Self-Discovery - 2530 Words

Self-discovery Throughout one’s lifetime changes in a person’s views toward life are inevitable. Those changes can be seen as either positive or negative based on the experiences a person goes through. Some changes are seen as internal while others are seen as external. For instance, in Monkey by Wu Cheng-en and Candide by Francois-Marie Arouet De Voltaire, both authors are using their characters to portray self-discovery by having them go through a series of obstacles. As a result the characters changed their attitude toward life through the many obstacles that they had to undergo. Self-discovery is an essential part of a person’s life which can be seen internally or externally through a person’s characteristics and†¦show more content†¦In the end when he finds out that Cunegonde is ugly, he still goes to search for her â€Å"†¦go search out Cunegonde on the shores of Propontis, however ugly she might be† (Voltaire, 574). This shows ext ernal changes in Candide’s character, and it shows that he still wants to fulfill his promise to marry Cunegonde. By the end of the story we can see that Candide has learned the true meaning of life through his experiences on this journey and he now has his own views and opinions towards the world. However, after all of his experiences on this journey, â€Å"Candide still doesn’t understand the key to happiness† (www.associatedcontent.com). At the beginning he followed the beliefs of Pangloss, even after he realized that the world doesn’t work like the philosopher once said it did and he lets go of those beliefs, he ignorantly throws his trust into the beliefs of another person. Candide discovers the Turks truth to life, â€Å"†¦and the work keeps us from three great evils, boredom, vice and poverty†¦I know†¦that we must cultivate our garden† (Voltaire, 580). Even though he now knows what to do now in order to reach a state of happin ess, which is people working together, he isn’t willing to change internally because he’s still holding on to the same essence of life and doesn’t show any beliefs of his own. Changing his philosophical belief from following Pangloss to following the TurkShow MoreRelatedThe Journey Of Self Discovery1932 Words   |  8 Pagesthe path of self discovery? The journey of self discovery is a journey that most people take at some point during their life, whether it is very early in life or rather late in life. In the novels, Billy Lynn s Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain, Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald the three protagonists have all undergone a journey on the path of self discovery. These journey range in length, depth, and significance just as these self discovery journeys varyRead MoreThe Pursuit Of Self Discovery1012 Words   |  5 Pagesof my own ordinary situations to be seized momentarily whilst I let mind be fre e and my own imagination wander. The pursuit of self-discovery is present within many forms of literature and can be told through plots and central characters. I often discover new societal universal longings that arise from the novels pages which encourages me to reflect on my own sense of self. The unique interpretations and individual thoughts made by readers allows for a diverse range of reactions to literature. ItRead MoreSelf Discovery In Anita Nairs Ladiesbor1330 Words   |  6 PagesThe paper intends to explore the theme of self discovery through the act of journey in Anita Nair’s Ladies Coupe. Travel narratives are broad genres which illuminate mainly on people, place and culture. Journeys form the focal point of every travel narrative. In literature, the motif of journey is used as a distinctive idea or theme and is used to represent a character’s epiphany or self realization. It provides a personal assertion outside the compressed state of one’s li fe. Journey is seen as aRead MoreSelf-Discovery: Who Am I? Essay4271 Words   |  18 Pagesquestion is the heart of the quest for the Self. This is a quest which may take a lifetime, sometimes longer, to fulfill. One path, of self-discovery, is when people turn to their surroundings in their search. In turning to their surroundings, people are able to see their Selves by the things around them. In observing the surroundings, people may, not only, find their Selves, but establish their Selves. This path, however, is not the only way people search for the Self. Another path is when people turn toRead MoreSelf discovery787 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Ã¢â‚¬Å"I Need To Be Myself, I Can’t Be Anyone Else.† â€Å"I was born to be true and not to be perfect,† Epey said in his speech. Epey is the winner of the trending segment in It’s Showtime – That’s My Tomboy. In this segment, they (lesbians) let me, the madlang people and the world to see their worth as a lesbian and as a human. They also made me believe that all of us can be accepted in the society beyond our imperfections, because no matter how imperfect we are, there are still things that we must be proudRead MoreKnowing Self and Self Discovery1011 Words   |  5 PagesKnowing Self This semester, I had the privilege to experience unrestricted creativity in a structured writing class. Now, as I reflect upon the semester I come to realize how closed minded I really am. This semester, I was challenged as a student writer to draw upon something or find inspiration from within to constructively create a masterpiece with words. Often times, finding or even tapping into my creative nerve was very difficult. Then I came to realize, as a student writer, I am paralyzed byRead MoreEssay on Self-Actualization and Self-Discovery752 Words   |  4 Pagescreation, but the very second we are born it is our job to find out who we are. Life is described by some to be an epic journey of self-discovery and actualization, and that’s exactly what it is. Self-actualization is the term used to describe how individuals go their whole lives trying to reach their full potential. Now, what does this mean to an individual? Being self-actualized means that an individual knows who th ey are and what they want and what they were made for, and generally this notion isRead MoreThe Pursuit Of Self Discovery2522 Words   |  11 Pagesmez Dr. McCollister ENGL 3314 April 4, 2015 The Pursuit of Self-Discovery: A Psychoanalytic look at The Picture of Dorian Gray When one hears the title The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde a flash of Faustian images such as villains, tragedy, and worldly pleasures might come to mind. The reader might recall Lord Henry Wotton as the Mephistophelian presence of the novel, and his epigram that â€Å"All influence is immoral†¦because to influence a person is to give him one s own soul† (Wilde 19-20)Read MoreJanies Self-Discovery Essay1481 Words   |  6 Pagesblack communities and families. It also examines different issues such as, gender and class and these issues bring forth the theme of voice. In Janie’s attempt to find herself, she grows into a stronger woman through three marriages. Janie’s first discovery about herself comes when she is a child. She is around the age of six when she realizes that she is colored. Janie’s confusion about her race is based on the reasoning that all her peers and the kids she grows up with are white. Janie and her NannyRead MoreMy Journey Into Self Discovery1035 Words   |  5 Pageshopes of finding some powerful words of wisdom, you took a wrong turn. After 41 years, I find myself with even more questions and all the wrong answers. I am not here to enlighten or educate anyone. I m here to talk, to share my journey into self-discovery. So here s an overview of my life up to now. I was born in Barstow, California to a free-spirited, free-thinking, multi-talented artist father and a breath-taking, tragic beauty of a mother. Neither one should have ever had a child, but both