Man’s Search for Meaning

1.      Give significant background information about the author or the literary piece

Answer:

Frankl was born in 1905 in Vienna. Before World War II he graduated with two doctorates in Medicine and Philosophy from the University of Vienna. During the war he spent three years at Auschwitz, Dachau and other concentration camps. Man's Search For Meaning was written upon Frankl's return to Vienna after liberation, and was dictated over nine days.

The ensuing years were spent as chief of the neurology department of the Policlinic Hospital, Vienna, but in the 1960s he moved to the United States. He held visiting professorships at Harvard and other US universities, and did over 50 American lecture tours.

Frankl wrote over 30 books, including Psychotherapy and Existentialism, The Unconscious God and The Unheard Cry for Meaning, and in 1997, the year of his death, published an autobiography, Victor Frankl: Recollections. There have been at least 145 books and more than 1400 journal articles written about Frankl and logotherapy, and Frankl himself received 28 honorary degrees. Throughout his life he was a keen mountain climber.

He died in the same week as Mother Teresa and Princess Diana in 1997.

 2.      Write the synopsis or summary of the literary text

Answer:

The book begins with the author's explanation of his reasons for writing "Man's Search fro Meaning." Viktor then transitions into the beginning of his tragic story, his entrance into Auschwitz. He explains how as he was entering the death camp, he and his comrades held onto slight shards of hope that they would be rescued at the last possible moment. He relates this to a condemned man believing he will be saved before his execution. He refers to this feeling as the, "delusion of reprieve. He recalls how after getting off the train that had brought them to the death camp, the men and women were stripped from their belongings and then separated into two lines, one for men, and one for women. They approached a man who would either point left or right. One way was the direction to the crematories, the other to a cleansing station. During that day they bathed and stripped of everything they had, down to every single hair on their bodies.

Looking back over his entrance into Auschwitz, Viktor E. Frankl states, "if someone now asked of us the truth of Dostoevsky's statements that flatly defines man as a being who can get used to anything, we would reply 'yes, a man can get used to anything, but do not ask us how. (36)'" He also states that, "The thought of suicide was entertained by everyone, if only for a short time. It was born of the hopelessness of the situations, constant danger of death looming over us daily and hourly, and the closeness of the deaths suffered by many of the others....The prisoner of Auschwitz, in the first phase of shock, did not fear death. Even the gas chambers lost their horrors for him after the first few days-after all; they spared him the act of committing suicide. (36-37)" These quotes have great importance in depicting how traumatic the entrance into Auschwitz must have been. To lose your fear of death in a matter of days, who could imagine the horror? Frankl then goes on to talk about the prisoners in their second phase of imprisonment, after the initial shock had subsided. He explains how numbness overcomes a prisoner, and how he can watch a man be beaten to death and not even bat an eye. He recalls how while taking care of typhoid patients, he would watch people die horrible deaths hour after hour, but would experience no emotional upset at the scene. This apathy, he states, is a self-defense mechanism which centers all of one's emotions on one task, to survive.

The prisoners were fed small amounts of bread and watery soup. Without proper nourishment, the prisoner's bodies started to devour themselves, making it even harder for a prisoner to survive the camp. The prisoners were reduced to nothing but a number, and found next to nothing to release themselves from the emptiness. What little they could do, was keep their sense of humor, and point out the natural beauty of the world, such as a sunset.

Frankl shares many more of his experiences, and lastly explains how a prisoner reacts after liberation. He shares how that even after rescue, a prisoner had a hard time escaping the apathy that had encompassed his whole life. Frankl shares an example, "We came to meadows full of flowers. We saw and realized what they were, but had no feelings about them. (109)" This quote helps represent how hard the transition from a death camp into real life must have been. He goes on to explain how a prisoner had lost the ability to feel joy, and had to relearn the ability slowly.

This book was written as a record of a man's experiences in a Nazi concentration camp during world war two, and the psychology of the prisoners with whom he shared months upon months of horror and destruction. He also introduces Logotherapy, which he invented while suffering inside the camp.

The author himself admits that the opinions he shares in his book may very likely be biased, as he was a prisoner himself. The first words written by Viktor are, "This book does not claim to be an account of facts and events but of personal experiences, experiences which millions of prisoners have suffered time and again. (21)" He later states, "To attempt a methodical presentation of the subject is very difficult, as psychology requires a certain scientific detachment. But does a man who makes his observations while he himself is a prisoner possess the necessary detachment? Such detachment is granted to the outsider, but he is too far removed to make any statements of real value. Only the man inside knows. His judgments may not be objective; his evaluations may be out of proportion. This is inevitable. An attempt must be made to avoid any personal bias, and this is a real difficulty of a book of this kind. (24-25)" The author very likely may have some bias towards those who caused him so much pain, but through his writing, you can tell an attempt to push this bias aside has been made.

This book is exceptionally important historically. It gives a vivid account of what a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp experienced and what mental state he was in during each phase of their imprisonment. He also goes into detail on the reasons why the survivors outlasted so much mental, emotional, and physical abuse, and why others did not.

The book gives the reader an abundance of important information. The observations and theories do not only apply to those who suffered in a concentration camp, but for all who live trapped behind bars and walls. It helps the reader comprehend and empathize the position of these individuals.

I personally enjoyed this book. This surprised even me because the story was more of a stringing together of facts, one after the other. The author's ability to use this writing style, yet still pull emotionally at his readers is remarkable. His use of quotations and depiction of events paint a picture in the reader's mind of the atrocities of the holocaust. Many parts of his story, if told by any but a great author, would be extremely difficult to comprehend. Viktor E. Frankl does a great job of describing these events for the common person to understand. This is a great accomplishment because of the intensity of the events. Personally, I can't help but compare this story to Night by Ellie Wiesel. Both are very intense and emotional stories about revolting experiences in concentration camps and both are incredibly written. The biggest differences are that Night is written for the purpose of sharing a horrible experience, and was written with much more emotion and opinion. It was much more of a story than Man's Search for Meaning in which the main purpose for being written was to introduce the author's method of psychology. I appreciated both books at about the same level.. 

3.      Jot down three questions that come to mind while reading the text, then choose one explore it more fully

Answer:

1.      What was Frankl’s purpose for writing the book?

2.      what makes life meaningful and purposeful?

3.      What the meaning of “meaning" from that book?

I will explain the 3^rd question about the meaning of “meaning” in the book of “man’s search for meaning. It means Creativity or giving something to the world through self- expression, Experiencing the world by interacting authentically with our environment and with others, and Changing our attitude when we are faced with a situation or circumstance that we cannot change

4.      Explain the emotion that literary text work in you or which you felt while or after reading the peace.

Answer:

The emotion speaker is (1) shock during the initial admission phase to the camp, (2) apathy after becoming accustomed to camp existence, in which the inmate values only that which helps himself and his friends survive, and (3) reactions of depersonalization, moral deformity, bitterness, and disillusionment if he survives and is liberated.

5.      Copy a part of literary text (sentence, paragraph, dialogue) which struck you most something you find beautiful, enlightening and discuss why?

Answer:

-          We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms—to choose one’s own attitude in any given set of circumstances—to choose one’s own way

Frankl’s message is ultimately one of hope: even in the most absurd, painful, and dehumanizing situation, life can be given a meaning, and so too can suffering. His experience as a concentration camp inmate taught him that our main drive or motivation in life is neither pleasure (as Freud had thought) nor power (as Adler had thought), but meaning

-          ‘Sunday neurosis’ to refer to the dejection that is felt at the end of the working week when a person realizes just how empty and meaningless his life is

-          Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual." (97)

There is no general answer to the question "What is the meaning of life?". But each of us is presented with a situation, and a set of problems and challenges to face in our lives--the purpose of our lives is always suggested to us. It is misleading to look for a transcendent meaning above and beyond our lives. So often our life's meaning is found in creative work or the enjoyment of it, our love of others (which forces us to transcend our selves), or even in our response to suffering, which like death is an inevitable part of life. Because of his experiences, Frankl emphasizes the possibilities of finding meaning through one's unavoidable suffering

-          n

6.      Identify the theme of literary piece and discuss it in the light of drama or poem

Answer:

The theme of this book was trying  to provide perspective and techniques for a person to use to find meaning in his or her life. It is written in an autobiographical style by psychiatrist, Viktor Frankl. He discusses many specific examples from his imprisonment in a Nazi concentration camp, along with his professional knowledge to offer a method for discovering personal fulfillment and a sense of meaning in life. With descriptive language, Frankl creates a vivid image of this horrible ordeal. He begins the book by describing his reactions and observations at the outset of his imprisonment. Specifically, he details the conditions of the concentration camp and defines specific terms. He tells the reader that facts are presented only as they are part of man's experience, which provides the basis for understanding the psychology of individuals who face extreme suffering. Frankl tells the story of his and others' suffering in order to provide a first hand account of the thoughts and behaviors a person goes through when confronted with such misery. He writes in a style that reflects the mindset of the individual prisoner, specifically the common and unknown person. Based on his imprisonment and his training in Psychiatry, Frankl identifies three significant periods for a prisoner: following admission into the camp; when well entrenched in camp routine; and following release and liberation

7.      Write the critique of the works using an appropriate literary approach or theory

Answer:

There are some of the literary approaches to criticize this poem, and I will discuss it from psycological approach.