a minor philosophical issue: the meaning of life (an analysis of the book, the only girl in the car, by kathy dobie
The meaning of our existence....the will to meaning....what IS the purpose of our lives anyway? These can all be mind boggling questions. Frankl discusses existentialism, which can be defined as "the meaning of existence and the striving to find...the will to meaning." Hmmm....well, this seems like a huge question, but it is actually quite logical. Accoring to Frankl and based on the experiences of Kathy Dobie, the meaning of life seems to be broken down into the meaning of each moment, which must be filled with the struggle of searching for this meaning. The problems incurred along the path of life only seem to add to the meaning of life. No moment escapes the power of meaning within a person's life, whether or not the meaning is realized.
One's will to meaning is different from a will to power or a will to pleasure. One's search for meaning is the most important motivation of life. If each person searches long enough within their lives he or she will discover that each moment of life has its own meaning. The will to meaning is not just a broad picture of one's life. One's meaning in life is composed of moments that are each a microcosm of one's entire life. An accurate analogy could be the creation of a painting. Each stroke of the brush gives definition to the painting. As it is created, it becomes more and more recognizable and meaningful. In order to have meaning to the finished product, each stroke must be present and purposeful. This is just like life: in order to find the meaning in one's life, each moment must be meaningful and purposeful to the finished product of life. At the present time in Kathy's life, she has reached a point where she understands the connections between the positive an negative events of her life and their meanings as part of a greater whole. She leaves the reader with the thought that in the past, "What I didn't know then, but surely know now, is that my future had already begun." Kathy understands that one should...
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