The meaning and purpose of an individual’s life could be found in the most unexpected situations. This adage is greatly applicable in the life experiences and works of Viktor Frankl. In his book entitled: “Man’s Search for Meaning”, he narrated his experiences and the different obstacles that he went through inside a concentration camp at the time of the Nazi regime.
Frankl emphasizes that the constant struggle of an individual play an important role in understanding the element of suffering.He also noted that the real value of human life is his or her existence despite the untoward or even horrible environment that he or she may find his or her self in. In order to clearly understand the tutelage of Viktor Frankl, it is essential that a discussion of his book should be done. The succeeding paragraphs will further elaborate on Frankl’s perceptions about life as a whole.
The Life of Viktor Frankl Viktor Frankl was born on 26 March 1905 in Vienna. He was raised into a Jewish family of civil servants.He studied medicine at the University of Vienna and afterwards he specialized in neurology and psychiatry, giving much attention on the subject of depression and suicide. He was an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist.
Nevertheless, he became more popular as a Holocaust survivor. On 25 September 1942, Viktor Frankl together with his wife and parents were deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp. During his stay at this concentration camp, he still practiced his profession of being a therapist as he tried to cure his inmates from despondency and prevent them from committing suicide.However, Frankl’s life changed when his wife and parents were separated from him.
Later on, he found out that the Nazis killed his wife and his parents. On 27 April 1945, the Americans liberated him with only his sister as his immediate relative that is still surviving (Boeree). The experiences that Viktor Frankl went through during his time in the concentration camp paved the way for him to see the meaning of life. He became the founder of psychotherapy.
He was able to apply his knowledge of psychotherapeutic method in his book wherein he used this in order to find meaning in all forms of existence, even the at the most horrible ones. He had also given his substantial contribution in the field of existential therapy (Boeree). Background of the Book “Man’s Search for Meaning” was the book created by Viktor Frankl during the year 1946. After being liberated from prison for just one year, he already wrote the chronicles of his experiences in the concentration camp.
He retells his story as a camp inmate and describes his psychotherapeutic method of looking for a reason to live.Based on Frankl’s own explanation, the book he created had the purpose of answering the query of how being incarcerated in the concentration camp affected the mind of an average prisoner. Moreover, he also introduced in the book his ideas of meaning as well as his theory of logotherapy. The book was able to acquire many critical acclaims.
This is proven by the survey conducted by the Book-of-the-Month Club and the Library of Congress as one of the ten most influential books in the United States. Viktor Frankl died on 2 September 1997.It is also during this time that book sold 10 million copies in different languages (“Is the Meaning . .
. Meaning? ”). Important Points of the Story Viktor Frankl was able to create a very compelling book due to his ability to relate psychological reactions with his experiences as well as the life that his inmates lived while in the concentration camp. The plot of the story is guided by three psychological reactions that all the inmates had gone through.
The first one is shock, which is the initial reaction of a prisoner when he or she just entered the concentration camp.The second reaction is apathy wherein the prisoner experience after becoming accustomed to his or her existence in the camp. It is also in this phase that inmates become self-centered because he or she only gives importance to his or her survival, which in turn also aids others to do the same. The last reactions are characterized by depersonalization, moral deformity, bitterness, and disillusionment.
This kind of reactions takes place after the individual is liberated from prison. This is considered as the consequences or after-effects of being incarcerated in a concentration camp (Frankl 110-120).The first reaction after being liberated from prison is the depersonalization. This is regarded as the period of readjustment wherein a prisoner slowly returns to the real world outside of prison.
At first, the freed inmates experienced numbness that makes its difficult for them to comprehend the meaning of freedom more so, to emotionally respond to it. Some liberated prisoners believe that there is a part of them that perceive this freedom is as an illusion or dream that will be taken away sooner or later.Moreover, the first foray of being free makes prisoners realized that they have difficulties understanding or enjoying pleasurable things. Going through this stage of depersonalization often affects the physical well-being of an individual.
The person reacts to this situation by gluttonously eating and sleeping (Frankl 110). ` The individual starts entering the second stage wherein there is a danger of deformation. Due to the fact that most liberated prisoners experience intense pressure, the mental health of these individuals is at risk.Frankl relate the condition that these people have with a diver that is immediately released from his or her pressure chamber.
He or she cannot just adapt easily with the environment of the outside world. Frankl also narrated the story of his decent friend whose attitude changed wherein he practice the same violence in judgment that he experience from his abusers. When this prisoner returned home, he has to struggle with the conflict of maintaining his normal attitude between the violent tendencies that he acquired (Frankl 111-113).The last stage is bitterness towards the lack of responsiveness of the outside world.
The liberated prisoners have to go through a sense of superficiality and lack of feeling that they are very much disgusted with that they much rather creep into a hole wherein the not hear or see any fellow human being (Frankl 113). However, there is also a phase that is worse that bitterness and that is disillusionment that pertains to the individuals discovery that there is no end in suffering and that their longing for happiness will never come.This is proven by the experiences of liberated prisoners like Frankl who returned home only to find out that nobody is waiting for them anymore. The hope that they have sustained inside the concentration camp was no longer there because of the hopelessness that they know feel.
He identifies this feeling as the most difficult to get over with (Frankl, 115). Frankl also emphasizes the idea that the meaning of life could be discovered in every moment of living as he repeatedly points this out in several parts of his book.He argues that life always have meaning even if the individual is in the situation of suffering and death. This is clearly seen in the group therapy session that happened in a mass fast in the concentration camp wherein the people are trying to protect a fellow inmate from further suffering in the hands of authority.
Frankl connected this situation with the idea that there is always someone looking after those who are in a difficult situation. This could be a friend, family member, or even God who would always be there in time of need.In the case of Frankl’s inmate, a stranger can also help in time of need. Frankl was able to learn from his experiences that a prisoner’s psychological reactions are not merely dependent upon the conditions of his or her life but also in terms of the choices he or she made in times of severe suffering.
A prisoner should have control on his spiritual self in order for him or her to have faith in the good things that will happen in the future because ones he or he losses this faith, then he or she will find oneself in a hopeless situation (Man’s Search for Meaning).Another important part of Frankl’s book is his assertions toward the fact that there are only two races of humans. Writing about this issue coincides with the situation during the time Frankl wrote this book. Due to the fact that he experienced maltreatment under the Nazi regime that propagates that their Aryan race is superior, Frankl pointed out that in reality there are only two races namely: the decent human and the indecent human.
He explained that no civilization or society is free of either this kind of race.He was able to prove his point when he narrated that there are indecent Nazi guards and also the indecent ones. In the same manner, there are also indecent prisoners like the capo who would torture and maltreat their inmates for their own personal benefits but there are also many decent ones (Frankl 130). Character Analysis The character of Viktor Frankl was able to clearly emerge in the chronicles of his life that he wrote in his book.
It is quite observable that Frankl was able to apply the things that he learned from being a psychologist to his personal life.During his time of incarceration in the concentration camp, he was able to keep sane and even help his fellow inmates in facing the emotional and psychological challenges involved in being a prisoner. He was able to see the meaning and purpose of his life during his worst experiences. Despite the fact that he has to endure the hardships inside the concentration camp as well as the misery of losing his wife and parents, Frankl was able to rise above this situation.
He was strong enough to face the reality of life and even fought hard enough to continue living his life with a purpose.He was able to live a productive life by further contributing to the body of knowledge of psychology and philosophy. The inquisitive and worthwhile life that Frankl has is best exemplified by his statement “Ultimately man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather must recognize that it is he who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible” (Frankl 110).
Theme The theme of the Viktor Frankl’s book is best explained with the idea of Human vs. Himself. This is clearly observable in the development of Frankl’s life. As the story progresses, he faces different challenges and hardships in life that make him see that these difficulties have meaning.
He did not simply wallow in his misery or give up when he was undergoing the most painful parts of his life but rather he was able to find a sense of purpose in all this suffering.He was able to see the silver lining after the storm. As a result, the main theme of the story reflects an internal conflict among people. It discusses the struggle that people often feel with themselves because of the idea that the most difficult enemy is oneself.
The story talks about how most people especially those who experience dire suffering in their life have to fight with themselves so that they could emerged victorious in their life.This idea of Frankl is greatly exemplified in his words “We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through 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 the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way” (Frankl 120). “Man’s Search for Meaning” is an enlightening literary piece that poses an important question to its readers regarding their very existence.
Frankl was able to substantially contribute to the development of a theory that will guide people in their quest for their life’s meaning. This book is indeed worth reading because it gives people a new perspective when looking at the sufferings that they experience. The ideas presented by Frankl tend to poignantly move its readers to analyze their lives and in some sense exert the extra effort to rise above the difficulties they experience just like how Viktor Frankl bravely address the hardships of his life.
