wake of circumstances that are life-threatening and arguably life-terminating

wake of circumstances that are life-threatening and arguably life-terminating

Introduction

The three readings are all representations of survival amidst catastrophic circumstances. In the reading Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl, the writer depicts the terrible circumstances of prisoners of war incarcerated in the concentration camps under the SS guards. The prisoners move from one camp to another, working under appalling conditions where several of them succumb to various atrocities. The writer holds unto the inborn optimism, especially in the notorious Auschwitz camp, until he finally lives to tell the experiences. Moreover, Andrew Zolli’s ‘Resilient Mind’ is another masterwork featuring four children popularly known as the ‘Lingfield Four.’ These children are equally victims of war, in which case their parents disappear in the concentration camps and are left under the care of captives of war at Terezin and Auschwitz. They arrive at Lingfield, malnourished, and mentally disturbed. Still, the primary point of concern is the resilient minds of the two children who happen to overcome their life challenges to live better lives in the aftermath of their adoption. The resilience of mind amidst the catastrophes of malnourishment and suffering is central in this excerpt. Ultimately, Hector Tobar’s ‘Sixty Nine Days’ is another illustration of survival amidst tough circumstances. This episode involving the 33 miners in the Chilean copper mine of San Jose depicts how 33 men managed to stay underground for sixty-nine days before they were rescued. The men were very much aware that the old mine was not in optimal condition by then, but they needed money despite the circumstances. Further, the writer underscores the men’s stories underground that they kept on telling each other that in the event they could be rescued, they will narrate their story collectively. Besides, this is a story that uses religion and faith as a resolve for survival beyond their predicament. Their final rescue makes them be proud of their unity and resolve to stay together underground and after that. Thus this analytical essay endeavors to explore a variety of concepts and theories used by different writers in the three readings given in a bid to frame the problem of survival in the wake of circumstances that are life-threatening and arguably life-terminating. The concepts and theories applied are illustrated in this excerpt as follows:

1. a) Inborn Optimism

As depicted by Viktor E. Frankil, in ‘Man’s search for Meaning,’ inherent optimism (also described in psychiatry as the delusion of reprieve) is a state of the mind that holds onto the tinniest of hope amidst a looming death. The writer describes the first moments at the sight of prison life, which was entirely characterized by immense shock because the environment was in the first place new, and also, the Auschwitz concentration camp was known for the wrong reasons as it was the most dreadful of the concentration camps. The gas chambers, the crematoriums, and the associated massacres were all the horrible things that made Auschwitz stand out. Therefore as the train halted its drive at the station, they knew Auschwitz was going to be their new home. However, the writer indicates that once inside the gates of this dreadful concentration camp, their hearts missed their beats, but then they were comforted by the healthy faces and the smiles that emanated from the prisoners who were to welcome them in the camp. Little did they know that they were being welcomed by the special elite of prisoners who had access to privileges. The hope they had was that things might not be as bad as was known outside the camp owing to how the other prisoners behaved and smiled. This was the function of inborn optimism, which they held to comfort themselves and to enable them to survive amidst the catastrophic circumstances in which they had found themselves. Besides, the delusion of reprieve is when the condemned man before his execution gets an immediate illusion that he might be pardoned at the very last minute. It concurs, therefore, to the situation of the prisoners holding to positive hope that even if they had come to the worst of the concentration camps in Europe, they might survive owing to the psyched faces of the prisoners who were supposed to welcome them.

1. b) Apathy

In the same reading, ‘Man’s search for meaning,’ the writer illustrates how apathy or emotional death became a defense mechanism and later a concept used for survival amidst the catastrophic experiences which were characterized by constant struggles to save one’s life.

For instance, the writer gives a vivid picture that in the concentration camps, the SS guard officials, together with a few Capos (privileged prisoners who were in charge of minor responsibilities assigned by SS guards) deprived the prisoners of all their dignity and did not consider them as human. Instead, they saw them as beasts of burden who would be used up to their last energy then gassed at the gas chambers. Moreover, some of the worst experiences they went through included unreasonable beatings, which came at the slightest provocation of the SS guard. For instance, when the prisoners were lining up for a small piece of bread (which was to serve them the whole day), any prisoner who lined up without maintaining the proper symmetry of the queue, whether by choice or circumstance will receive terrifying blows on any part of the body. Besides, it was a criminal offense for any prisoner to demonstrate any sign of weakness caused by injury or disease because it was a direct gateway to the painful death at the gas chambers. The horrifying pictures of dying prisoners became commonplace since corpses were everywhere so much so that the prisoners were forced to develop apathy. Thus, apathy for this case can be described as the emotional fatigue of the prisoners epitomized by a lack of interest and enthusiasm for everything that happened in their lives. Furthermore, the writer illustrates that at this stage of psychological reaction made them insensitive to the hourly and daily beatings at the camp, thereby becoming a protective shell eventually. Apathy, coupled with Dostoevsky’s statement that “a man is a being who can get used to anything,” brings us to the realization of how this concept and theory frames survival in the concentration camps, which was a known catastrophe of the 20th century.

1. c) Freudian theory and Psychological Resilience

Andrew Zolli’s ‘Resilient Mind’ is another piece of writing that clearly illustrates the role played by the Freudian theory in close conjunction with the psychological resilience of the mind. The ‘Resilient Mind’ gives an account of the Lingfield Four children who arrived either from the concentration camps of Terezin or Auschwitz. While at Lingfield, the children were observed to have undergone severe malnourishment, and they were small in size for their age. Their condition was attributed to a lack of consistent care and comfort at the concentration camps. The children’s names were Berl, Leah, Jack, and Bella. After they were adopted, they later became grown-ups, having found different places and roles in their lives. However, when they were interviewed in the 1979 and 1984 respectively, it was found out that Jack and Bella were doing better in their lives since they were married and had kids. Still, on the contrary, Berl and Leah survived, but they struggled in their later lives because they were riddled with anxieties, shame as well as sadness emanating from their past life experiences. In essence, they did not overcome. Thus, in this excerpt, the big questions are: how could four children brought up in the same circumstances of trauma land in vastly different places in life? Why do the Berls and Leahs of this world suffer while the Jacks and Bellas flourish? The answer to these two questions is psychological resilience. It is the concept of the strength of the mind that sets people apart in life, thus despite the struggles, Jack and Bella became examples of how psychoanalysis theory of Sigmund Freud can be utilized to survive in terrible circumstances. The approach aims to release repressed emotions and experiences by making conscious the unconscious thoughts, thus gaining motivation and insight.

1. d) Religious faith

The concept of religious faith plays a significant role in Hector Tobar’s Sixty-nine days. The fact that the 33 men got trapped inside the old mine too deep as such, denied them the visibility of a day they will finally find themselves on the surface with their families. Thus to survive in the stone ‘coffin,’ they turned to their catholic faith. A prayer session started inside the mine became a group therapy session where they would own up and apologize for their previous mistakes and transgressions. This served as a survival tool that brought the men together despite the worsening hunger they faced, coupled with worse feelings of deprivation. From the reading, one of the miners taking the count of the other miners shouted, “There are thirty-three of us.” He said. ” this has to mean something, that there is something bigger for us waiting outside.” Another miner Sepulveda, shouted, “The age of Christ! Shit!”. Even those who were not religious, saw the connection between their number and the age of Jesus Christ during his crucifixion. Consequently, they saw hope, redemption, and survival amidst the catastrophic circumstances they were facing in the deep old mine.

Conclusion

As a point of departure, it is worth noting that survival is a yearning of every soul regardless of the prevailing circumstances. This excerpt gives four perfect illustrations regarding the concepts and theories that depict how zealous human beings can be even when death is inevitable. The inborn optimism, apathy, art as well as the Freudian theory and psychological resilience are the weapons of survival used by prisoners of war in the concentration camps as well as the surviving children from those camps. The writer uses them as escape routes from reality while hoping for a better chance. However, it should be noted that as much as these concepts and theories helped in the survival from catastrophic circumstances, the most resilient and optimistic individuals became beneficiaries.