On Pain:

Assignment: Please choose a passage from the essay on one of the following themes: pain, technology, photography, detachment, sexuality

Write out the passage. Interpret the passage and explain how it relates to one of the other works we have looked at. Explain why you chose this passage.

Passage:

“Pain is one of the keys to unlocks man's innermost being as well as the world. Whenever one approaches the points where man proves himself to be equal or superior to pain, one gains access to the sources of his power and the secret hidden behind his dominion. Tell me your relation to pain, and I will tell you who you are! (1).

Theme: Pain

Interpret the passage:

To experience pain can be tough, difficult to handle and accept. It can bring the negative or positive side of a person. Pain can not always be controlled and during the process individuals have access to contradiction and bad behavior. Pain can influence and be misleading by these type of feeling. It is basically saying that experiencing pain can determine what your capable of.

Explain how it relates to one of the other works we have looked at:

It relates to the film Blue Angel because when Rath finds out that his beloved Lola is being affectionate with Mazeppa he is enraged. He is full of anger and pain that causes him to be insane. The pain takes him to the point of straggling Lola. Rath's pain of feeling like he was loosing Lola to another man made him react violently towards her. To the point that he wanted to kill his beloved. Rath's pain of losing his job as a teacher and Lola created negative and violent behavior. It brought out the madness within him.

Explain why you chose this passage:

I chose this passage because it was interesting and accurate. When Individuals are going through a lot of pain they tend to react on them. Sometimes they react violently and another side of them comes out. Some individuals don't know how to deal with the pain and are not capable of handling it well. Pain can trigger a person to find a side in themselves they didn't know existed in them.

Dream story :

Response to: "A Dream Story", translated by Arthur Schnitzler

Please choose a quote from Dream Story write out the quote. Then interpret the quote and explain why you chose this passage.

“And no dream”, he said with a slight sigh,” is entirely a dream.” She took his head and pillowed it on her breast. “Now I suppose we are awake for a long time to come.” He was on the point of saying, "Forever," but before he could speak, she laid her finger on his lips and whispered, as if to herself: "Never inquire into the future." So they lay silently, dozing a little, dreamlessly, close  to one another-until,  as on every morning  at seven, there was a knock on  the door; and, with the usual noises  from  the street, a victorious ray of light  through  the opening of the curtain, and the clear  laughter of a child through  the door,  the new day began. (pg 143)

During the story Fridolin and his wife Albertine had a boring relationship and both are having sexual fantasies with other people. Even though his wife dreams about having sexual fantasies with others, Fridolin gets jealous and wants to try to have an affair with other women. Fridolin never gets too follow through with sleeping with other women but he attempts to do so and fails. The quote I chose is at the end of the story and Fridolin confesses to his wife Albertine all he has done. As his wife Albertine listens, Fridolin promises he will never do it again. Fridolin says that is all a dream meaning that it was all fantasy. Albertine replies that they both are awake for a long time to come meaning they are aware of the wrong and are moving forward. As Fridolin regrets what he has done, he was about to say the word forever because he was trying to express to his wife that they will be together forever. When Albertine tells her husband “Never inquire into the future”, she meant that Fridolin shouldn’t look too far into the future or say the word forever because you never know what can happen in the future. The dreams story ends with a new start or beginning to their relationship and accompanied by their daughter.

I chose this quote because I was very glad that both Fridolin and Albertine decided to leave their fantasies with other people behind, confess their mistakes and start over again.  Even though they were both disconnected from each other at the beginning of the story, they managed to survive their issues and realize that it was wrong. I was glad that they were able enough to stop and realize that it was wrong especially Fridolin. Fridolin was mostly wrong because he was attempting to have affairs with other women. At least he was able to come forward to his wife and realize his mistakes. For the sake of their daughter they were willing to start over again.

The three major themes of the movies

 “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” & “The Blue Angels”

Assignment: Using the two films identify three major themes that you can find through both films. Explain how the films develop these themes and what do they mean. How do these themes relate to the theme of nihilism we have been discussing? Examples of themes could be ‘love’ or ‘madness’. So for example you would explain what are the themes of love you find in both films how do they relate, how are these themes developed and how does it relate to nihilism?

Theme#1: Love

In the cabinet of Dr. Caligari Francis is in love with Jane and is protective of her. In The Blue Angel Rath is in love with Lola. Both these movies experienced love because Francis loves Jane so much he wants to protect her from Dr. Caligari. In the Blue Angel Rath falls in love with Lola that he is willing to sacrifice his job as a professor in order to be with Lola.

The theme Love relates to Nihilism because in the cabinet of Dr. Caligari they don’t show her loving him and much as he does. In the Blue Angel love in his life was short lived it didn’t last long. Lola wasn’t really in love with Rath because he sacrificed more than she did. Both Francis and Rath believed in their love interest while Jane and Lola didn’t demonstrate it.

Theme#2: Insanity

In the cabinet of Dr. Caligari he and his sleep walker Cesare are murdering people for no reason. In the Blue Angel after Rath sees his beloved Lola kissing someone else which drives him crazy. It makes him strangle Lola. Both these movies experienced insanity because they are not in a health mental state and act violently towards others.

 The theme Insanity relates to nihilism because Dr. Caligari didn’t have any religious values and was an evil person. In the Blue Angel Rath loses control of himself and tries to strangle Lola. He doesn’t want to face the facts that Lola is no longer interested in him.

Theme#3: Sadness

In the cabinet of Dr. Caligari after Francis and his friend Alan visit a carnival in which they encounter the somnambulist Dr. Caligari and Cesare. Alan asks him, how long does he have to live? And Cesare answers till tomorrow at dawn in which Cesare kills him. It brings sadness to Francis when he finds out that his friend was killed. In the Blue Angel after Lola left Rath and was with someone else he felt sadness. He felt sadness because he felt that he lost everything Lola and his job as a professor. Both these movies experienced sadness and sorrow because they both felt like they lost something or someone.

The theme Sadness relates to nihilism because in the cabinet of Dr. Caligari Francis doesn’t want to believe what Cesare had told his friend Alan that he was destined to die. Francis knew it wasn’t fate he knew Dr. Caligari had something to do with his death. In the Blue Angel Rath doesn’t want to believe or accept that he lost everything.

About the class

We have gone over paintings and photography, literature, and now film. What have you enjoyed about the class so far and what have you not liked if anything?

I enjoyed learning about the German era, the different paintings and how the artist expressed what was going on in that era through painting. I also enjoyed watching the two films the cabinet of Dr. Caligari and the Blue Angels which related to each other and the topic the class and the professor has been speaking about nihilism. I have nothing wrong to say about the class so far.

Quiz #1

1. What is nihilism? Is it correct to say it is the belief in nothing? Nihilism is the denial of any moral principles and the belief that life is meaningless. It is not correct to say it is the belief in nothing because everyone has their own personal opinion about their values and beliefs.

2. What are the differences between Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian values according to Nietzsche? Which values does he believe are better for living a full and healthy life and why?
According to Nietzsche Greco -Roman and Judeo- Christian values were completely opposite but almost the same. Even though Christians were considered physically weaker, they were smarter and had better virtues than the Romans did, who were more corrupt. Once Christians had power they kept their norms or values and stayed in that position. Nietzsche believes the Greco- Roman had better values to live a healthy life because they were newer values and they weren’t haters unlike Christians. He thought Christians used their weakness for kindness and were vindictive too.

                                                                                                 
3. Why is Dada art so pessimistic and bizarre? What groups in Germany society where Dada artists trying to discredit and undermine? Dada art is so pessimistic and bizarre because it was demonstrating how German society was corrupted. It was an era of brutal abuse towards many innocent and military people.  The artist created these types of art so that society can see the reality of war and government system and how ugly the situation was getting. They wanted society to react to the situation and help make changes. Dada artist were trying to undermine the German government and the middle class.

4. How many jobs does Dr. Caligari have in the film? He was a somnambulist, director of a medical institution and a doctor.

5. Why does Siddhartha leave his father? Siddhartha leaves his father because feels he can’t learn from him anymore. He wanted to search for enlightenment and find his true self. He didn’t want to learn from others teachings but himself and wanted to grow as a person.

6. How does Cesare "die" in the film? As he was trying to run away Cesare had a heart attack and died.

7. Why is the river so important to Siddhartha at the end of the novel?

The river is so important to Siddhartha because it symbolizes life and how it keeps flowing. As he slept by the river he realized that the river answered all his questions without words and that he felt as if he has been reborn. He learned that the universe is a cycle that never ends and just like the river it never stops flowing. The river doesn’t have a past or a future but lives by the present.

Siddhartha

Siddhartha Author: Hermann Hesse

The passage I chose was part of the chapter “Awakening”…..

 “Out of this moment, when the world melted away all around him, when he stood alone like a star in the sky, out of this moment of a cold and despair, Siddhartha emerged, more a self than before, more firmly concentrated. He felt: This had been the last tremor of the awakening, the last struggle of this birth. And it was not long until he walked again in long strides, started to proceed swiftly and impatiently, heading no longer for home, no longer to his father, no longer back."

The meaning of the passage is that Siddhartha is no longer living in the past he is trying to find himself. Siddhartha feels as if he is being reborn again and sees the world differently and more clear. He feels this is his last chance to realize what surrounds him and what path he needs to take in order to fulfill his goals. He states that he will no longer return home or to his father because he feels like he can’t learn from his past anymore. This chapter is an important portion of the story because it means there’s a new beginning for Siddhartha in which he feels determined and focused to a new path.

I chose this passage because I thought it was very interesting how Siddhartha realized that his life needed a change. He wanted to find his inner self and was no longer afraid to make a first move. Siddhartha did not want to learn from others but himself. In this last chapter the awakening, he woke up from all the experiences he was going through. He did not want to rely on any teacher but learn from himself. Siddhartha doesn’t want to go backwards but move forward. It is a new Siddhartha with a clearer mind, determined to accomplish his goals and conquer any obstacles that comes his way. It is an inspiring passage because he realizes enlightenment doesn’t come from learning from others but from within. A person can only learn so much from someone else. In order to find yourself and purpose in life, individuals have to make their own decisions. Learn from their mistakes and have their own identity.

Otto Dix & His Paintings

Otto Dix was a German artist that was known for his dark, grotesque, and ruthless style of art. He used his paintings to represent and express Weimar society and the brutal reality of war. He was a proud veteran who witnessed the harsh reality of war and used his artistic skills to express himself.

 Otto Dix was born on December 2, 1981 in Gera, Germany. His parents were Franz Dix who was an iron foundry worker and Pauline Dix who was a seamstress. Through elementary school he started to prove his artistic talent and have a passion for painting. Ernst Schunke his art teacher guided him along the way. He then began his studies at Dresden Academy of Fine Arts where he learned many different methods and ways to paint. Later on when the war began he decided to volunteer and become a veteran on 1915. During the war he witnesses a lot of tragic scenes and even got hurt a lot times. Those harsh moments inspired him to sketch and express what he was going through. After war he decided to go back to his painting and was using elements in his paintings such as Dadaism, cubism, realism and expressionist. Delivering in his paintings violence and what was really going on that time. In 1923 Dix married Martha Koch and later had three children with her. In the 1920s Otto Dix became a well know known painter and was included in Neue Sachlichkeit exhibition. In 1967 he suffered a stroke which paralyzed his left hand and died in 1969. Otto Dix and his artistic works influenced a famous era in German history.

Famous paintings:

Title: Flanders

Year: 1934

My interpretation of the art piece is that it looks like a war had occurred overnight. There are many dead and decomposed bodies with military gear. Everything seems destroyed on the land and it also looks like its becoming daytime. The meaning of art piece is that aftermath of a war, the war in which the Nazis gained power. Otto Dix is expressing his tragic war experiences in the painting.

Title: Three prostitutes on the street

Year: 1925

In this art work there are three women dressed with an old style but two of them look like prostitutes. There’s a woman that has her nose up and looks like she’s disgusted by the prostitutes. The one in the middle looks like she is looking for customers and the other on the right looks embarrassed and doesn’t want anyone to see what she is doing. In my opinion the painting is about the prostitution that was occurring in that time and the way these women were criticized negatively.

Title: The Match seller

Year: 1921

In this painting there is a mutilated veteran that is blind and disabled from war. The painting looks sad; as he is selling something on the floor everyone that’s passing by is ignoring him. The only attention he is getting is from the dog in which urinates on him. This painting demonstrates how bad individuals were being treated even those who were in the military. Those who were in the military didn’t even get the help they needed after serving the country.