What seems like a blessing may be a curse. What seems like a curse may be a blessing (Izzy Ch.1). The quote is a Chinese idiom that depicts the changes that life offers. These changes are endless and their mystery is hard to fathom.
It helps in understanding that life should be taken each step at a time since things which seem disastrous could turn otherwise while those that appear good could be quite the opposite. This statement interests me since it contains a timely advice for people who particularly live in the present. The author for instance, turned his talent of storytelling to earn a livelihood for him and his family.
Unexpectedly, what he had counted as a fortune turned into a curse when he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and woke up from surgery with damaged vocal cords. He had lost the most precious thing he possessed; his voice.
Interesting, what had appeared to be a blessing was now a curse. Deprived of his artistic instrument and a source of livelihood, the author learns how to become happy despite the loss. This is a great lesson that can be learnt, that things do not always turn to be the way they seem.
The general story told by a professional storyteller depicts a twist of fate where he lost his only source of livelihood since he could no longer speak. From his tale, one could evaluate his or her personal life and identify some instances of twists of fate to understand that life changes could be the secret to happiness.
One could suffer a great loss in life, but gain insight from the experience to ultimately help in self-discovery. Therefore, it is essential to pursue happiness irrespective of what life offers to us. Our lost treasures could find us wisdom and eventually, happiness. From a personal experience, Izzy ben Joel story on The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness resonates with my life.
It was during a summer afternoon when my friends invited me for a birthday party some miles away from my home. I was so excited to attend the party, having bought new clothes and gifts to show off. However, my parents did not like the idea and they delayed me by demanding me to perform some home chores.
Besides, my mother insisted on giving me some advice on how i should conduct myself at the party and avoid peer influence. This even made me more furious since I was getting late. When I went to board the train, it had already left half an hour ago. I felt a wave of disgust slapping my entire body. I hated my parents for this and swore not to utter a word to them when I got back home.
That evening, we received some news that the celebration came to a sudden when fire broke out in the premises. Some of the attendants I knew well were badly wounded and incapacitated while others lost their lives. This was a lesson well learnt that What seems like a blessing may be a curse.
What seems like a curse may be a blessing (Izzy Ch.1). It was a twist of fate that helped me to take things as they come and made me realize the secret to happiness; that the lost horse could become a blessing to me just the way I had lost a fun moment with my friends, only to evade an unforeseen disaster.
Work Cited
Izzy, Joel. The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness. New York: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2005. Print.
The following essay is concerned with the book The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness by Joel Ben Izzy. In his book, the author shares the experiences that he goes through in his life.
Joel compares his life with that of King Solomon who becomes a beggar after losing his kingdom. Both Solomon and Joel experience many difficulties. Joel was a great story teller until when he becomes a cancer patient. He wakes up after surgery only to realize that he cant speak. He eventually finds the meaning of true happiness (Lazzy, 12).
Quote that interests me
The quote from Joel Ben Izzys book The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness that interests me is, In this life you have a choice; You can laugh along with God, or you can cry all alone (Lazzy, pg. 1). Joel Ben Izzy is taught this quote by his father (Izzy 31). This quote means that whatever happens in our lives is as a result of the choices that we make. In other words, we are in charge of our lives no matter what we face.
Joel Ben Izzy is determined to chase after his dream despite losing his voice following a surgery. Cancer is a chronic illness because it persists for many years. At one time, Joel Ben Izzy is a great storyteller and the next moment, he finds himself in hospital diagnosed with cancer and wonders whether or not he will ever speak again. Indeed, he never plans that he could ever get sick.
However, he hopes that he will speak once again and realize his life dreams. This quote is of particular interest as it encourages me that without a reason to press on and a dream, one cant make it in life. Determination is thus the key towards realizing our full potentials. It is having a reason to chase our dreams despite the odds.
Joel Ben Izzy has a reason and a dream to fight for. He believes in himself and his dream, and stays focused, never goes off-road and ignores the challenges that he is facing. He makes a choice never to give up and he is optimistic that success is just around the corner.
His dreams are thus bigger than his present problems. This quote teaches me that it is worth fighting for our dreams despite the challenges that we face.
How the story resonates in my life
Joel Bens story, The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness resonates in my life. The following is a personal story of my life; I had the best childhood before my parents began getting sick.
This comfortable life was quite short lived though. My mother started ailing and my father too started ailing soon after. My mother was hospitalized for many months. When she got better and discharged, my father got sick and was admitted for several months.
This forced him to quit his job as he was too weak. Two months later, he passed on. I was thus brought up by a single mother. We became the poorest in the surrounding community as my mother was not employed. My primary school life was one of the most difficult ones.
Besides, I was sent home severally due to lack of school fees. Through the sponsorship from the government, I managed to complete my studies. I passed with good grades. I got a scholarship to Master in Accounting from Harvard Business School and my life drastically changed from worse to good.
I now hope to travel all over encouraging people that they can make it life in spite of their pasts. Just like Joel Ben Izzy, I made a choice never to let the challenges determine my future destiny. Currently, i am a manager in a leading company in the banking industry.
Aristotles View of Ethics and Happiness. The functionalist approach of Aristotles ethics
Aristotle guarantees that to find the human great, we should recognize the capacity of an individual. He contends that human capacity is solely a sane action (Aristotle et al., 2004). Our virtue is hence reasonable movement performed well, which Aristotle interprets as meaning as per temperance. Function may not mean reason yet rather a method of working. The manner in which people act is by settling on logical decisions. The human great is not simply a consequence of balanced decision but comprises in it. Aristotles demands that there are no known ethics and that any moral hypothesis should be situated to a limited extent on comprehension of psychology and the real factors in daily human existence (Aristotle et al., 2004).
Aristotles definition of happiness and how does it differ from common sense use of the term happiness
Happiness is characterized as the constant consideration of generally accepted facts as indicated by the philosopher (Aristotle et al., 2004). It is the most noteworthy great and the end toward which all human action is coordinated. Aristotle recognizes that such factors can influence it as material conditions, place in the public eye, and even looks (Aristotle et al., 2004). In any case, an individual keeps up with that by carrying on with their life to the full as per the fundamental nature as sane creatures. Along these lines, an individual will undoubtedly become happy. Thus, happiness is more an issue of conduct and of propensity than of karma. It goes against the common thought that happiness does not result from great destiny or other outer conditions or that bliss is an instance of the mind.
The happy person for Aristotle. Why cannot say of children that they are happy
One accomplishes bliss by a temperate life and the improvement of reason and the personnel of hypothetical insight. An individual who develops such practices and propensities can bear his hardships with equilibrium and viewpoint and, consequently, can never be really sad. Thus, a child who did not have an opportunity to show his virtue cannot be happy.
Socrates position on what is the good life and Aristotles conception of Happiness
Socrates presented a more targeted perspective on happiness. He set forth the thought that joy is a delight in magnificence and great. He presented the possibility that the best life is one whereby an individual seeks the joy of practicing scholarly ideals. This is a contention that Aristotle did not support since, forhim, delight and pain impact human activities, which will then, at that point, impact happiness (Aristotle et al., 2004).
Reference
Aristotle. (2004). The Nicomachean Ethics. (T. J. A. K., H. Tredennick, & J. Barnes, Eds.). Penguin Books.
Aristotles text, Nicomachean Ethics, and Platos book, Apology, raise very critical issues about the meaning of happiness. Both philosophers agree that happiness is the reason people work very hard. The two scholars also agree about what happiness means.
Nevertheless, Aristotle goes into more details of his explanation compared to Plato. Aristotle gives many dimensions from which human beings can understand happiness whereas Plato only gives two dimensions. In Aristotles view of this topic, happiness depends on the purpose one has in life.1
According to him, politicians consider honor as happiness, rich people think wealth is the source of their happiness while other people consider happiness to be self-sufficiency.2 On the other hand, Plato only believes that happiness is living a virtuous life. He urges people to oppose unfairness and corruption using all their means.3
These two texts raise several questions about life. For example, Aristotles work raises questions such as, What is the purpose of human life? , What is happiness? and Why do people do the things they do? On the other hand, Platos text raises questions such as, Why do human beings judge others? and Should human beings hide the truth because they fear dying?
According to Aristotle, the purpose of life for some human beings is related to the soul while the purpose of life for other people is related to external activities. He argues that if ones purpose is related to the soul, then that person will strive to be virtuous. Such a person will put all his or her efforts in pleasant activities.4 He or she will do everything satisfactorily. Satisfaction to such people means satisfying their families, friends and themselves.
However, Aristotle warns such people against concentrating on pleasing other people at the expense of their interests. On the other hand, if an individuals purpose in life is related to external matters, such a person will strive to have all the good things in the world. This group of people uses their comrades, wealth and political influence as instruments for amassing wealth.5 They also look for physical beauty because they cannot be happy when they are ugly.
According to Aristotle, different people view happiness differently. He argues that there are three dimensions to the understanding of happiness. These dimensions are the contemplative dimension, the enjoyment dimension and the political dimension.6 Therefore, every person will strive to achieve happiness depending on the dimension of happiness that satisfies him or her.
However, he insists that in all these dimensions, people strive for the ultimate end, that which makes them do everything they do .7 He implies that people should ask themselves why they do whatever they do. The answer to this question is the main source of their happiness.
On the other hand, Platos text challenges people who judge others before analyzing their lifestyles. He asserts that such people consider others as evil without knowing they are worse than the people they accuse. In his text, the people of Athens accuse Socrates of being an atheist.8 They consider themselves more knowledgeable than Socrates and other Athenians.
Socrates challenges them in court, and advises them to ask themselves whether they are knowledgeable in what they do or not. He criticizes Meletus for accusing him of atheism when Meletus himself is not godly.9Therefore, the answer to this question would be: we mostly judge other people because we fear that they know more than what we know.
Plato also challenges people who hide the truth for the fear of death. He argues that death is inevitable, and people should not fear it. In his work, Socrates declares his readiness to die while defending justice and truth. He confesses that his main goal in life is to fight injustice and all forms of corruption.
He accuses his enemies of finding guilt in him only because he does not approve of their corruption and struggle for wealth. He gives the example of his decision to remain poor when his colleagues were looting citizens of their wealth as evidence for his innocence. Therefore, the answer to his question is: human beings should not hide the truth for the fear of death because they will still die one day.
The main theme in Aristotles arguments in response to the questions he raises in his text is people value different things in life, and satisfying those things gives them happiness. On the other hand, the reason for Platos answers is to show that it is worthless living in a corrupt world. Therefore, life can only be good when there is no corruption and everyone gets a fair treatment.
These questions relate to the main discussion, what is happiness? and how should I live my life , since they attempt to explain what happiness is. The answers to Aristotles questions reveal that happiness depends on each persons function in life whereas Platos questions help advance the argument that happiness is about fairness and justice.10
I think these questions are appropriate to ask when searching for happiness since they help people understand that happiness depends on justice and how they want life to be. Understanding these questions will help people avoid struggling to be like others. It will also help them live their lives the way they want them to be without striving to please others at the expense of their interests.
The discussions the two scholars give in their texts appropriately answer the questions the texts raise. Aristotles responses do not have specific answers to the questions. However, they are satisfactory since they make everybody strive for happiness in a different way. I would give the same answers to these questions if somebody asked me to respond to them.
The two texts agree in their definition of happiness and why people live. They do not ask exactly the same questions, but they both agree that a good life should be just and free from corruption. However, Aristotle goes into more details. He acknowledges that some people have no value for justice. According to him, such people get happiness through acquiring as much wealth as they can. Plato only talks about knowledge and justice.
He accuses his opponents of wrongly accusing him of corrupting their children. He points back at them as the most corrupt and ignorant individuals in the whole country. He tells them that he is not afraid of dying and lets them know that he is ready to die while saying the truth.
On the other hand, Aristotle goes further to give other dimensions of happiness. These dimensions include the political dimension, the contemplative dimension and the enjoyment dimension. Therefore, Aristotles definition of happiness is more comprehensive compared to the one Plato gives. He builds on Platos definition of happiness and the purpose of life.
Works Cited
Aristotle. The Nicomachean Ethics. Oxford (Oxfordshire): Oxford University Press, 1980: 319-327. Print.
Plato. Apology. [PDF file] n.p.: 17-36. Print.
Footnotes
Aristotle. The Nicomachean Ethics. Oxford (Oxfordshire): Oxford University Press, 1980: 319-327.
Aristotle, Oxford University Press, p. 320. Aristotle believes that people experience happiness differently.
Plato. Apology. [PDF file] n.p.: 17-36. Plato considers virtue the most important thing in life.
Aristotle, Oxford University Press, p. 322.
Aristotle. The Nicomachean Ethics. Oxford (Oxfordshire): Oxford University Press, 1980: p.323. Print
Aristotle. The Nicomachean Ethics. Oxford (Oxfordshire): Oxford University Press, 1980: p. 324. Print.
Aristotle. The Nicomachean Ethics. Oxford (Oxfordshire): Oxford University Press, 1980: p. 325. Print.
Plato. Apology. [PDF file] n.p.: p. 30. Print.
Plato. Apology. [PDF file] n.p: p. 35. Print.
Aristotle. The Nicomachean Ethics. Oxford (Oxfordshire): Oxford University Press, 1980: p. 326.
Socrates arguments and philosophical approaches to the purpose of human existence could best be described by analyzing the rationality behind human existence. The object, circumstance and end goal of an action plays an important role in ensuring that human actions are objectively undertaken. The fact that life is worth living can be analyzed from varied perspectives that have been assessed and revealed by the philosophical arguments of Socrates.
Socrates is of the view that justice can be undertaken through order and by adhering to predefined mechanisms of differentiating between what is right and wrong. In the view of Socrates philosophical arguments, disregarding orders of the superior is an unjust way of living. Socrates argues that autocratic leadership is an important structure of ensuring that the rule of law is followed and that the common good of all societal members is enhanced.
Socrates believes that avoidance of wickedness is difficult compared to the occurrence of death and many other misfortunes in life. To enhance justice, existence of war between what is wrong and right is unavoidable. Socrates version of justice is different from peoples ability to simply do what they consider acceptable for them. Socrates assumes that being just is undertaking actions based on ones feelings, illusions and aspirations. Revenge emerges as an illogical alternative to justice in society. In their conclusive remarks, Socrates, Stoics and Epicureans contend that justice and doing right are synonyms and should never be issues of discussion or be undermined by juries in the society. Justice can easily be achieved when people remain optimistic and realistic to happenings in society.
Happiness
Socrates, Stoics and Epicureans discuss the key pillars and principles that shape human behavior. Happiness is an aspect of human existence that is achieved through constant and intentional effort. People need to be consistent in undertaking critical steps aimed at improving the environment and the manner in which they lead their lives. Happiness is therefore not an accident. Human effort should strategically be made in order to eliminate challenges that could hinder it from the success and realization of absolute human fulfillment. Human beings need to understand the source, cause and purpose of life. Socrates points out that self confidence is an important pillar in human happiness.
People who need happiness in their lives should also strive to understand the truth behind human nature as well as conceptualizing the purpose of death in life. Error is an aspect of human nature that should never hinder people from acquiring true happiness. This argument is complemented by both Epicureans and Stoics beliefs that people need to understand that happiness is not only an end in itself but also the purpose and goal of life. Epicureans, Stoics and Socrates conclude that happiness is not a feeling. It is a definite and much desired state of wellbeing.
Power and virtue
Based on the argument of Socrates, desire and power are closely interlinked concepts. Tyranny of power and constant focus on enhancing human behavior is often confused with human happiness. Socrates clearly demonstrates that regardless of who is in charge of controlling any form of leadership, power and autocratic leadership are not interrelated. However, in order to reinforce the rule of law and enhance the power of an attorney, Socrates insists on the need to give the attorney legal support and ensure that he fully plays his role of enhancing the rule of law. Desire to exercise power does not translate to possessing actual power. Epicureans, Stoics and Socrates explicitly associate acquisition of knowledge with virtuousness in life. Virtues are difficult to teach though they could be acquired through intension and desire to do well and avoid evil. Unity of virtues can best be achieved by putting into good practice the good leadership skills acquired.
Differing approaches to the idea of mimesis according to Plato
The representation of nature and coexistence of both fauna and flora in the ecosystem remains to be a key issue of concern. The judgment of different works of art underlies the degree to which human nature and people are closely interrelated. Mimesis is a representation of nature and the ability of people to speak and reflect on the true happenings in the society. Education is a critical aspect and means of understanding human nature. Imitation is not the best means of ensuring that people fully understand and attain the truth about God and purpose of the creation of mankind.
Different meanings of mimesis emerge with regard to human nature. The concept of imitation, human representation and action, existence of variations and similarity of human actions, understanding the best mechanisms of expressing issues and self presentation remain to be issues of great importance.
From Aristotles point of view, mimesis is clearly defined by the imitation and perfection of nature. Art is both the ability to imitate human behavior and actions as well as incorporating symmetry and mathematical concepts in establishing perfection, timeliness and defining the difference between being and existing .
Both Aristotle and Plato equate mimesis to the imitation of human nature. However, Aristotle is categorical in defining the causes of human nature. In the view of Aristotle, telos, which is the ultimate good and presumed purpose or end goal of life, is explained as an important factor in the existence of mankind. People are therefore mimetic beings that often have the desire to create art work, reflect on issues and constantly work towards representing the reality on earth through other artistic means.
Both Aristotle and Plato conclude that human nature is a complex aspect that demands proper planning and daily reflection on human actions. They both contrast mimesis with the complex issue of diagesis. While Platos argument represents formulation of ideas, Aristotle focuses on representing the formulated philosophical ideas, embodying them and effectively linking human nature to the reality of human life.
Aphorism in the manual of Epictetus
The aphorism only the educated are frees is a vital and informative philosophical concept that attempts to explain the purpose, cause, reason and possible end to human nature. In view of this aphorism, the relationship between the reality and illusions that define human nature emerges as a key issue of concern. Freedom defines peoples ability to live and coexist in a free and liberal society. The concept of interconnection of knowledge with freedom underlies the relevance of aphorism. Ignorance is not a way of achieving happiness but rather, a means of human oppression.
To achieve true liberty as explained by Plato, Socrates, Stoics and Epicureans, it is evident that acquisition of knowledge plays a crucial role in determining human perception and the ultimate interpretation of all earthly happenings. Exposure and knowledge not only enable one to make rational judgment and decisions but also offer an opportunity for people to fully determine their destiny. By broadening ones mind, education gives an individual the ability to freely use thoughts, draw informed conclusions and form individualized opinions and choices in life. My opinion on the Epicurean and Stoic views of life is that both arguments are derived from the principle which postulates that human nature shapes and defines human existence.
The lower goods are actions or things that are needed to achieve happiness. For example, a child will ask for a toy for several months, and when he receives it, he will feel joy. The toy in this example is lower good in Aristotles hierarchy. In this example, the child has not yet fully formed as a person and does not have a vision for the future. Therefore, happiness for a child is something as simple as a toy.
However, for adults, things are different. Lets say a middle-aged married man wants to buy a house. He wants to buy a house so that he and his family have a place to live and dont have to pay rent. He wants stability and confidence to keep his children safe. He wants to live long with his family in the house he bought. All these are lower goods in the understanding of Aristotle. They are all sequential and cause each other. Lower goods are actions or things that make people feel they are on the right path. Therefore, people act and behave accordingly in order to obtain and achieve lower goods. However, what is in the end of the path?
Aristotle believed that the ultimate goal of every human being is happiness. He arranged human desires in hierarchy where happiness is placed on top. Happiness is defined by Aristotle as eudaimonia. This word is translated into English as happiness , but in fact, it gives a deeper meaning wholeness (Clark and Poortenga 1). If we give more meaning to this word, then we can understand how Aristotle defined happiness . If happiness is wholeness , then for a person to become happy, it is necessary to become whole . And then the question arises: What does it take to become whole? Thus, all a person has to do to become whole is lower goods. If a person wants to become an architect, then first he must learn to draw. Then, one has to get a higher education. After, the person has to work as an architect, and create architectural drawings of buildings. Only then, a person can be called an architect. What was all this for? All these efforts were made to make a person feel fulfilled and become happy. Simply put, the lower goods are steps in achieving the main goal happiness.
Work Cited
Clark, Kelly & Anne Poortenga. The Story of Ethics: Fulfilling Our Human Nature. Pearson, 2002.
Aristotle is the creator of a qualitatively new system of knowledge that had not previously existed in the ancient world. Aristotles creation of eudemonism as a felicitous integral doctrine, hierarchized concerning the benefits, laid the systemic basis for the science of happiness. It should be noted that the concept of virtue and how the philosopher interpreted it. Therefore, virtue is a quality of the soul; its cultivation and manifestation are equivalent to conscience.Virtue, according to Aristotle, is an acquired self-consciousness of moderation that keeps people from mistakes and failures (Guthrie 56). People are made moral and virtuous by an appropriate polity and upbringing.
Thus, Aristotle asserts that a virtuous, that is, an educated person, lives and acts according to their conscience because a knowledgeable and rational soul guides them. Moral virtue, according to Aristotle, is the habit of making the right choices. Furthermore, Aristotle believed that moral virtue is the primary means to happiness and the most important of all things that are really good for people (Guthrie 71). Moreover, Aristotle emphasized that moral virtues are also an unlimited good. There are too many of them, and habits of choosing right are never too firmly formed.
Consequently, Aristotle created a theory of virtue, constituting ethics in its proper and narrow sense as a field of knowledge that studies ethical, ethos-related, moral virtues. Therefore, virtue, in the philosophers interpretation, is associated with happiness, which is identical to the highest good (Guthrie 72). At the same time, the correlation also appears in the fact that moral virtue is also a way to happiness and an essential part of happiness itself. In this way, Aristotle first defined happiness as the activity of the soul in the fullness of virtue, and he described virtue as that which leads to happiness.
Work Cited
Guthrie, William Keith Chambers. The Greek philosophers: from Thales to Aristotle. Routledge, 2012.
Human happiness is an important topic that has been discussed for millennia, with philosophers along with ordinary people trying to find the key to this feeling. While some people consider true happened coming from the inside, others believe that it comes from the outside environment. Similar to the philosophers of his time, St. Augustine defined happiness as the condition everyone covets. However, unlike hedonists, St. Augustine put emphasis on ones soul and spiritual connection with God to be happy rather than material goods and body.
Discussion
St. Augustine had his perspective on happiness and believed that every person yearned to feel happy. However, in his writings, he emphasized the following: You want to be happy; look for something better than your soul itself (Arandia 55). With this, he wanted to show people that material objects will not lead to true satisfaction and, instead, the person should find something more meaningful. Another point made by St. Augustine is that better is He who has made heaven and earth; He it is whom you are to behold and possess (Arandia 56). Therefore, the author claimed that happiness exists within every person and God is there to navigate them. I agree with this thought and think that in pursuit of happiness, one should focus on what is genuinely valuable to them.
Conclusion
Hence, St. Augustine, in contrast to hedonists, stressed the importance of ones soul and spiritual relationship with God in order to be happy rather than worldly possessions and body. If a person desires to be happy, they should search for something bigger than their soul, he highlighted in his works. He intended for this to serve as a reminder to individuals that worthwhile pursuits should come before material possessions if they are to provide lasting fulfillment. I concur with this idea and believe that in seeking happiness, one should prioritize what is truly important to them.
Work Cited
Arandia, Marcos. Competing Visions: An Introduction to Moral Philosophy. U.S.: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, 2015.
The theme of a womans strives to discover her true self in a male-centered world has become especially popular in feminist literature, during the course of 19th and early 20th centuries. Moreover, as we will show later in this paper, during the course of this historical period, many writers that have never been thought of as ardent promoters of feminist agenda (such as Zora Neale Hurston and Gustave Flaubert), would also incorporate this theme into their novels, even though that they tended to explore it from rather apolitical perspectives. In its turn, this can be explained by the fact that, during the course of the 19th and early 20th centuries, the influence of Christianity, which traditionally served as an ideological justification for socio-political policies in Western countries being based on the principle of male domination, has been drastically undermined.
In its turn, this explains the fact why Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God and Flauberts Madame Bovary does not only point out at practical effects of women being set on the path of existential liberation from patriarchic oppressiveness, by they also provide us with the clue as to what represent obstacles, on such womens path. Moreover, despite both novels clearly defined feminist overtones, they nevertheless depict womens quest to attain happiness as such that cannot be discussed outside of their ability to pursue a romantic relationship with men, which in its turn, does not allow us to refer to both novels as being progressive , in strictly feminist context of this word. In this paper, we will aim at exploring this thesis to a further extent, while revealing the theme of conventional morality vs. womens chances to attain happiness, clearly present in both works, as being affected by particularities of both authors gender affiliation and also by their stance on issues of socio-political importance. In its turn, this will allow us to identify major similarities and differences between Hurston and Flauberts views on what represents the very essence of the conflict between the concepts of love and independence.
The close analysis of Their Eyes Were Watching God and Madame Bovary , reveal Hurston and Flauberts attitude towards the notion of womens liberation as being conceptually different. Whereas, Hurston portrays Janie as an idealistic woman, who pays close attention to social and political developments in America, during the course of rolling twenties , Flaubert presents Emma as an individual, whose psychological anxieties originate out of her hypertrophied sense of personal ego, which is why Emmas obsession with existential sophism appears as being essentially artificial. Despite the fact that both characters seek the fulfillment of their romantic dreams of being with men they could truly love, Jamie associates such love with emotional closeness and with what she perceives as social productiveness , while Emma tends to think of love merely as the synonym of blind passion. It is not by an accident that, while observing a bee landing on pear tree flower, Jamie experiences an epiphany on the actual meaning of marriage and romantic relationship, in general: She saw a dust-bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom; the thousand sister-calyxes arches to meet the loving embrace and the ecstatic shiver of the tree from root to tiniest branch creaming in every blossom and frothing with delight. So this was a marriage! She had been summoned to behold a revelation (Hurston 25).
In Janies eyes, such a relationships most distinctive quality is harmony. In its turn, this explains why, when compared to Emma, Janie has proven herself as being much more capable of enduring hardships her idealistic outlook on surrounding reality endowed her with existential stoicism. The attentive reader will notice the fact that it was named when Tea Cake offered Janie to play checkers when she looked upon him as someone who might qualify for being the subject of her romantic affection: He set it up and began to show her and she found herself glowing inside. Somebody wanted her to play. Somebody thought it natural for her to play (Hurston 220). On the other hand, Flauberts Emma associates emotional closeness with boredom partially, due to Charles lack of intellectual wits and partially, due to the excessive amounts of testosterone running through her veins: Emma was growing difficult, capricious. She ordered dishes for herself, then she did not touch them; one day drank only pure milk, the next cup of tea by the dozen. Often she persisted in not going out, then, stifling, threw open the windows and put on light dresses. Charles was boring her to tears (Flaubert 110). The purely physiological essence of Emmas existential inadequacy, which she thought was deriving out of her inability to find a worthy man, is being illustrated by the fact that periodically, she tended to become overly religious, while never ceasing to remain a woman endowed with rather ravenous sexual appetites.
In his famous book Sex and Character , Otto Weininger draws a direct link between the strength of a womans sexuality and the degree of her religiosity, while pointing out the fact that prostitutes have traditionally been known for the strength of their religious beliefs, whatever the illogical it might sound: Female mysticism, when it is anything more than mere superstition, is either thinly veiled sexuality or it is a mere passive and unconscious acceptance of mans religious views&The lover is readily transformed into a Savior; very readily the Savior becomes the lover& It is not only prostitutes who belong to the prostitute type; very many so-called respectable girls and married women belong to it& Prostitution cannot be considered as a state into which men have seduced women. Where there is no inclination for a certain course, the course will not be adopted (Weininger Ch. 16).
Therefore, the fact that by the end of Flauberts book, Emma had offered her body for money, in order to at least partially cover the accumulated debts, cannot be thought of as the mere indication of Emmas desperateness by doing it, Emma had revealed that all her problems stemmed from deep inconsistency between her natural inclinations and her social status as mother and wife: You are indeed a man; you have everything to make one love you. But well begin again, wont we? We will love one another& You must lend me three thousand francs (Flaubert 506). Thus, our definition of the most important difference between the characters of Janie and Emma will sound as follows: whereas, Janie never ceased to be a woman in both: the physiological and psychological context of these words, Emma was only a woman in terms of physiology while possessing an essentially masculine mentality, which in its turn, explains her aversion to the notion of motherhood and her tendency to indulge in sexual escapades with just about anyone she would come across. Such our definition provides us with further insight into the particularities of both characters search for their true selves.
It is important to understand that the social restrictions, Janie had to deal with, throughout her life, corresponded to her racial affiliation. Being a Black woman, Janie never ceased suffering from institutionalized racism, which marked Americas socio-political realities in the twenties and thirties. In her dialogues with Janie, Nanny had always kept on trying to instill her granddaughter with the cautious attitude towards these realities: You know, honey, us colored folks is branches without roots and that makes things come round in queer ways. You in particular (Hurston 21).
This, however, did not cause Janie to embrace bitterness, as an integral part of her existence. Even though very often, throughout her life, Janie had to deal with frustration; she never lost her sense of optimism, simply because she was capable of not focusing on lifes negativity, as her full-time occupation. Also, she never felt under the spell of fundamentalist Christianity, as was the case with many Black women of her time, who dealt with the same set of unfortunate circumstances. Janies intellectual integrity allowed her to reject the good book due to its ideological oppressiveness: All gods who receive homage are cruel. All gods dispense suffering without reason. Otherwise, they would not be worshipped. Through indiscriminate suffering, men know fear and fear is the most divine emotion (Hurston 233). Jamie was willing to stoically endure lifes hardships, but she never wanted to turn it into a fetish. Being a spiritually liberated individual, Jamie always strived to evaluate people for unique qualities of their personality rather than for their talent in accumulating material riches.
This significantly differs Janie from Flauberts Emma, who could not think of people, outside of their social status. This is the reason why the very thought of socializing with local farmers was utterly repulsive to Emma: My wife doesnt care about it (making friends with locals) said Charles; although she has been advised to take exercise, she prefers always sitting in her room reading (Flaubert 137). This is the reason why Emma becomes attracted to Rodolphe Boulanger, only after she had found out that he is rather a well-off individual: Yet it seems to me, said Emma, that you are not to be pitied. Ah! you think so? said Rodolphe. For, after all, she went on, you are free she hesitated, rich (Flaubert 229). Thus, we can safely suggest that Emma did not fully understand the true nature of her quest for romance because it is only the men whom she considered as sophisticate that were able to win her attention. However, Emma never thought of the concept of sophistication as a thing in itself , while always believing that only rich people could really be free, and therefore sophisticate. Such Emmas attitude is diametrically opposed to the one of Janie, who associated mens degree of sophistication with their ability to act in a spontaneous manner.
It was namely Tea Cakes behavioral unpretentiousness and his genuine love for her that had won Janies heart: Janie awoke next morning by feeling Tea Cake almost kissing her breath away. Holding her and caressing her as if he feared she might escape his grasp and fly away. Then he must dress hurriedly and get to his job on time. He wouldnt let her get him any breakfast at all. He wanted her to get her rest. He made her stay where she was (Hurston 199). Unlike Jody, Tea Cake never forced Janie to do anything against her will and she paid him with the same token of respect while adopting rather a careless attitude towards his addiction to gambling. Despite the fact that Tea Cake was never able to provide Janie with what her Nanny used to refer to as security of family living , he continued to appreciate her personality, until the very time when he was bitten by a rabid dog, with the thought of controlling her never even coming to his mind. In other words, even though her stay with Tea Cake was comparatively short, for Janie it felt like if it had lasted a lifetime, due to the sheer intensity of both characters relationship.
As it appears from reading Flauberts novel, Emma also never stopped searching for intensity in her romantic relationships. However, she was never able to find it, because, unlike Jamie, she could not understand a simple fact that only mutual respect, on the part of both romancing parties, can result in the issuance of such intensity. The particularities of Emmas sexuality had prompted her to seek sensual satisfaction in being dominated or in exercising domination over her partners, while naively confusing sexual passion with love. After having had sexual intercourse with Rodolphe for the first time, Emma became overwhelmed with joy, but not due to a particular intensity of her sexual experience, but because she had come to the conclusion that, from now on, she would be able to exercise a sexual control over her lover: She repeated, I have a lover! a lover! delighting at the idea as if a second puberty had come to her&She was entering upon marvels where all would be a passion, ecstasy, delirium (Flaubert 266).
Apparently, Emma was simply incapable of perceiving reality, other than through the lenses of social stratification, which is why; she subconsciously strived to utilize her physical attractiveness as the mean of exercising control over men she would become romantically involved with. As a result, Emmas romantic liaisons never lasted for too long, simply because she wanted to achieve existential liberation by the mean of subjecting others to her dominance, and as practice shows, such strategy can hardly be thought of as absolutely appropriate, within the context of man and woman building a relationship. After having realized that her approach towards winning mens attention has failed, Emma decided to do something entirely opposite she has offered both: Leon and Rodolphe, to become sovereign masters of her soul and body, in exchange for money. It is needless to say, of course, that such Emmas offer could not be taken seriously, especially given the fact that she continued to remain married to Charles.
Despite Emmas apparent sophistication (she used to read a lot), she could never grasp the simple truth that continuity is the last signifier of the master-servant type of relationship. Therefore, it would be wrong to refer to Emma as the victim of male sexism it is her own hypertrophied sense of sexuality and her lust for controlling other peoples lives that had brought about Emmas ultimate demise. This explains why, just about everything Emma had done, within the context of pursuing a relationship with Rodolphe and Leon, was metaphysically wrong, and therefore, could not possibly benefit her. Moreover, this also explains why, despite the fact that throughout her life, Emma had to deal with significantly lesser social restraints (she was White in a racially homogeneous White society), she had failed at achieving existential liberation.
Therefore, even though that the characters of Emma and Janie were being affected by virtually the same challenges of living in a sexist society, they have consciously chosen to address them in a strikingly dissimilar manner whereas, Emma had set herself on the path of self-destruction while experiencing a masochist pleasure in being victimized, Janie refused to fall victim to circumstances, while actively seeking to attain happiness. It is namely the fact that Janie had realized that she could not possibly win by adjusting her life to sexist and racist rules of social conduct, associated with realities of living in Americas South, which allowed her to attain inner peace and get a firm hold of her own destiny: She knew the world was a stallion rolling in the blue pasture of ether. She knew that God tore down the old world every evening and built a new one by sun-up. It was wonderful to see it take form with the sun and emerge from the gray dust of its making. The familiar people and things had failed her so she hung over the gate and looked up the road towards way off. She knew now that marriage did not make love. Janies first dream was dead, so she became a woman (Hurston 215).
Just like Joan of Arc, Janie had proven herself as being more of a man than most of those men that came across her path, simply because she never dropped her stoic attitude towards life. On the other hand, despite the fact that Emmas existential inadequacy appears as being of a clear physiological nature (too much testosterone), she nevertheless had failed at inspiring respect in mens hearts, even though that she was more than capable of doing it. In its turn, this can be explained by the fact that Emma is being shown to us as the representative of the degrading White race, while Janie embodies the best qualities of the liberated Black race vitality, stoicism, and apparent insensitivity to hardships. It is not by pure coincidence that Emma ends her life by taking arsenic poison. In a time when Flaubert was writing Madame Bovary , it was especially fashionable among decadent European sophisticates to swallow small amounts of poison, so that their skin would look particularly pale. Apparently, Emma belonged to a so-called third-generation of Whites, who have been deprived of their former vitality and mental cheerfulness, while retaining strong intellectual powers. However, by utilizing these powers, they would cause themselves more harm than good. This is the reason that neither of Flauberts characters (with the probable exception of Charles) seems to be capable of enjoying lifes simple pleasures they all are being presented to readers as miserable people, wholly preoccupied with building careers and accumulating money.
While making fun of countryside farmers as uneducated brutes , Emma could not possibly consider the possibility of these farmers being much happier than herself, simply because they spend most of their days out in the fresh air. On the other hand, Janie never skips the chance of enjoying nature, with suicidal thoughts being unknown to her mind. Even by the time Janie watches the fast-approaching hurricane, she experiences a strong aesthetic pleasure from being exposed to the sheer power of nature, while eventually gaining insight into the very essence of the divine: The wind came back with triple fury, and put out the light for the last time. They sat in company with the others in other shanties, their eyes straining against crude walls and their souls asking if He meant to measure their puny might against His. They seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God (Hurston 201).
There are many metaphorically prophetic undertones about this scene despite seemingly impossible circumstances, Janie was still able to discover her true love and the sensation that she did accomplish a lot in her life was filling Janie with the sense of pride, deep from within. This is why Janie could not care less about peoples gossiping after she came back to Eatonville. Apparently, while watching the approaching hurricane, Janie has taken it as the sign of impending revolutionary changes that were about to challenge what used to prevent her from enjoying her life to its fullest Americas racist and sexist retrogradeness. Just as Sarah Conor, at the end of the Terminator movie, Janie observes the moving weather with apparent calm, while being aware of her actual own worth, as an individual, and the worth of a time she had spent with Tea Cake.
In order to summarize the points made earlier in this paper, we need to state the following: 1) Even though both: Janie and Emma suffer from seemingly the same set of unfortunate circumstances, Janie manages to accomplish something that Emma never could to find happiness in a relationship with a man, while never losing her existential independence 2). The particularities of Emma and Janies life stories correspond to the fact that, whereas Emma is being presented as the representative of the decadent White race, Janie is being portrayed as the representative of revolutionizing Black race 3). Whereas the reading of Flauberts Madame Bovary might result in readers succumbing to depression (especially if they are White), the reading of Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God will provide readers with the insight on what accounts for true happiness, within a context of man and woman becoming romantically involved.
The two readings I have chosen for this essay are Advice to My Son by Peter Meinke and The Ruined Maid by Thomas Hardy. How our life pans out depends on the choices we make as youth. Both these poems best exemplify this expect of our journey from innocence to experience. Advice to My Son talks about the importance of making careful choices because the choices we make today come back to haunt us later in life. The Ruined Maid is about a young girl who made a choice that had both positive as well as negative impacts on her life. Both these poems also underscore the effect society has on our happiness.
Meinkes advice to marry a pretty girl/ after seeing her mother is his way of telling us that the temperament of the people we surround ourselves with has a profound impact on our happiness. On the other hand, the repetitive use of the word ruin by Hardy shows that even though Melia may be better off than she was in her former life, she cannot be truly happy because society does not accept prostitutes. As we know from experience, we are often forced to make choices by the circumstances, which rob us of our innocence. But losing our innocence should not be synonymous with losing our happiness. In this essay, we shall discuss how social opinions shape our perception of happiness as we grow more experienced.
Meinkes Advice to My Son gives tips on living a happy life. Meinke tells his son that the trick is to live in today while planning for tomorrow. He goes on to give several practical pieces of advice and emphasizes the importance of enjoying life to the fullest.
Thomas Hardys The ruined maid is the interaction between a country girl and a city girl who happen to meet in the city after a long time. The country girl is impressed by her old friends newfound prosperity as she compares it to her old life when she was dressed in tatters and had to work hard. She wishes that she too could have similar prosperity, obviously unaware that her friends wealth is the result of prostitution.
Although there does not seem to be any similarity between the two poems, they both show the contrast between experience and innocence. Advice to My Son is the advice of an experienced father to a son who is probably still in his teens and unaware of the ways of the world. So the poem is full of practical advice such as living in the present while planning for tomorrow. Meinke talks about the need to create a proper balance between beauty and substance when he says that between the peony and the rose/ plant squash and spinach, turnip and tomatoes. He hints at the consequences of our choices when he says that we shall arrive at our approximation here below/ of heaven or hell. The Ruined Maid is about the consequences of a decision that the girl named Melia took.
A country girl coming from the poorest of backgrounds, in her former life Melia was in tatters, without shoes or sock/ Tired of digging potatoes, and spudding up docks . She was obviously unhappy with this life as she used to call home-life a hag-ridden dream . So she made a choice to escape from this life of drudgery and ran away to the city in hope of better prospects. In the city, Melia ended up being a prostitute, as a direct consequence of her decision. While she managed to escape poverty, we realize her prosperity has not made her happy, since she dissuades her friend from joining her profession. Here, having learned from experience she advises her raw country girl friend on the ways of life and the consequences of our decisions. Thus, both the poems have an experienced person advising a raw or an innocent person on the facts of life based on their own experiences.
Despite this similarity, there are also some major differences between the two poems. In Advice to my Son , the fathers advice is more generic and pertains to the general truths of life such as enjoying each day while planning for the future and balancing beauty with substance. Meinke is not counseling on any particular situation but giving general advice to his son who is about to step out into the big bad world. In the Ruined Maid , this advice is limited to a particular situation as Melia tells her friend, innocent friend, to not run after the riches as it would lead to her getting ruined . While Meinke gives his advice directly, Melias advice is indirect and in the irony of her ruined situation.
Both these poems are about human beings quest for happiness. Meinkes poem is about his advice to his son on how to achieve happiness, while the ruined maid is the story of a young girl who came to the city in search of happiness, and ironically, though she became prosperous, happiness still eluded her. Her unhappiness is mainly because of the way society looked at her profession. Although prostitution is looked down upon, it was not always considered the profession of fallen women. The earliest prostitutes were probably even worshipped and considered divine as evidenced by the worship of Astarte, Ishtar, and Aphrodite. In Mesopotamia, the priestesses of Babylon were prostitutes, a custom which has continued to this day in the part of India and Morocco (Clarkson 297). Besides, sex work is also working, even an industry and prostitutes often employ savvy marketing tactics (Miller 145).
It is a low-skill, high-income job and most prostitutes view their work as easier and less oppressive than other survival strategies they might have chosen (Edlund & Korn 188). And as Blisss (165) research into the lives of Mexican sex workers tells us, even though prostitutes are often portrayed as a threat to the family, ironically they engage in these activities so that they can support their, often numerous, family members. In view of all this, we have to agree that even though their work may not be socially acceptable, just like everyone else, a prostitute too hopes to gain happiness from her work, and just like everyone else she too has the right to this happiness and a right to have pride in her labor for she subjects herself to the risk of abuse, violence, and disease so that she can protect herself and her family (Bliss 167).
Irrespective of whether we accept prostitution or not, we have to accept that prostitutes too are humans. Because of the nature of their job, prostitutes exemplify Meinkes advice of living in the present. Even though the search for happiness is central to human existence, since Socrates, mankind has not been able to identify the kind of life which would make us happiest (Haybron 207). Aristotle believed that happiness is the sole end of all human actions (Haybron 209) and yet the collective human experience has not been able to identify the path to happiness. Haybron continues to explain that happiness is a kind of well being wherein a person can live a successful, fortunate or enviable life (209). Going by this criterion, obviously, a prostitute can never be happy. But if happiness is the sole purpose of human existence, than it is the duty of the society to not deny happiness to a person who is working hard to achieve it. Unfortunately, by condemning prostitution, we deny this right to the prostitutes.
Since happiness is an extremely elusive commodity, any advice on how to achieve it should be treasured and every person should be allowed to pursue happiness in whatever way their experience tells them they can. If we are fortunate, we could achieve happiness simply by marrying the right person. But for the unfortunate, achieving even this basic human right can prove to be an uphill task. And so, in the twenty first century, it is high time that the society gave up its Victorian morals and gave everyone the opportunity to pursue happiness in whatever way they deem fit. For after all, there is certain innocence about a happy person which needs to be preserved in an increasingly corrupt world. And the happiest are those who can use their experience to preserve their innocence.
Works Cited
Bliss, Katherine Elaine. A Right to Live as Gente Decente: Sex Work, Family Life, and Collective Identity in Early-Twentieth-Century Mexico. Journal of Womens History 15.4 (2004): 164-169. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Dwight Marvin Library, Troy, NY. Web.
Clarkson, F. Arnold. History of Prostitution. The Canadian Medical Association Journal 41.3 (1939): 296-301. Web.
Edlund, Lena and Evelyn Korn. A Theory of Prostitution. Chicago Journal 110.1 (2002): 181-214. JSTOR. Dwight Marvin Library, Troy, NY. Web.
Haybron, Daniel M. Two Philosophical Problems in the Study of Happiness. Journal of Happiness Studies 1.2 (2000): 207-225. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Dwight Marvin Library, Troy, NY. Web.
Miller, Heather Lee. Trick Identities: The Nexus of Work and Sex. Journal of Womens History 15.4 (2004): 145-152. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Dwight Marvin Library, Troy, NY. Web.