Archives for August 2013
The Beacon School, 2008-09
The Beacon School, 2007-08
The Beacon School, 2006-07
Nausea Essay by GG
Metropolitan Escapism, Natural Liberation
Before the dawn of civilization, humans, living among wild and free beasts, were searching for meaning in life, seeking explanations for their seemingly purposeless existence. These difficult quandaries perplexed humans, but thankfully the Neolithic Revolution, which birthed the dense center of human activity known as cities, freed humans from senselessness and let them exist merely as worker bees in a hive. Yet this escape from perplexion into metropolis has proved detrimental to human life; an alternative is necessary. As humans find new forms of classification and work to continually flee from absurdity, the eternally monolithic routine within cities becomes the perfect escape from existence, but in the process thought and individuality are destroyed. Thus humans must embrace the beautiful absurdity within both nature and themselves to live authentically as individuals. [Read more…]
The Death of Ivan Ilyich Essay by J.B.
Russian industrialization greatly affected Leo Tolstoy’s views on modern society, causing him to reject the society to which he once belonged. This blatant rejection of bourgeois society is illustrated throughout The Death Of Ivan Ilyich through Tolstoy’s skillful use of devices. The devices are utilized to make the superficiality of this society evident. The devices consist of narrative, theme, and juxtaposition which all contribute to Tolstoy’s existential disdain. The juxtaposition of Gerasim to the Russian bourgeois society, the unenthused narrative, and the focus on materialistic pursuits, all illuminate Tolstoy’s disdain for mass-man’s loss of humanity in an emotionally detached society. [Read more…]