Helplessness Explored in Classical Literature

 

     

      Theme: Helplessness and Choice

 

            According to Webster's Dictionary, the definition of helplessness is: Lacking protection or support, marked with the inability to act or react. In this week's readings, a common theme stood out: the characters faced situations they felt they had no control over; they were helpless to the conditions they faced.

 


 Anna Akhmatova's Requiem is a sequence of poems that depict the hopelessness that war and a totalitarian regime bring.

 

 




 In Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust, the theme of helplessness is depicted through the main character's depression due to finding his life meaningless and unsatisfying.

 

 


 The Guest by Albert Camus places the main characters, a prisoner and a schoolteacher turned guard, in a helpless situation. The schoolteacher does not wish to guard the prisoner and much less does not want to be in the uncomfortable position of turning him over to authorities the next day. 



 

 

 

 


          The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka touches on the theme of helplessness using a surrealistic approach by having Gregor, our main character, converted into an insect. Not only is Gregor deemed helpless due to insectile status, but also by the circumstances in his life. 





 Open a class discussion with the class, and ask the following questions:

·         At the beginning of The Guest, Camus creates a sense of isolation for the main characters. Why do you think it was important for the setting to be isolated?

·         In what ways is Daru an exile, and how does he experience isolation from his people?

·         Why does Daru not cooperate with Balducci?

·         Why does Daru give the Arab the opportunity to escape?

·         Why does the Arab decide not to escape when given the opportunity?

·         Why does Daru treat the Arab like a guest?

·         What role does honor play in this story?


Now open discussion with the class on the Metamorphosis. Ask students the following discussion questions: 

·         What does work "mean" for the Samsa family?

·         How does Gregor's personality change after the transformation?

·         Why do you think the transformation happens?

·         Do you think Gregor is helpless or only feels helpless?

·         How or in what ways would you say Gregor is helpless?

·         Is there a disconnect between Gregor's mind and physical state?

·         How does Gregor's mental state differ from his physical state?

·         In what ways did Gregor's family play a role in his feelings of helplessness?

·         Knowing what we discussed about Franz Kafka's life, what connections do you think he made in his storytelling to helplessness from his own life?

Connecting to the Literature

After Gregor leaves the room a second time, he is severely injured and chooses to stop eating and drinking, which inevitably leads to his extinction. Suicide could either be symbolic or a literal choice to end his life; it would be essential to address suicide prevention to students at this time.

 

·         It is essential to discuss what choice Gregor could have made that would not have been permanent to his temporary situation?

 

Author Albert Camus also addressed suicide in his philosophical beliefs of absurdity, for he believed that life was meaningless, and most, when realizing life's meaninglessness, turn to suicide or invent some religion for the sake of adding purpose to their lives. However, Camus suggested a third option: accepting life's meaninglessness and choosing to live; essentially, you decide whether life is worth living (Aronson, 2017). Camus believed that life itself was absurd, and you had to choose to live through human experience and intentionally find happiness.

Both works, The Guest and The Metamorphosis have a common theme of helplessness as the characters experience being trapped into the situations they lack control over, and in the end, in both of the stories, the characters make choices that will end their own lives. In The Guest, the Arab who is the prisoner is given an option to choose his freedom and escape or be turned into the authorities and essentially choose to die at their hands. Both authors connect that feelings of helplessness and life holding meaning or feeling are connected; this theme also seems to be present in the author's personal lives and struggles.

 

Pop Culture Connection

 

 This week's stories connecting theme can lead your readers to consider their own helplessness and the connection the emotions have to mental health. Mental Health is a big issue in our current society; recently, pop star Miley Cyrus shared how her recent vocal cord surgery led her to sobriety and, more importantly, tackle her mental health issues. The Popstar shared that she felt she had inherited some of her feelings of abandonment and unworthiness from her parents, who struggled with addictions and childhood traumas. Understanding her family's history helped Miley have the courage to remain sober and seek diagnosis and treatment for her mental health issues.

Moreover, women are not the only ones to struggle with mental health issues or feelings of helplessness. Dwayne, "The Rock" Johnson has also gone public about his mental health struggles. Like Miley, Johnson has shared in interviews watching his mother attempt to throw herself into oncoming traffic in a suicide attempt (Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson 'moved' by mental health support, 2021). Johnson opened up and shared that he has also battled with bouts of depression throughout his life, and what's helped him was reaching out and talking to someone.  Johnson describes that he understands the pressure to hold things in as a man, but he understood that depression affects everyone and asking for help is critical.

When dealing with feelings of helplessness, it is essential to recognize that you have a choice to seek help in dealing with circumstances that make you feel hopeless. Schools have counselors who are available to speak to you, and there is also a website with hotlines you can contact Here.





 

Pop Culture Connection to Literature

There is a stigma of what depression can look like, and it is essential to understand that being happy or seeming like you have it all together does not equate to being okay. Miley Cyrus and Dwayne, "The Rock" Johnson, are successful people who have opened up about their feelings of helplessness and struggles.

Comedian Kevin Breel shares how he was the life at every party, confidant team captain, but he struggled with depression, and he needed to talk about his truth. You can watch his TedTalk about his choice to ask for help. You can watch his video Here


Miley, Kevin Breel, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is a good example of how depression and feelings of helplessness can affect anyone. In The Metamorphosis, Gregor feels the weight of having to provide for his family, and the treatment he receives from his family profoundly affects and deepens his feelings of helplessness. The Metamorphosis, in many ways, might have been an outlet for Kafka to explore some of his struggles with his feelings about the abuse he underwent at the hands of his father and his sense of helplessness.

In closing ask students these final discussion questions

·         Do you have healthy outlets to express or explore any complicated feelings you might have?

·         Can you think of other examples in our pop culture that you can relate to this work?

 

 

 

 

 

 

            References:

 Akhmatova, A. (1935). Requiem and Poem without a Hero.

Aronson, R. (2017). Albert Camus (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Plato.stanford.edu. Retrieved 6 July 2021, from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/camus/#SuiAbsHapMytSis.

Beardsley, E. (2013). Camus' Stance on Algeria Still Stokes Debate In France. Npr.org. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2013/11/07/243536815/on-his-100th-birthday-camus-algerian-ties-still-controversial.

Breel, K. (2013). Confessions of a depressed comic. Ted.com. Retrieved 6 July 2021, from https://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_breel_confessions_of_a_depressed_comic?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare.

Camus, A. Exile and the kingdom.

BBC News. 2021. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson 'moved' by mental health support. [online] Available at: <https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-43735777> [Accessed 4 July 2021].

Frenz, H. (1969). The Nobel Prize in Literature 1957. NobelPrize.org. Retrieved from https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1957/camus/biographical/.

Kafka, F., 1915. The metamorphosis.

Stephens, J., 2021. The Kafka Project | Special issue: The Metamorphosis | (SP:) Franz Kafka's personal life reflected in the Metamorphosis. [online] Kafka.org. Available at: <http://www.kafka.org/index.php?aid=218> [Accessed 4 July 2021].

Stump, S., 2020. Miley Cyrus says learning about family's 'mental health challenges' helped her get sober. [online] TODAY.com. Available at: <https://www.today.com/popculture/miley-cyrus-talks-being-sober-therapy-t184956> [Accessed 4 July 2021].

von Goethe, J. Faust.


 

 

 

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