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Post by meagangcurrie on Jun 10, 2024 20:59:05 GMT
Sisyphus, a king, fated to roll a boulder over a hill, only for it to roll back down and him to start over. From an existentialist perspective, this myth correlates to life itself. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Life is a journey, not a destination”. But my question is, aren’t these two ideas the opposite of one another? Sisyphus, after outsmarting the gods so many times, is destined to perform a futile task. Would this not be seen as negative? The quote, however, is written like an inspirational motto. Although, depending on the person, the quote could be perceived in two different lights. With Sisyphus, there is no inspiration. It is a fallen king, pushing a boulder up a hill, only for it to fall back again. The cycle repeats. Suppose there is a chance that Sisyphus has accepted his fate, but is he happy? Would this cycle be considered a “journey” if Sisyphus always ends up back in the same place? Furthermore, existentialism, while it involves a sort of suffering, it also involves finding meaning in one’s own life. Does Sisyphus find purpose or meaning in his life, pushing the boulder?
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Post by gnicholson3 on Jun 11, 2024 16:33:41 GMT
I think that the cyclical nature of the story allows us to apply it to the things in our lives that are cyclical: day and night, the four seasons, school years, etc. Even though there may not be a goal for the day, day still happens and there's nothing we can necessarily do about it. We cannot choose to not have the day, because the day comes anyway. If we dwell on the idea that living is futile then we will fall to despair and the burden will become too great. If we find ourselves pushing there is a chance to find happiness in things. "Today, I pushed the boulder farther than I did yesterday and even though I have to do it again tomorrow, I can still celebrate this small thing."
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Post by dianarmartinez on Jun 12, 2024 20:37:06 GMT
When thinking about the boulder punishment. I thought about how meaningless this punishment was. Could we say that since he was outsmarted the gods multiple times; he thought this time could be the same?
It could be that when the gods are not looking, he takes rest, naps, or does something else. In the existentialism point, if we can choose our destiny; why is he choosing to do the punishment? Could this be because he wants to prove them wrong about giving up or is there another reason?
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