Flipped Learning Task: Existentialism

This Blog-post is a response of Flipped Learning Task about Existentialism. To know more about this task, CLICK HERE.

My understanding about Flipped learning:

Click this Image and do visit the website created by our professor Dr.Dilip Barad Sir.

We studied from school to college. Normally teachers asked to find the solution and come up with answers in the next day.This is traditional way to solved the questions. However, it flipped in modern education. Students supposed to find questions and will come with particular questions and teachers will solve as live method in the class.We saw given videos and we have certain questions and we typed in our Google Classroom. We will discussed or solved in the next day. Main aim of this learning process is maximum questions will required from the students which also developed the process of asking questions in students.Here is my outcome of each video:

Video 1: What is Existentialism

Existentialism is the movement occurred during twentieth century along with Surrealism,Absurd theory. The whole movement started with the name Jean-Paul-Sartre. He not considered himself as the first person known as Existentialist. He believed that this philosophical movement starts with Søren Aabye Kierkegaard. Along with, we can apply this term great thinker such as, Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, Franz Kafka, Martin Heidegger, Lev Shestov,Hermann Karl Hesse, Simone de Beauvoir. They all stat to think in certain way along with the subject namely the individual first and second Passion and Freedom at third one. Believing and not believing in God is might be the aspect of Existentialism.There is God is only be possible to thinking to be as individual person.There is such possibilities that perhaps God is not exist, because we didn't see him in real. It my be our illusion! Albert Camus thinks as that in absurd way. He argues that believing in God is very easy way to escape from the particular situation or certain bad event. We believe that there is God that he may be solved the situation. Camus called it that 'Philosophical Suicide' that people can't ready to deal with certain problems. 

Video 2:The Myth of Sisyphus: The Absurd Reasoning (Feeling of the Absurd)

This video deals with Albert Camus's The Myth of Sisyphus ans Absurd Reasoning. He begins with, "There is but one truly serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide."For Camus, suicide is an individual Act. When we feel absurd and despair of things which have no meanings, we might be commit suicide. Camus noticed that many people died because of they feel that their life is not worthy living. The relation between an individual and suicide which considered as the ART. Further the narrator of the video mentioned about the Movie, STAY.The protagonist sait it was the best art work of the 19th century. The phrase from the movie like "An elegant suicide is the ultimate work of art"Further very interesting part of the video comes that about divorce-life and love-death. Once one discover the life is absurd that question that Dose this absurdity require one to escape it through Hope or Suicide? Camus said that "In truth, there is no necessary common measure between these two judgments." And Is there a logic or the point of death? He suggest that I cannot know unless I pursue without reckless passion in the soul light of evidence, the reasoning of which I am here suggesting the source. This is what I call An Absurd Reasoning. 

Video 3: The Myth of Sisyphus: the notion of philosophical suicide

This video deals with Absurd in detail. Narrator said that absurd is neither in man nor in the world. It can only occur  in their presence together. Most people are not feel hesitating to reflect. We need to confront the problem of the absurd and struggle with it which implies in  total absence of hope, a continual rejection and conscious dissatisfaction.. In absurd mind, reason is useless and there is nothing beyond reason.For Kierkegaard, faith is the solution of absurd, but in Camus statements if we can see that it is Escapism. The leap which considered that about believing to the God. 

Video 4: Dadaism, Nihilism and Existentialism

This video deals with two movements and differences between them, also describes that Dadaism is just the movement like Existentialism.Most people believe that Dadaism is associated with Nihilism.But actually is not. The primary goal of Dadaism is always question every value rather than creating creation.It is merely an art movement. Dadaism is the way of becoming free from everything and is the chance to create own values. Nihilism and Dadaism is not the same. Dada is the response of world  war-I same as Existentialism is the response of world war-II. 

Video 5: Existentialism - a gloomy philosophy

Why Existentialism thought of as a gloomy philosophy? It might be the notion like anxiety, absurdity, despair which are the subject of to discussion in deep level with the life.The solutions like, believing in God, finding the truth which is true for you and being absurd in the life. Existentialism is also being a narcissistic philosophy.Existentialism is the response to the emptiness of post-world war. Existentialism is not same as Nihilism.

Video 6: Existentialism and Nihilism: Is it one and the same?

According to Kierkegaard, every Existentialist has fought against Nihilism. He describe that Nihilism is define as the loss of individuality. For Nietzsche the is the highest values devaluate themselves. Emile Cioran accept the life with passivity and this position can be called 'Nihilistic Consent' It is passivity that stops people who committing suicide.He feels that all suicide have the responsibility of fighting against the temptation of suicide. He rejects rebellion and writes that "At twenty we rage against the heaven and the fifth they hide;then we grow tired of it.The tragic attitude suits only an extended and ridiculous puberty."   While Camus wrote The Myth of Sisyphus and argue that why rebellion is the only proper response to the absurdity of life.

Video 7: Let us introduce Existentialism again!

This video introduce Existentialism in broader way. This movement or term is quite difficult to explain as well to understand. Existentialism is not a philosophical system nor a set of doctrines. It is best to classified it as a philosophical movement which began in 19th century in Europe. Soren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche often know as the father of this movement. Existentialism became espacially prominent in the mid-20th century and specially after world war two.Existentialists are all concerned with the problem of living life as human being. It takes some serious questions in the human condition that Why am I here? What does it means to be human? How should I live my life?  They rejects systems which propose to have definitive answers to the questions of meaning and purpose in life. However, Christianity has been most dominant all-encompassing system in the history of the west.The problems with All-Encompassing system is that, they do not adequately take into account what it is like to be human. Such systems lose sight of the human perspective on life. There is also some difference between Divine perspective and Human perspective. Divine perspective often comes with a belief in immortality. "Existence precedes Essence " this idea put forth by Jean-Paul Sartre in a 1945 lecture titled, "Is Existentialism a Humanism"

The concept of Essence comes from Greek philosopher Aristotle. He believes that "Every substance or in other words every independent thing be it a person a rock or a tree has an essence" Aristotle had a teleological view of nature-all substance in nature tend towards the actualization of their essence. The nature (nature) of human was acting in full accordance with reason. Those who see humans as beings designed by a God also hold that our essence precedes existence. Another hand Sartre that our existence is precedes. For him, humans are fundamentally different from things like cars,watches, or phones. As an atheist Sartre did not believe humans were "designed".I the conclusion, with the differences between Existentialism and Nihilism. Nihilism is  no meaning or purpose to life and it is not a necessary characteristic of Existentialism. 

Video 9: Why I like Existentialism? 

In this video, two teachers are going to teach existentialism and Friedrich Nietzsche to the children's.They explains that why certain rules or values are make by our parents and teachers and we do that. We can make our own rules and values for our life. They asked them very simple questions about that why your mother command you to clean the room? It's your own room and your own choice to make it clear or not. There is no any certain universal morality that governs all of us. Decidinglk what is good and what is bad is a part of what Nietzsche called being Ubermensche. They teach the pupils as metaphorically with the name of Supermen or Nietzsche's superman. 

Video 10: Let us sum up: From Essentialism to Existentialism

This Video starts with the questions like What gives your life meaning? God?Love?Money?Work? The narrator of this video talked that a sense of meaning is something that we all crave-maybe even need.How we can find our meaning of life? through religion, education, social justice or some more.Very impressive example the speaker that a knife could have a wooden handle or a metal handle it really doesn't matter but if it didn't have a blade, it wouldn't be a knife anymore. Here blade is the essential property given by the worker. Ancient philosopher thinks that everything has an essence including us and they believed that our essence is exist in us before we are even born. This essence gives us the purpose to live in certain way. This philosophy called Essentialism. But after modern philosophy came and they include that Our Existence is precedes  Essence. Our birth we can say is exist and we develop our life with whatever we like and we install the essence in the life. Late 19th century come up with new meaning of existence is Absurdity. After post-world war we can see in western that the meaning of life couldn't found by anyone and tha is call meaninglessness and nothingness in life which Camus called Absurdity.There is also a clash between freedom and authority. We find the freedom by government, religion and society or whoever we think that they fill our need to become free. But there is only we who make ourselves free from the needs. It's cslled 'authentic freedom' As Camus said that."The literal meaning of life is whatever you're doing that prevents you from killing yourself."

I like this video because through this I come to know about very important thing is that Essence and further I also try to find that which type of essence I had put and I will put in my life. 

Here are my questions which I asked in classroom and I also got the answers:

1. As Camus mentioned that, "Suicide has never been dealt with except as Social Phenomenon." How it is possible?

2. Camus called his sort of reasoning as the absurd reasoning which is opposed to the logical reasoning. But still it is called 'Reasoning'.Is any logic in this theory to understand the absurdity? 

Thinking Activity: Waiting For Godot

This Blog-post is a response of thinking Activity on Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, given by our Professor Dr.Dilip Barad Sir. To know more about this task, CLICK HERE.

About the Author: Samuel Beckett(1906-1989) was an Irish novelist,playwright, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. His play 'En attendant Godot' originally written in French language translated by him self under the title,'Waiting for Godot' in english language and there is subtitle ' a tragicomedy in two play'  in English language only. To know more about Beckett,CLICK THIS IMAGE GIVEN BELLOW.   

Coming of night and moon:

Generally, the symbol of rising sun as for hope and falling night as something that near to end, This archetypes we can read in literature. But here, Beckett used night and coming of moon as hope.However, in this play the falling of night symbolized as the end of the day and hoping of tomorrow.Although, the subject of the play is waiting. Here Vladimir and Estragon both are waiting for Godot.Coming of night and moon is also considered as nothingness in both's life. Ultimately their deep desire that someone who will come and stay them with him, in resulting is not complete. For their's hope is at the end it will be nothing in their life.It symbolized for them as hope, but the hidden meaning is that we waiting for the next so and so thing and it will be complete our desire and hope, but we actually not doing anything in our life. Sometimes, nothingness is necessary to do. 

The Contours of debris in the setting of the play:

The setting of the play is on debris area. There is no change in the play about the place. Whole plot is centralized in debris area. In their lives they just waiting for someone or Godot. The wastage of things shows that their lives like waste. There is nothing to do or nothing to create something new in their lives with the waste. So, perhaps they waiting for Second coming, of Jesus Christ, or god's prophet who will come and save them from their wastage life.  

“The play (Waiting for Godot), we agreed, was a positive play, not negative, not pessimistic. As I saw it, with my blood and skin and eyes, the philosophy is: 'No matter what— atom bombs, hydrogen bombs, anything—life goes on. You can kill yourself, but you can't kill life."  This statement was given by E.G.Marshall. who played as Vladimir in The John Golden Theatre. Yes, it is quite appropriate statement given by Marshall. Each dialogue has it deep meaning which present the absurd life. However, it seems like pessimistic at one sight because the absurdity and existentialism theories are presented in micro level but on the other side it is also present nothingness and meaninglessness in the life. Life is the same which we all have, the matter is that how we shaped our-self in the life. Tat's why may be Marshall said that we can not kill the life, we can kill our-self through philosophical suicide and physical suicide also which theory is given by Albert Camus. 

Lucky' Character:

Lucky is the slave of his master Pozzo. He blindly follow all instruction given by his master. Even if, he walked among his master in tilted position. On the first sight we have some sympathy for the poor Lucky but his slavishness is quite irritating while again and again he acts like too much. The question is that why he not speak against his master? Even his master was blind in he had the chance to escape from his slavishness and he would live free life with freedom, but he didn't escape.His Slave-Morality is very unbelievable.  

The play we saw in our class was released in 2001, directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg. The play has quite micro meaning of existentialism, absurdity and deep philosophy of life with quite appropriate comic scenes like the was Vladimir and Estragon played with Hat and some funny dialogue also. But at certain time, viewers might be board from silent between characters, especially when Vladimir thinks or his Contemplates of certain things. They killing time by questioning and conversation.However, the film is adapted from original translated English text. But the flow of language and continuity of dialogues,repetition of same dialogues even the silence remain sometimes but not between the flow of dialogues. It remain little bit long time, and this visual effects has the language of understand the philosophy or certain things. Audio-Visual helps us to understand the work in short of time.While we not understand that why the repetition is necessary. I would like to thanking our professor Dr. Dilip Barad Sir who explain us certain thing in some important scene. 

Conversation of Vladimir with the Boy - the messenger of Mr. Godot:

I like the most about the sequence of the conversation of Vladimir with the Boy - the messenger of Mr. Godot. This sequence has certain questions like, Is this Boy is Illusion of Vladimir? As we can see about Vladimir that he can't sleep and thinks a lot and we didn't see it that Estragon see the boy. Only Vladimir can see the boy while on the particular time, Estragon was sleeping. The Boy mentioned about his brother and that he mind goats and his brother minds sheep.Which is connected with mythical reference of Gospel of Matthew is first chapter of New Statement. .Here Beckett described the neutrality.Second reading is about politics, right and left wings. Second question is that, Why the Boy not answered certain questions asked by Vladimir? Some questions asked by Vladimir, the boy not answered him, he remain silence and Vladimir again asked that did you hear me? is also significance that like he asked to the god that he hear me or not because it was quite long time they waiting for him.

 

VLADIMIR: You're not unhappy? (The Boy hesitates.) Do you hear me? 

BOY: Yes Sir. 

VLADIMIR: Well? 

BOY: I don't know, Sir. 

VLADIMIR: You don't know if you're unhappy or not? 

BOY: No Sir. 

The conversation is quite interesting know about Vladimir's character that he thinks very deep. We can also see that Vladimir has sharpness to ask the questions quickly. Another scenes also interesting to see like Pozzo and Lucky's acts, Vladimir and Estragon's conversation and questioning to killing time, the game of hat, moon rising scene, two leaf scene, Lucky's speech, Estragon's shoes and his loss of memories. 

  

Bridge Course: War Poetry

This Blog-post is a response of thinking activity on War poetry as Bridge Course given by our professor Ma'am Miss. Vaidehi Hariyani. To know more about this task, CLICK HERE.  

Poetry	Poets
Dulce et Decorum	Wilfred Owen
The Target	Ivor Gurney
The Hero	Siegfried Sassoon
The Fear	Wilfred Wilson
The Soldier	Rupert Brooke

Here are my answers of the questions:

What is your understanding of War Poetry?

We studied this five selected War poems. Each poem's center theme is War. This Genre started during War situation. War poetry covered up the inner conflicts as well outsider conflicts between human existence and weapons, bombs etc. Poets who served themselves as soldier, they try to express their extreme emotions and also included humanity, identity, innocence, compassion etc. 

Note down the difference of all the War Poets.

Name of Poet	Differences
Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)	the pity of War, fear, the horror of and trauma of War, brutal reality, the enduring myth that War is Glorious.
Ivory Gurney (1890-1937)	death would be preferable to carrying on in the war, using monologue narrative style, using some colloquial language
Siegfried Sassoon (1886-1967)	Some poems reflects his disillusionment with the war, the horror and brutality of trench, using epistolary technique.
Wilfred Wilson Gibson (1878-1962)	his plain style coming to be recognized as a principal ‘Georgian’ characteristic
Rupert Brooke (1887-1915)	Patriotism and Nationhood

Compare any two poems with reference to the subject, style of writing and patriotism.

I would like to compare The Target by Ivor Gurney and The Soldier by Rupert Brooke. 

• The Target by Ivor Gurney:

About the poem: This poem is a monologue or a speech which is directly given by poet to the audience. The speech is from the view of soldier. It also show,the effect of the war on the ordinary Man as well as questioning the idea of religion and God’s role in this war.

Structure: Simple aabb rhyme scheme (rhyming couplets).

Style of Writing: the uses of 'enjambments' and 'caesuras.'

The Soldier by Rupert Brooke:

About the Poem:It is a deeply patriotic and idealistic poem that expresses a soldier's love for his homeland—in this case England, which is portrayed as a kind of nurturing paradise.

Structure:the octet is rhymed ABAB CDCD and the sestet rhymed EFG EFG.

Style of Writing: Petrarchan/Italian Sonnet,divided into octet, and sestet, full of alliteration.  

Comparison of poems:

Subject:

The subject of all War poetry seems patriotism. Here, in the target poem, soldier explains how he killed the enemy and what he feels after that.He struggling to shoots someone. He thinks about his family members and also worried about the family of enemy who he will kill .Ultimately he also talked that whatever is going on, God dose not care about horrifying situation. The subject of the poem which I get that the speaker who is soldier is afraid to kill the enemy due to humanity. While in The British Soldier poem, the soldier shows his nationhood with other country. As well he described his love for Land, England. His wiling to sacrifice his life to his Nation. 

Patriotism:

The Soldier seems more patriotic than The Target. Because, in this poem, the soldier elaborate his devotion toward the nation. While in Target, may be it's about the aim or the target of his fighting to the enemy. There is also talked about the God or perhaps to the religion perspective, we can see in  lines like 'Yet God keeps still, and does not say;A word of guidance anyway.' In Soldier, at the very last line,'In hearts at peace, under an English heaven' he said that his whole life and pure devotion is the Nation which seems more Patriotic than The Target. 

Do you find any such regional poem/movies/web series/songs which can be compared to any one of the poems given here. Also, give a proper explanation of the similarity.

There is song of the movie, Uri :The Surgical Strike directed by Aditya Dhar, staring by Vicky Kaushal. The movie is based on true historical moment in 2016, a year after it was released.Here are the lyrics: 

मैं लड़ जाना, मैं लड़ जाना

है लहू में इक चिंगारी

ज़िद से जुनूँ तक है जाना

हर कतरा बोल रहा

(मैं लड़ जाणा, मैं लड़ जाणा

मैं लड़ जाणा...)

छल्ला सिरते बन के

कफन जद तुरया तन के

मौत नू वज्जाँ मारे

वे थर थर कँपदे सारे

छल्ला सिरते बन के...

ये दिल की मशालें

जोश से जला के

जलती लपटों को हमने

हाथों में है थाम लिया

है वो कर जाणा

कि सारा ज़माना

फिर देगा मिसाला यारों

सबको अपने नाम दियाँ

ओ मैं लड़ जाणा, मैं लड़ जाणा

है लहू में इक चिंगारी...

मैं लड़ जाना, मैं लड़ जाना

ज़िद से जुनूँ तक है जाना

मैं लड़ जाना, मैं लड़ जाना

ज़िद से जुनूँ तक है जाना

मैं लड़ जाना, मैं लड़ जाना

छल्ला सिरते बन के...

Translation:

I am gonna fight, I am gonna fight,

There is strong sparkle in  my blood,

That convinces me to give my best,

Even eveyer single drop says.

 I am gonna fight.

When Challa(a passionate soul) moved out,

he was ready to die.

He plays with fire,

Which makes everybody 

 to be afraid of him.

I am going to fight this.

Lightening up these lanterns with our passions,

We have held the live flames in our hands.

We have to something memorable,

So we are remembered in the world for good.

I am gonna fight....

It's a desire in my blood.

With my passion I am gonna do the best                          Even the drops tell me.

When the Challa moved, he has decided                             already to fight till die

He plays danger..  

That makes all feel afraid. 

The Fear - Wilfred Wilson Gibson:

I do not fear to die

'Neath the open sky,

To meet death in the fight

Face to face, upright.

But when at last we creep

Into a hole to sleep,

I tremble, cold with dread,

Lest I wake up dead.

This poem leads the subject of heroism like in lyrics given above. Both, poem and from lyrics, very first line shows the confidence and nature of sacrificing themselves to the Nation we can see in both speakers.  The passionate soul we can see in both. In poem, the line,;To meet death in the fight; and in the lyrics,the repeating of ,'I am gonna fight.' seems similar to describe the speaker or the worrier's devotion and sacrifice towards their Nation. 'he was ready to die,he plays with fire,' and 'To meet death in the fight' again present the very Idea about death that they do not afraid from death. Both lyrics and poem have this kind of some similarities.

 

Thank You!

Translation of Lyrics.

 

 

Breath: Interpretation Challenge & Shooting a Video

 This Blog-post is a response of thinking activity on Breath: Interpretation Challenge & Shooting a Video, given by our professor Dr.Dilip Barad Sir. To know about this task, CLICK HERE.

We studding Samuel Beckett's 'Waiting for Godot', before we start first act, we studied author's biography and we introduced about thirty-two second play. I'm surprise to see that there is the play which performed in thirty two seconds. 

The script of the play:

CURTAIN Up

1. Faint light on stage littered with miscellaneous rubbish. Hold about five seconds.

2. Faint brief cry and immediately inspiration and slow increase of light together reaching maximum - together in about ten seconds. Silence and hold for about five seconds.

3. Expiration and slow decrease of light together reaching minimum together (light as in 1) in about ten seconds and immediately cry as before. Silence and hold about five seconds. 

CURTAIN Down

My interpretation :

We studied Existentialism and Absurdity. In this shortest play has wild meaning. In my video I choose sandals and shoes. Whole video in black. I tried to put appropriate sounds,transition and effect. In our every day life, we always try to live  how other people lives. We can't get easy living life within whatever we have.Life is like changing Game.The change in life is necessary to come in every part of living. Thus at the end of my video I draw one smiley face in shoe.The interpretation of drawing face and put the baby laughing sound is that the new born baby is actually free for sometimes. But while he or she keep growing in life, they also faced what we are facing with our existence. The shoe is only one which I put in proper position like the fresh baby born. I would like to conclude my interpretation with Carl Jung's quote.

Thinking Activity on Transcendentalism

This Blog-post is a response of thinking activity on Transcendentalism, given by our professor ma'am Vaidehi Hariyani. To know more about this task, CLICK HERE.

• What is Transcendentalism ?

According to Merriam Webster dictionary, Transcendentalism is a philosophy that emphasizes the a priori conditions of knowledge and experience or the unknowable character of ultimate reality or that emphasizes the transcendent as the fundamental reality

2 : a philosophy that asserts the primacy of the spiritual and transcendental over the material and empirical.

3 : the quality or state of being transcendental especially : visionary idealism.

If we look at the etymology of the word, it is comes from the Latin word transcendere, which means to "climb over or beyond." According to Russell Goodman, 

Transcendentalism is an American literary, philosophical, religious, and political movement of the early nineteenth century, centered around Ralph Waldo Emerson. Other important transcendentalists were Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, Lydia Maria Child, Amos Bronson Alcott, Frederic Henry Hedge, Elizabeth Palmer Peabody, and Theodore Parker. Stimulated by English and German Romanticism, the Biblical criticism of Herder and Schleiermacher, and the skepticism of Hume, the transcendentalists operated with the sense that a new era was at hand.

The main aspect of transcendentalism is that human being, men and women are find the truth within themselves, self-knowledge, and specially that something beyond what we can do in our daily life. This philosophy comes through intuition and imagination not what we do normally in our life, like to see, to touch, etc but this is what beyond this all normal activity and imagination. 

As our professor ma'am that, transcendentalist mentioned that the key word of this philosophy is 'Simplicity'. To be behave as simple person is very difficult task. It is easy to say but very hard to perform in the society. We very smoothly behaving like what other wants to see us or what other's like from our-side. As H.D.Thoreau mentioned that 

 "A man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone"

Here are my answer of the questions:

• Transcendentalists talks about Individual’s relation with Nature. What is Nature for you? Share your views.

According to my point of view, Nature should remain in our life which constantly remain us that what we do and why we do the things. Nature is something in our inner-side energy which tries to keep us to live with our Individuality. The tension of human beings in their life, the solution which found by philosophers and writers is only nature. For example if we take Gujarati Literature, there is one novel Timirpanthi, which is later on translated in english language and it's title is The Pilgrims of Darkness, Akoopar. As Emerson said that "Loos yourself in nature and find peace." But to gain peace for self we must detached from the society and others views or their thinking towards us.

 

• Transcendentalism is an American Philosophy that influenced American Literature at length. Can you find any Indian/Regional literature or Philosophy came up with such similar thought?

• The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali:

The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali is a collection of Sanskrit sutras (aphorisms) on the theory and practice of yoga - 195 sutras (according to Vyāsa and Krishnamacharya) and 196 sutras (according to other scholars including BKS Iyengar) by the Indian Sage Patanjali. Famous Sutras are, Asthanga,Samadhi,Yama,Niyama,AsanaPranayam,Pratyachara,Dharana,Dhyana,Samadhi.Which are an object of meditation. It is also a key text of Yoga which influenced others school of philosophy also. Yoga Philosophy described to how meditate the self. Meditation is also the part to increasing our self individuality. It lead our-self beyond the routine life.So this philosophy of Yoga also considered in individualism and life to nature also.

Words:628

Thinking Activity : Theory of Archetypes Criticism

This Blog-post is a response of thinking activity on Archetypal Criticism, given by our professor Dr. Dilip Barad Sir. To know more about this task, CLICK HERE.

What is Archetype in Literature?

According Cambridge Dictionary, Archetype is a typical example of something, or the original model of something from which others are copied. 

Northrop Frye was a Canadian Critic and literary theorist who was considered one of the famous critic and influential of twentieth century. He wrote an essay on about 'Archetypal Criticism'.It's about the model of the particular structure.Symbols, like water,graveyard,nature,human, etc symbolized a particular situations. And it also give the idea that what will happen in the next scene or a chapter.So, this symbols we called the archetype of particular literary work. It also comes from narrative technique, images, and characters. Basically it become a part of Structuralism. Archetypal critic find the different archetypes from the literature. They first look at tradition and then they come to the modern archetypes.

Frye elaborate the concept of Physics to Nature and Criticism to Literature. Students who studied physics, they don't say that they study the nature. Because as Camus mentioned that, "Physics is an organized body of knowledge about nature." It is only the model but not the structure or the construction of the particular subject, Similarly, literature is the model of learning. Camus further mentioned that we can not learn literature. It is the subject of study.We can teach the criticism of the literature. Through criticism, we learn about the facts, the story which lead within particular timeline and some more things. Criticism helps us to learn literature but Literature is not the subject of study. It is criticism which helps us to how read the literature.

Body of Knowledge is about to maintain your body accordingly the the disciplines of different areas. Like generally we used this term how to stay our-self between different tools of particular work.It is used in Business, BOK. which is the set of concept.   In literature, we study economics, science,social-science,etc. Like in Phonetics we studied biologically also. As Fry said that Literature is the center in 'Humanities' It is covered up all disciplines from different sort of humanities. 

Inductive and Deductive method in Shakespeare's Hamlet's Grave Digger's scene:

Inductive Method moves from Particular to General.As we saw in the movie clip of Hamlet, the scene of Grave digger. His soliloquy of a skull of jester,Yorick. Which descibed psychological study of the protagonist also. Singing of two grave diggers talking very lightly and one of him is singing during his work which is not accepting as general. As Frye mentioned,"a process of backing up, as it were, from structural analysis, as we back up from a painting if we want to see composition instead of brush work."Frye elaborate the process of this method that if we really look the painting from such a distance, we can't see the brush work on canvas and how it composed through brush. We should come near to the painting and then we can see.

Briefly explain deductive method with reference to an analogy to Music, Painting, rhythm and pattern. Give examples of the outcome of deductive method.Refer to the Indian seasonal grid.

The Deductive process moves from General to Particular. In third part of essay, Frye talked about music and painting. As Frye mentioned,"Literature seems to be intermediate between music and painting"

Frye talked about the moving of music and painting in Time and Space. In resulting, the rhythm and pattern are recurring. This organizing of recurrence, which Frye called, rhythm is temporal and pattern is spatial. Which in literature, Frye called, literature the narrative, and the pattern, the simultaneous mental grasp of the verbal structure, the meaning or significance.

 Indian seasonal grid:

Indian seasons are quite different from other seasons. This Mythos Grid presents Deductive method. Frye talked about main three seasons and how it related the myths. Like in Summer romance and comedy is there. Likewise in Indian Seasons, there are two Sub-seasons in each Season. Here is the table.

Winter	Summer	Monsoon
Hemant Ritu (Pre-Winter)   Shishir or Shita Ritu   (Nov-Feb) (Kartik-Magh-Maha)	Vasant(Spring) Grishma   (March-June) (Falgun-Jeth)	Varsha Sharad(Autumn)   (July-Oct) (Ashadh-Aso)

 

In Indian Seasons, Sarad or Shishir Rutu very popular in literature. Even if, people called it ઋતુરાજ-King of Seasons.I found some verse by Umashankar Joshi in Gujarati which described six sub Indian Seasons in every verse.Each title is the Genre of the verse. 

લલિત

શરદ શી સુહે ! વાદળાં ગયાં.

જળ નદી તણાં નીતરાં થયાં.

ગગનથી સુધા ચંદ્ધની ઝરી,

રસભરી રમે રાસ ગુર્જરી.

ઉપજાતિ

હેમંતમાં કોમળ સૂર્યતાપ,

વૃક્ષો મહીં વાયુ કરે વિલાપ.

ઝરે નિશાએ હિમ ભૂમિ-ખોળે,

લીલાં તૃણે ઝાકળબિંદુ ડોલે.

દ્ધુતવિલંબિત

શિશિરવાયુ સુશીતળ સૂસવે,

તરુ તણાં થડથી રસ કૈં ઝવે.

ખરત પાન, રહ્યાં બસ ડાંખળાં,

સભર ધાન્ય થકી સુહતાં ખળાં.

વસંતતિલકા

ખીલી વસંત, વન ફૂલભર્યાં મહેકે,

ગાતા ફરે ભ્રમર, કોકિલનાદ લ્હેકે.

ઊડે સુગંધકણ પુષ્પ તણા રસોના,

આઘા સુણાય ગગને સ્વર સારસોના.

મંદાક્રાંતા

આવ્યો આવ્યો બળ બળ થતો દેખ જોગી ઉનાળો;

વા વૈશાખી પ્રબળ વહતા, ઊડતી અગ્નિઝાળો.

ઝોળા ખાતી રસદ ફળની લૂમ, લૂ વાય ઊની;

પાણી ડૂક્યાં, સજળ સરિતાઓ થઈ વારિસૂની.

શિખરિણી

ચઢી આવ્યાં ક્યાંથી દળ પર દળો વાદળ તણાં ?

કરે ઈશાને શી ઝબક ઝબકી વીજ રમણા !

પડયાં પામી ધો ધો, જળભર થઈ ધન્ય ધરણી;

હસે વર્ષા; શોભા શુભ નભ વિશે મેઘધનુની.

-ઉમાશંકર જોશી

 Reference.