The Irrationality of the Universe in The Stranger

Though The Stranger is a work of fiction, it contains a strong resonance of Camus’s philosophical notion of absurdity. In his essays, Camus asserts that individual lives and human existence in general have no rational meaning or order. However, because people have difficulty accepting this notion, they constantly attempt to identify or create rational structure and meaning in their lives. The term “absurdity” describes humanity’s futile attempt to find rational order where none exists.
Though Camus does not explicitly refer to the notion of absurdity in The Stranger, the tenets of absurdity operate within the novel. Neither the external world in which Meursault lives nor the internal world of his thoughts and attitudes possesses any rational order. Meursault has no discernable reason for his actions, such as his decision to marry Marie and his decision to kill the Arab.
Society nonetheless attempts to fabricate or impose rational explanations for Meursault’s irrational actions. The idea that things sometimes happen for no reason, and that events sometimes have no meaning is disruptive and threatening to society. The trial sequence in Part Two of the novel represents society’s attempt to manufacture rational order. The prosecutor and Meursault’s lawyer both offer explanations for Meursault’s crime that are based on logic, reason, and the concept of cause and effect. Yet these explanations have no basis in fact and serve only as attempts to defuse the frightening idea that the universe is irrational. The entire trial is therefore an example of absurdity, an instance of humankind’s futile attempt to impose rationality on an irrational universe.
The Stranger reflects Camus’s philosophical stance as an absurdist. Is there a logical meaning to life? Is there some higher order or law governing it? Some rational explanation to the chaos and nonsense? Indeed, can we make sense of life at all? The answer from The Stranger to these questions is a categorical "No." There is no truth, no certainty, nor any unwavering, non-relative laws in life, and there is no sense in pursuing such impossibilities.
This particularly relates to today’s real world because all humans believe they were put in this Earth for some reason, this goes against the views of Camus. Humans replace their meaning with some material thing, which is a mere distraction to what it really is, which is nothing in the eyes of Camus. Humans are put on the Earth to do something beneficial, but Camus points out that this is absurd and false.

The Supremacy of Youth in The Picture of Dorian Gray

The first principle of aestheticism, the philosophy of art by which Oscar Wilde lived, is that art serves no other purpose than to offer beauty. Throughout The Picture of Dorian Gray, beauty reigns. It is a means to revitalize the wearied senses, as indicated by the effect that Basil’s painting has on the cynical Lord Henry. It is also a means of escaping the brutalities of the world: Dorian distances himself, not to mention his consciousness, from the horrors of his actions by devoting himself to the study of beautiful things, music, jewels, rare tapestries. In a society that prizes beauty so highly, youth and physical attractiveness become valuable commodities. Lord Henry reminds Dorian of as much upon their first meeting, when he laments that Dorian will soon enough lose his most precious attributes. In Chapter Seventeen, the Duchess of Monmouth suggests to Lord Henry that he places too much value on these things; indeed, Dorian’s eventual demise confirms her suspicions. For although beauty and youth remain of utmost importance at the end of the novel, the portrait is, after all, returned to its original form, the novel suggests that the price one must pay for them is exceedingly high. Indeed, Dorian gives nothing less than his soul.

Lord Henry claims to value beauty and youth above all else. It is this belief, when imparted to Dorian, that drives the protagonist to make the wish that ultimately damns him. When Dorian realizes that he will keep his youthful appearance regardless of whatever immoral actions he indulges in, he considers himself free of the moral constraints faced by ordinary men. He values his physical appearance more than the state of his soul, which is openly displayed by the ever-increasing degradation of the portrait. This superficial faith in the ultimate value of youth and beauty is therefore the driving mechanism behind the protagonist's damnation. In this way, The Picture of Dorian Gray may be read as a moralistic tale warning against the dangers of valuing one's appearance too highly, and of neglecting one's conscience.

It is important to bear in mind that the beauty that Dorian incessantly pursues is a beauty defined by a purely artistic sensibility, as opposed to a humanitarian one. When faced with the news of his fiance's suicide, Dorian views the event as satisfyingly melodramatic. His obsession with aesthetic beauty prevents Dorian from attending to the pangs of his own conscience.

The supremacy of youth is apparent in today's society because everyone wants to keep their youth, no one wants to lose their youth. That is why a lot of people get Botox and get plastic surgery done to them so they can look younger, you can do anything you want to your body you will still be the age that you are. No one wants to lose their youth because they can do more things they look and feel better and it is a good time in a person's life. Dorian Gray can ever let go of his youth and I feel that a lot of people do not want to let go of their youth and that is why they do stupid things to their body to try to recreate that image.

Hope and Oppression in A Thousand Splendid Suns

Hope and Oppression is a huge theme throughout A Thousand Splendid Suns, in the novel the only thing the women in that culture have is hope, that is what keeps them moving and striving to fight for their rights that they deserve. The trouble that the women have in this society is that they are oppressed and there is very little hope for the women in this society. Mariam and Laila do not want to be Rasheed's husband, but they are forced to because that is what their society believes and they follow it until their hope grows stronger and they form a bond with each other. 

The people in the novel often work to retain hope while dealing with the realities of political and personal oppression. At significant points throughout the novel, characters express their individual hopes. For instance, when Mariam asks Mullah Faizullah if she may attend school, her journey of hope begins. For Laila, hope lies in Tariq and an attempted escape from Rasheed. Most characters walk into such events with high levels of hope for the future, but once reality sets in, a character's hope is crushed. Not only do these waves of hope provide the reader with suspense and emotional attachment to the characters, but this cycle appears to reflect the cycles of hope and dashed dreams that Afghan women suffer, time and time again. The personal stories of hope, moreover, are mirrored in the political hope of the Afghan citizens. With every new ruler, people express their convictions that finally Afghanistan will be free. Yet, similar to the personal hope of individuals, Afghanistan’s hope often turns to despair after the realities of each new regime leave the nation unfree.

The women forge strong bonds despite the efforts of their husbands and their government to reduce women’s power and strive for hope in their society. The bonds differ in nature. For instance, Giti, Hasina, and Laila form a bond of girlish friendship, but Mariam and Laila form a much more powerful familial bond later in the novel. Nana finds strength from her daughter Mariam, and Mariam finds an admirer when she arrives in a Taliban-controlled prison. The novel thus suggests that women have a strong ability to find strength and support in one another. Mariam never would have gained the strength to fight Rasheed if she had not gained confidence and love from Laila.

In our society there is still a lot of hope and dreams that are diminished by our society. I mean look at engineering and science department, there is barely any woman in that field because I think that they are intimidated by how many men that are in that field and do not aspire to try and work in that type of job. I think that men and woman are equal and should be allowed to have the same hope and less of being oppressed from society and have society dictating where women and men should and should not work. It should be based on the work ethic of the individual and who wants that position more.

The Meaning of Birds in The Awakening

In The Awakening, caged birds serve as reminders of Edna’s entrapment and also of the entrapment of Victorian women in general. Madame Lebrun’s parrot and mockingbird represent Edna and Madame Reisz. Like the birds, the women’s movements are limited by the society around them, and they are unable to communicate with the world around them. The novel’s “winged” women may only use their wings to protect and shield, never to fly.

Edna’s attempts to escape her husband, children, and society manifest this arrested flight, as her efforts only land her in another cage, the pigeon house. While Edna views her new home as a sign of her independence, the pigeon house represents her inability to remove herself from her former life, as her move takes her just “two steps away.” Mademoiselle Reisz instructs Edna that she must have strong wings in order to survive the difficulties she will face if she plans to act on her love for Robert. She warns: “The bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings. It is a sad spectacle to see the weaklings bruised, exhausted, fluttering back to earth.”

Critics who argue that Edna’s suicide marks defeat, both individually and for women, point out the similar wording of the novel’s final example of bird imagery: “A bird with a broken wing was beating the air above, reeling, fluttering, circling disabled down, down to the water.” If, however, the bird is not a symbol of Edna herself, but rather of Victorian womanhood in general, then its fall represents the fall of convention achieved by Edna’s suicide.

Edna finally is able to soar when she swims out to sea, and instead of turning back she keeps swimming because it is her choice to do so. Edna finally realizes that she has control over herself and decides to keep swimming towards freedom. Some people might believe that Edna is committing suicide, but those readers are not looking at the big picture, she finally decides to do what is right in her mind, which sets her free and to soar like a bird.

In today's society there are a lot of people including men that need to strive to soar like a board or they just fall from the sky. Everyone can not soar or fall forever and I see a lot of instances through High school where that happens, especially with relationships. One moment the couple feels like they are on top of the world and keep soaring like a bird, but that can change in one instance. It is crazy how quickly someone can change their mind and treat you like they never knew you. Everyone in society experiences the bird metaphor in The Awakening, everyone falls and everyone will soar at some point in their life, but they need to find their independence first.