Author: EVAN O

Appreciating the Little Things

On By EVAN OIn Story Power2 Comments

There are many texts that changed me this year, in and out of school, however the one that changed me the most was The Stranger. The Stranger was one of the first books we read but it stayed with me throughout the year. The Stranger’s themes of existentialism and finding the meaning in life gave me a different outlook on things. Not that I was taking it to the extreme and contemplating life’s purpose but I found it could be applied to even the smallest parts of life.

When pairing it with our beginning short stories about putting yourself into the book and applying yourself to that world, we can experience the story of The Stranger how it was meant to be experienced. After experiencing The Stranger and being introduced to its lessons and values, I then started to see more of it in my everyday life. Meursault, the main character, went through his life seemingly without a care, but when examined closely, he appreciated the smaller things of his life, to him those are what gave it meaning.

After that I began looking at my days to appreciate the little things. Just stuff as simple as making smaller observations to stay cognizant of my surroundings. I found there were a lot of things I was missing and after I started seeing them my days got better. I didn’t have to know great secrets to life but even just noticing something as small as waving good morning to the neighbors or noticing the plants first growing in during the beginning of spring. It will be different for everyone, I think it would be based on many things such as interests and hobbies, however I think there’s small things for everyone to enjoy to make their everyday life a little better. No need to complicate things with big ideas or meaningful theories, just keep it simple and appreciate the little things.

The Power in Shakespeare, then and today

On By EVAN OIn King Lear, Memory/Past/History, Power and IdentityLeave a comment

Shakespeare’s tragedy, King Lear, is a timeless masterpiece that explores the complexities of human nature and the abuse of power. Set in a patriarchal society, the play delves into the power dynamics between fathers and their children, as well as the power struggles among siblings. Through the character of King Lear, Shakespeare examines the consequences of misusing power and the destructive nature of greed and ambition. Written in the early 17th century, the play’s themes of power and its abuse are still relevant in today’s society.

In King Lear, the titular character’s downfall is a result of his own misuse of power. As a king, Lear wields immense authority and expects absolute obedience from his daughters. However, his decision to divide his kingdom based on flattery and his subsequent mistreatment of his youngest daughter, Cordelia, leads to his downfall. This highlights the dangers of placing too much power in the hands of one individual, as it can lead to arrogance and a disregard for others.

Moreover, the power dynamics between Lear and his daughters also reflect the societal norms of Shakespeare’s time. As a patriarchal society, men held the majority of power and women were expected to be subservient to them. This is evident in the way Lear’s daughters, Goneril and Regan, manipulate and betray him in order to gain power for themselves. This mirrors the power struggles between men and women that still exist in today’s society, albeit in a more subtle and nuanced manner.

Furthermore, the play also sheds light on the corrupting nature of power and how it can bring out the worst in people. The character of Edmund, who is illegitimate and therefore seen as inferior, manipulates his father and brother in order to gain power and status. This reflects the idea of ‘survival of the fittest’ and the lengths people will go to in order to gain power, even if it means betraying their own family.

Today we see power very differently. In our modern world, the passing down of power through families have more or less been rooted out in favor of a fairer form of government. The easiest example of which is our own democratic republic where power is given to the few voted on by the masses. In a smaller scale power can still be abused today in all the ways it was in King Lear. Power can still be abused within a community of a family in the same ways by giving one person or even one group of people can lead to many problems. If power abuse is still happening as it did in King Lear, is it still applicable to our modern age as it was when it was written. Regardless of level, have we changed in our quest for power since then, or just because its on a different scale doesn’t mean we’ve changed?

The Modern Murder Ballad

On By EVAN OIn PoetryLeave a comment

From his 2020 album, Quiet, Heavy Dreams, Zach Bryan’s “Birmingham” offers an experience like no other including murder, regret, and even levels of self discovery in one’s final moments. The song falls into it’s own sub-genre of music called murder ballads, a story of a murder and the events either before or after. Zach Brown’s is about a man who killed a man in self defense and is just looking for a way out. Stressed from his job, he goes on the run and ends up in a fight with the police in which he dies. He has worries and regrets because of how he was seen in he end, but ultimately just wants it all to be over with and move one.

The song’s opening line does a lot to set the scene and even give a motive. These lines tell us of his horrible conditions and how fed up he was. We also see some of his feeling for the first time, however they feel over shadowed by his want to leave everything.

Well, I killed a man in Birmingham
I hit him with a tire iron
He did not move, and I do not give a damn
I’ve been working here like a slavin’ mule
Sucking the earth of dry crude
Looking for a way out of it all

The line “working here like a slavin’ mule” stuck out to me first. Mules are an animal that are almost exclusively used for labor, and made to work a lot weather its carrying or pulling something. Also not only are his working conditions like that, but it says something to his job as a whole. Bosses treating they’re employees like livestock, making them work tirelessly with little to no break or pay presumably. Working in what we can assume to be an oil field, it is understandable that with the dehumanization he has endured, hes just looking for a way out.

So take me down to the river
My blood all on the floor
‘Cause I don’t know if I can carry this weight much longer anymore
Take me up the mountain
On a cloud bound for the sky
Don’t go prayin’ for me because tonight I’m prepared to die

In the chorus of the song we see a lot of acceptance of whats to come, as if whether he saw it coming or not, he ready and just wants it over with. We see a river used a lot in literature as a way of crossing and i feel like its the same here. It could be a literal river like hes fleeing, but I think more accurately its the river of life and he’s ready to cross over after his fight with the cops. Especially with his blood on the floor, as if laying in a pool of it, he knows the end is coming, and doesn’t want to endure the weight of a murder n his conscience anymore, so he just wants it to end. The cloud bound for the sky symbolizes afterlife but more specifically heaven, which shows that even after the murder, he believes himself to be a good person. He also says to not pray for him because he is prepared to die. Usually when you pray for somebody its for safety or good health, maybe even innocence, however he is aware he has none of these so he’s saying don’t bother, because hes expecting to die.

That night out there in Birmingham, that boy he tried to rob me
I did not want to, but I had to show that boy the real me
That night I often wonder what my tombstone would say
Would it mention any of my good or just evil in my days?
The dust has not settled, from the boys who busted in
I am not a bad man but there’s bullets in my skin

Here we see the first mention of a motive or the reason behind the murder. We can now assume it was in self defense that he killed the boy, however we also see how much he didn’t want to go through with it. Between the line of not wanting to show the real him and the many lines of regret following it we start to see his honest feelings of the event. In his last moments hes wondering what his tombstone will say, wondering if it will have some of his good or only his bad, implying he has a good amount of both. Along with the final line and his continued proclamation of not being a bad man, followed by his death. This whole song is a story of his death and many regrets however all with the same message. Acceptance of his death and knowing he deserves it for murder, he almost begging not to been seen as a bad man as if he expects that’s what coming. He believes hes going to heaven and has done a lot of good in his life but is worried none of that will be passed on and he will only be seen as evil for killing a boy.

The Stranger’s Existentialism vs Morrissey’s Nihilism

On By EVAN OIn Stranger1 Comment

Throughout the story The Stranger, our stranger constantly shows signs of indifference and just going along with his life. Seeming to not care about what actually happened but still having an input in his decisions and outcomes. Immediately I was reminded of The Smiths, a band at the forefront of the post-punk, existential, brit-rock era 30-40 years ago throughout the 80s and 90s. With lead singer Morrissey and his poem like lyrics, incorporating many dark themes into their discography. Many times referencing death and ends while also incorporating romantic and even funny or satirical themes. However as I researched and my understanding of both grew, I realized a few key differances.

While both the stranger and Morrissey have a base philosophy of nothing matters, the stranger sees that in a much more true existentialist way, an opportunity to live. Throughout the book we see the Stranger displaying signs of “nothing matters in life” as well as it being an “opportunity to live”. One of these times is when Marie asks if he would marry her. He doesn’t say yes or no, rather he repeatedly responds with “it doesn’t matter”(41). Showing how truly indifferent he is, to things most people would consider meaningful or turning points in their lives. However, he displays his own ways of “living”, in ways most people wouldn’t. He spends entire days looking over his balcony just watching his busy street. It wouldn’t be much to most people however to him he is connecting with his community and building relationships no matter how big or small. His existentialism comes off as cold indifference of nothing matters, however a deeper understanding shows he merely lives in the moment doing what he wants because life is so absurd.

I used to think Morrissey was the same way, this misunderstood existentialist who once I really paid attention to and understood, would turn out to be living in the moment and living life to his own fullest, however I was wrong. Morrissey and his songs see life in a much more Nihilist way, as if it were a place of giving up. We can see this in one of The Smiths more popular songs titled Heaven knows I’m Miserable Now, where he sang about events that most people would consider happy, one such instance is finding a job. He evens goes to state that he was “happy in the haze of the drunken hour”, however he always followed it up with “but heaven knows I’m miserable now”, implying he never was truly happy, or if he ever felt happiness, deep down it wasn’t true to the point that only heaven knew he was lying to himself. This gives off a much more Nihilist way of thinking, highlighting the differences between himself and the stranger. This theme of hopelessness and loneliness to the point of nothing mattered persisted throughout The Smiths entire career and even stayed with Morrissey during his solo career after The Smiths. In the beginning, he gained popularity because of his poetic way of writing and singing, however it bothered many once they took a closer listen, even so, it drew others. Whether he was a nihilist or not, he sure sounded like one, and between him and the stranger, I understood the similarities and differences between existentialism and nihilism.