarily constructed by the way in which his or her reputation or honor was perceived by others. A womans public reputation was always based on her virginity or chastity. Just as women were considered the property of their fathers or husbands, a womans chastity was an asset owned by and exchanged between the men who possessed her. (Gutierrez, 272) A mans public reputation was therefore determined not only by his own qualities, but also by his wifes reputation for chastity. Conversely, a womans unchastity was a liability to her husband. Rape and†¦show more content†¦8-18) Collatine values Lucreces chastity in very mercantile terms, making her the object of Tarquins admiration, thereby endangering her: †¦why is Collatine the publisher Of that rich jewel he should keep unknown From thievish ears because it is his own? (Ln. 33-35) This is a paradox arising from the commodification of female chastity. In order for a husbands reputation to profit from the chastity of his wife, the value of that chastity must be publicized. Yet, this very publication endangers it. (Breitenberg, 100) In this case, Collatines praise of his wifes chastity leads Tarquin to covet her and destroy her chastity, the source of her value. After she is raped, Lucrece is only unchaste in body; her mind is still chaste because she has not betrayed her husband by desiring another man: Though my gross blood be staind with this abuse, Immaculate and spotless is my mind; That was not forcd, that never was inclind To accessary yieldings, but still pure Doth in her poisond closet yet endure. (Ln. 1655-1659) Unfortunately, her physical unchastity cannot be repaired. Lucrece

Mice and Men Injustices Faced Free Essays

â€Å"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere† Martin Luther King regarding justice. This quote considers the injustice that takes place and its potential impacts. Justice is defined as a quality of being just; fairness and injustice is defined as Lack of fairness or justice. We will write a custom essay sample on Mice and Men Injustices Faced or any similar topic only for you Order Now This quote has some relevance and can be related to the issues of justice and injustice which is faced in the book Of Mice of Men. The book is set in the 1900s it takes place on and about a ranch in the Salinas Valley, near the town of Soledad, south of San Francisco. It is about two migrant field workers in California during the Great Depression – George Milton, an intelligent and cynical man; and Lennie Small, an ironically named man of large stature and immense strength but limited mental abilities. They work on a ranch and they hope to one day attain their shared dream of settling down on their own piece of land. Lennie’s part of the dream, which he never tires of hearing George describe, is merely to tend to (and touch) soft rabbits on the farm. In the book many characters are faced with injustices ranging from racism to disabilities. You can read also Justice System Position Paper One such characters who is subjected to this is Crooks. In the novel â€Å"Of Mice and Men† John Steinbeck, the author, uses the character of Crooks to represent racism and to symbolise the marginalization of the black community during the setting of the book. The term â€Å"nigger† is referenced in the book a number of times such as being banned from the bunkhouse, only during Christmas â€Å"they let the nigger come in† and in one scene Curley’s wife threatens Crooks that she’ll ‘ get you strung up on a tree so easy It ain’t even funny† showing the injustice that he faces when working at the ranch. How to cite Mice and Men Injustices Faced, Papers

Mice and Men Injustices Faced Free Essays

â€Å"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere† Martin Luther King regarding justice. This quote considers the injustice that takes place and its potential impacts. Justice is defined as a quality of being just; fairness and injustice is defined as Lack of fairness or justice. We will write a custom essay sample on Mice and Men Injustices Faced or any similar topic only for you Order Now This quote has some relevance and can be related to the issues of justice and injustice which is faced in the book Of Mice of Men. The book is set in the 1900s it takes place on and about a ranch in the Salinas Valley, near the town of Soledad, south of San Francisco. It is about two migrant field workers in California during the Great Depression – George Milton, an intelligent and cynical man; and Lennie Small, an ironically named man of large stature and immense strength but limited mental abilities. They work on a ranch and they hope to one day attain their shared dream of settling down on their own piece of land. Lennie’s part of the dream, which he never tires of hearing George describe, is merely to tend to (and touch) soft rabbits on the farm. In the book many characters are faced with injustices ranging from racism to disabilities. You can read also Justice System Position Paper One such characters who is subjected to this is Crooks. In the novel â€Å"Of Mice and Men† John Steinbeck, the author, uses the character of Crooks to represent racism and to symbolise the marginalization of the black community during the setting of the book. The term â€Å"nigger† is referenced in the book a number of times such as being banned from the bunkhouse, only during Christmas â€Å"they let the nigger come in† and in one scene Curley’s wife threatens Crooks that she’ll ‘ get you strung up on a tree so easy It ain’t even funny† showing the injustice that he faces when working at the ranch. How to cite Mice and Men Injustices Faced, Papers