Be Prepared

           Preparedness is “a state of adequate” readiness.  It can be in reference to specifics such as an exam, a game, or a trip.  Otherwise, preparedness can be applied to larger concepts or experiences such as marriage, lifestyle, or independence.  Certain individuals can be more prepared than others by nature.  For example, an individual with an aggressive personality (the development of the personality may be argued to be nurture rather than nature) would be more prepared to excel as an athlete than an individual who is rather meek compared to the aggressor.  One may become more prepared through his or her own efforts.  For example, the student who is active in learning environment and is committed to studying will be more prepared for his or her exam than the “slacker” will be prepared. 

            Literary heroes, such as Beowulf, can be viewed as more prepared to become a hero in his or her society because of his or her abilities.  Beowulf was a strong, courageous, and skilled warrior.  This caused him to be prepared to defeat Grendel, thus increasing his fame and heroism throughout the region.  Beowulf was prepared to be a hero. 

            Some heroes, such as Camus’s Meursault, are prepared to be rejected by society.  Meursault was a “stranger” to society through his emotions (or lack of) and perspective on the world.  Therefore, Meursault was prepared to fail.  He was adequately ready because of his personality to face the rejection of society and, thus, justice system.

            May 5 is rapidly approaching.  This is a day on which AP English students need to be prepared to face the exam.  Some students have been born with a mind that tends to favor the English subject, and these students are in fact “born ready” to take the exam.  Others, however, have spent years in English classes developing the skills necessary to be successful in the subject of English.  These students’ successfulness in developing these skills will be tested on May 5.  Regardless of natural ability, all AP English students have had to better their skills, learn new vocabulary, develop their writing, and focus on the goal.  This goal is receiving 5 on May 5.  May all the AP English students be PREPARED!

The Human Condition

The Human Condition

            “…without divinity there can be no presumed code of conduct for human beings, nor any explanation of life’s meaning.  We are simply thrown into the world and the outcome is death, pure and simple.  There is only life before and nothing beyond.”

Albert Camus held this view point on life and human existence.  This belief seems to stem from Camus’s realization of The Absurd.  Camus’s Absurdity is “…a pointless quest for meaning in a universe devoid of purpose.”  He recognized the human condition.  Daily, humans strive for a goal that they have defined for themselves.  In creating this goal, humans create purpose for themselves.  These goals may include, but are not limited to, relationships, a career, or knowledge.  Camus defines an Absurd Hero as one who recognizes this fate of a pointless “quest for purpose.”  By recognizing the human condition, a character such as Meursault or Sisyphus, become Absurd Heroes. 

              Camus has recognized the human condition. However, he has flaws in his interpretation.  Humans are born into the world without knowledge of their purpose.  This is part of the human condition, commonly called in religious circles as “the curse.”  This condition originated with man’s first sin in the Garden of Eden.  As man was no longer up to God’s standards due to this act of disobedience, a curse was placed on mankind.  Man would now be born already tainted by sin.  One of the effects of this is an inability to recognize the purpose of man.  Thus, man lives aimlessly when left to his own defective resources (heart, mind, other humans).  Man then tries to create purpose for himself through the flawed things in this world.  Camus recognizes this and the pointlessness of this “quest for purpose.”  What Camus fails to recognize is that the situation is not hopeless.  One does not just have to accept his or her condition.  The answer lies in something or someone not affected by this curse/condition.  It is humans’ Creator who defined the purpose of humans when humans were first created. 

Searching for purpose is an innate piece of human nature.  “Why are we here” has been a question for thousands of years.  All humans fight to survive each day.  Why would we fight to survive if we know that there is no purpose for us here?  Obviously, humans believe they have a purpose, or else survival would not be a natural instinct.  One could conclude that Camus must have thought of suicide as an adequate end to an Absurd Hero.  However, this is not the case; Camus viewed suicide as a “…lack of understanding” of absurdity.  The hero is to “die unreconciled and not voluntarily.”  Camus expectation for an Absurd Hero may be able to be created in a fictional novel, but it is unrealistic for an actual human being to be an Absurd Hero.  Camus’s Absurd Hero does not find living knowing that he has no purpose as hopeless whereas if a human were to truly, wholeheartedly believe this, he or she would find this hopeless to some extent because humans innately seek purpose.    

God created man in the beginning of the world.  Although one can not claim to understand God’s purposes fully, through His Word, the purpose of man as defined by God as man’s Creator, is to develop a personal relationship with Him and bring glory to His Name.  The human condition kept humans from this relationship and from bringing glory to God.  God, however, unconditionally loved His creation of mankind to the extent that He sent a part of Himself to die to reconcile humans with Himself.  Humans simply have to come to the realization of the human condition and their personal condition and trust in the truth and power of God’s sacrifice. 

Man innately searches for purpose and fights for survival because he or she wishes to discover this purpose.  However, as Camus discovered, man will not find purpose in this world.  If man tries to find purpose in this world, it will be meaningless, and man will have to create purpose for himself.  This purpose will be flawed as man is flawed.  Outside of this world and the human condition, however, is where man can discover his or her purpose.  As Camus believed, “without divinity there can be no…explanation of life’s meaning.”