Mrs. Hooverenglish 11/American Literature

Mrs. HooverEnglish 11/American Literature

What is the Meaning of Life?

A lofty question, indeed. The meaning of life? The value, the purpose of man’s presence on Earth? Perhaps this question can never fully be answered. Yet, it is a common thread, a theme, of all human existence and for our reading selections this year in 11th grade American Literature. Men, women, and children alike often ask themselves, “Why am I here?’ “What is my purpose?” “How should I live my life?” You will ask this too, of others and yourself. Hopefully you will have a clearer understanding by the end of the year. Think about it today, now. Write a paper, a poem, a letter (to me or…?), an essay, and examine what YOU think is the ‘meaning of life, yourlife,’ as you recognize it today, right this minute. All I ask is that whatever you write, your writing is:

in INK (or typed)

legible

error free

as long as it needs to be

thoughtful

honest

Below are quotes from some famous ‘voices’ and what they think about the ultimate question, “What is the purpose of our lives?” These are from the book The Meaning of Life by David Friend (Little, Brown, 1990) and other notable sources.

"It's been fifty years since Kristallnacht, the night Jewish synagogues and stores were destroyed in Germany and Austria. Hitler was testing the world to see how it reacted. And as we all know, the world didn't react. We are here to be vigilant, to be aware of the terrible things we can prevent -- like the Holocaust, like Hiroshima, like hunger and want. There is a Jewish lullaby that says that we are like a river's shores, and deep, deep in us runs what has been, what we are now and what is to be transmitted to the next generation." -- Ruth Westheimer

“You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.” - unknown

“We're all searching for a meaning to our lives. Everyone ... We have to. Because no matter who U are, I don't think anyone is born knowing the reason why they're here. It's just something you have to find as you go along. And it ... it’s different for everyone. There are as many reasons to live as there are people in the world, maybe even more. So, the reason for being born, the reason you've been put here in the world, I think it’s something we have to find for {sic} ourselves. So we search within our hopes and dreams, the people in our lives, in everything we do. And even if the reason we find seems hazy or unclear, even if it’s so fine that we can hardly see it {think mustard seed}, the important thing is that you always have one ... And you know, you can always find one if you know where to look.” - Fruits Basket, Episode 23

“Hope is what makes us strong. It is why we are here. It is what we fight with when all else is lost.”

- Pandora(GOW3)