Question 2
Since the beginning of philosophy love has been the subject of many pieces of writing. Thomas Merton’s Love and Need, Plato’s Symposium, and Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit, include thoughts on pivotal ideas regarding love. Some of the thoughts described in these pieces are common among the three, however each piece presents a unique idea not common to the other.
Thomas Merton’s Love and Need begins with a criticism of the term “falling in love”. He says that this expression implies a passive nature to the process. Merton points out that the term falling almost implies an accident, and uses the example of falling into a pool. Merton describes love as an exchange similar to a business transaction. Merton elaborates on this idea saying …show more content…
The characters are classic examples of the negative effects of how social expectations shape one’s character. The play is set in hell, the characters are individually brought into a second empire style drawing room starting with Garcin, then Inez, and finally Estelle. Throughout the play a love triangle forms between the characters. This beings with Inez’s blunt display of attraction for Estelle. Inez’s attempts to have intercourse with Estelle are quickly rejected by Estelle. Sartre uses this display of homosexual love to reinforce the traditional women’s need for a man’s love and dominance. As discussed above, Goldman also believes that women’s need to conform to gender essentialism forces them to seek a man’s dominance. This is also displayed by Estelle’s love for Garcin. Estelle needs Garcin’s male gaze in order to find herself beautiful. This is an example of how femininity is beautiful only if perceived by the male gaze. The final portion of the love triangle is Garcin’s love for Inez. An essentialist would argue that men feel the need to feel masculine and courageous. Because of Garcin’s history of abandoning the war, Garcin feels that he is a coward. Garcin’s need to be assured of his masculinity prevents him from loving Estelle, due to her willingness to assure him in exchange for his love. Because of Inez’s strong personality, Garcin longs for Inez’s
Since the beginning of philosophy love has been the subject of many pieces of writing. Thomas Merton’s Love and Need, Plato’s Symposium, and Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit, include thoughts on pivotal ideas regarding love. Some of the thoughts described in these pieces are common among the three, however each piece presents a unique idea not common to the other.
Thomas Merton’s Love and Need begins with a criticism of the term “falling in love”. He says that this expression implies a passive nature to the process. Merton points out that the term falling almost implies an accident, and uses the example of falling into a pool. Merton describes love as an exchange similar to a business transaction. Merton elaborates on this idea saying …show more content…
The characters are classic examples of the negative effects of how social expectations shape one’s character. The play is set in hell, the characters are individually brought into a second empire style drawing room starting with Garcin, then Inez, and finally Estelle. Throughout the play a love triangle forms between the characters. This beings with Inez’s blunt display of attraction for Estelle. Inez’s attempts to have intercourse with Estelle are quickly rejected by Estelle. Sartre uses this display of homosexual love to reinforce the traditional women’s need for a man’s love and dominance. As discussed above, Goldman also believes that women’s need to conform to gender essentialism forces them to seek a man’s dominance. This is also displayed by Estelle’s love for Garcin. Estelle needs Garcin’s male gaze in order to find herself beautiful. This is an example of how femininity is beautiful only if perceived by the male gaze. The final portion of the love triangle is Garcin’s love for Inez. An essentialist would argue that men feel the need to feel masculine and courageous. Because of Garcin’s history of abandoning the war, Garcin feels that he is a coward. Garcin’s need to be assured of his masculinity prevents him from loving Estelle, due to her willingness to assure him in exchange for his love. Because of Inez’s strong personality, Garcin longs for Inez’s