Madman Symbolism

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1. In what sense is the madman insane? Upon what basis, or according to what standard, is he considered insane?

The madman is insane because he came running into the market place filled with people who don’t believe in God, and shouts out that he seeks God. Everyone there was yelling and laughing at him. These people thought has this man gotten lost, is he hiding, or has he gone on a voyage. He is considered insane because he is a believer of God and shouting it out to a group of people who are non-believers. Also, if you ignore the deeper meaning of the lit lantern it may look weird that he is carrying a lit lantern when it is very bright outside.

2. What might be the symbolic or analogical meaning of the madman utilizing a lighted lantern
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This allowed them to have something to give their own life a higher meaning. Though it is a bright morning and one wouldn’t need a lit lantern to navigate their way through the market place, he is carrying it because he wants the people to know that there is a light missing in their lives though it does not seem to appear so. The madman wants these people to know that daylight is simply not enough. Though the lantern is small, it is very powerful and essential because it will enable people to see beyond their own sight, and beyond their everyday life. The meaning of life is not at the surface and it may be hard to realize that. We all have to dig a little deeper to find and posses this meaning of life, which is God.

3. According to the madman: “we have killed God, we are his murderers.” Beginning with “But how have we done it?” the madman poses a series of passionate questions in response to the murder of God. What do you think is the basic point of these questions? What do these questions imply about the consequences of the ‘death of God’ for his
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Whoever is born after us, our generation, could restore the faith and values. Therefore, for the sake of this deed he will belong to a higher history, The madman makes strong claims because faith has been lost and it needs to be replace with something. If God is really dead then everything changes because spiritually is necessary for people to find meaning in life.

5. The madman throws down his lantern, in response to the silent and stunned audience, and proclaims that he has come too early. He also states that this murderous deed “is as yet further from them than the furthest star – and yet they have don’t it!” What might the madman mean? Why do you think he throws his lantern to the ground, so that its light is extinguished at this precise moment?

I think the light in his lantern is supposed to represent meaning to life brought to us by God. By the madman carrying this lit lantern in the bright hours of the morning he is showing the people at the marketplace this light represents God and without it we do not have a meaning for our existence. Without this light people are losing meaning and letting the darkness of ignorance was over them. Now the meaning of our existence given to us by God is now getting further and further away. When he throws the lantern on the ground and the light extinguishes I think that represents when the light of God goes out in someone that the meaning

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