Sociology

From time immemorial, every poet, author, philosopher has tried to find an answer to the purpose of the human life. To everyone, their findings, thoughts have responded in a different manner. In the doctrine, Existentialism is a Humanism, Sartre writes, “Man is nothing else but what he purposes, he exists only in so far as he realizes himself, he is therefore nothing else but the sum of his actions, nothing else but what his life is.” This is an apt thought to begin this essay. What is lacking in mankind is a purpose. What he pleases becomes his purpose. There is no greater thought or motive behind mankind’s existence, now. Everywhere is an aura of confusion and emotions that are adrift, which makes man’s actions being dictated by the same. Hence, it can be very well concluded with the help of Sartre’s statement, that human race is becoming adrift as time passes.

It is important to understand why the human race has become like this. Throughout our existence we encounter certain things or experience certain feelings which make us change our outlook towards life – be it the loss of a dear one or the various agitations around us. These tend to influence every soul. Of late, we have started compromising on our values and ethics to suitably adjust to a situation and scenario. These adjustments result in jealousy, dishonesty, hatred, anger, and other negativities. These negativities influence our thought processes subtly. Hence, it results in confusion and the feeling of restlessness. Like Sartre says, existence comes before essence, the need to exist for human race becomes such an important factor for survival, that it lets go of any complications that might come up in the process. Again as Sartre says, “….in reality and for the existentialist, there is no love apart from the deeds of love; no potentiality of love other than that which is manifested in loving; there is no genius other than that which is expressed in works of art.”

LESSONS FROM ARNOLD’S WRITINGS -
Even the literary works give importance to the confusion and the aimlessness of human life. This was rampant in the Victorian poets as that period saw a lot of changes both in the cultural and the literary realms. One example can be drawn from Matthew Arnold’s Dover Beach. This is essentially a poem in which a lover seeks out the companionship of his lady love. Dover Beach is a quintessential expression of melancholy which is the pre-dominant note of Arnold’s poetry. Arnold in this poem bemoans the loss of faith in religion. A sense of estrangement of man from God, from nature, from other men, and above all from his true inner self is the key note in this poem. This is very important to understand that the age the man lives in is the key factor for his thoughts and behavior.

Our generation has nothing much to do except to keep sailing in this confusion. While Arnold’s way to ease out this confusion is writing, mankind now is too burdened with the duties and responsibilities that it becomes difficult to come out of this confusion. As a result it grows.

LAMB AS A MELANCHOLIC -
Lamb is another pioneer poet of his age. Since Lamb belonged to the Romantic Age of English Literature, a very sweet and happy note in his writings is expected. But again, we observe the complete opposite. Lamb’s writings contain the melancholy and fear which can never be traced in any other Romantic work.

A reason behind the same is Lamb’s personal life. His work Songs of Innocence is actually a pun. The poems are anything but innocent. In fact it shakes up the strongest soul. Two poems in the compilation are worthy of mention. And again, these two poems should never be read but in unison. The Lamb and The Tyger are poems which talk about religion, about God and his different statures. While in The Lamb, Jesus is shown as the mild and meek one, giving shelter to everyone, giving out nothing but joy, in The Tyger, the almighty is shown as the fierce craftsman who has the capability of make such a an animal (the tiger)#. Such a duality in the nature of God makes one believe that how different is the human race then, since it is crafted by the same almighty. Hence, this duality often is the reason behind confusion in which the human race rests.

Lamb’s melancholy can be routed to his unhappy personal life. Thus, it can be concluded that personal emotions, happenings, accidents are very much the reason behind the melancholy of mankind.

There is inertia present in mankind now. It is clear that we have forgotten to react or to comprehend our actions. What we do instead is something which is more dangerous. We compromise at every situation, every day in our lives. What Darwin would have loved would be to evolve as a better race with the passing time. Strangely, we are not. But again, we haven’t become savages either, thus devolution is out of question.

What leaves behind is becoming adrift in the ebb and flow of life. We have accepted the lack of emotions, lack of activity and the lack of humanism in our day to day life. Every morning is like a task and every night is the mark of the completion of that task.

It is not possible to come out of it now, as we have gone too far in making such a life our routine or a habit. But again, small changes like thinking, feeling and acting responsibly will surely help. Human race might be adrift but it sure has learnt how to evolve in the passing time. What however has happened is that it has forgotten to do so. What is required is a revision of the lesson of evolution to come out of this state of inactivity and passivity.