Name:______________________________________________________

THINKING/WRITING GUIDE FOR COMMENTARY ON EXISTENTIALISM

Answer these questions to prepare for a discussion will serve as the basis for your commentary.

1. Write a statement that you think explains the essence of Sartre's The Wall and/or Camus' Myth of Sisyphus and the short work assigned to your group. You might want to speculate about what relationship these stories and poems bear to the "heart of darkness" where ever we find it. Or you might want to talk about some aspect of these works that confused or deeply moved or interested you. Use the back of this sheet for your initial statements and notes. (5 minutes)

2. Write a brief explanation of the feelings you had after reading the work. (5 minutes)

3. share your questions and explanations with the rest of the group. Spend a bit of time talking with each other about each of the questions to see where they lead you. (15 minutes)

4. Share your statements with each other and use your discussion to develop a statement to about existentialism and twentieth century protest music and literature.

5. Write a commentary summarizing the thoughts and feelings your group had after reading these works and your own final conclusions about Existentialism, protest music and literature.

GROUP READING ASSIGNMENTS

Groups 1 - The Wall & 7 - Myth of Sisyphus
Sartre - from Existentialism
or Seferis Helen

Groups 2 - The Wall & 8 - Myth of Sisyphus
Malamud - A Summer's reading
or Borges - The Disintested Killer Bill Harrigan

Groups 3 - The Wall & 9 - Myth of Sisyphus
Eliot - Love song of J. Alfred Prufrock
or Colette - The Other Wife

Groups4 - The Wall & 10 - Myth of Sisyphus
Fiero - The Visual Arts at Mid-Century
or Mahfouz - The Happy Man

Groups 5 - The Wall & 11 - Myth of Sisyphus
Thomas - Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
Beckett - from Waiting for Godot
or Thomas - When All My Five and Country Senses See and Dickey Adultery

Groups 6 - The Wall & 12 - Myth of Sisyphus
Tagore - The Man Had No Useful Work
Iqbal - Revolution & Europe and Syria
Anwar - At the Mosque
or Awoonor Night of My Blood