Literary Analysis Essay on Ultimate Questions of Life

Introduction

It is undeniable that we all have mysteries about life which is believed to be a common aspect of human being. The book Ultimate Questions of Life by Clyde F. Crews (n.d) tries to depict that our own lives can be viewed as series of questions that seek to address who we genuinely are as well as who we will become. In other words, there is no individual does not encounter these questions in life. Notably, we are all defined in life and also in death through the manner in which we respond to these questions. Therefore, there is need to find the meaning of life since humans have been making efforts to addresses this question from the beginning of civilization. Different persons have various purpose in life. Some think that self-realization is the purpose of life while others believe it is memories that one leaves behind after dying. Evidently, life can be compared with different things in life, but understanding the soul provides an explicit lifestyle and the desire to help others to accomplish their set goals and being at peace with God. As a consequence, this reflection work will seek to extend our knowledge on the introduction of theology through examining multiple secular and religious answers to the ancient questions about the meaning of life, who we are and what we shall be.

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According to Crews, in situations where fundamental life questions have to be addressed, persons invariably tend to develop different forms of reactions. A majority of them encounter fear, skepticism or bitterness while others create new elements of hope commitment and compassionate about the human endeavor (Crews, 1981). For instance, life is believed to be the most valued aspect of the universe since all what individuals have, everything that they encounter and feel can be termed as life itself. In that, questions such as the meaning and the purpose of life have become difficult to answer: it needs ample time to reason about it. Thus, it is difficult for individuals to believe any purpose that we tend to have in our lives since a majority of people do not believe in eternal life hence making it hard to believe in any meaning of life. Regarding the book, Ultimate Questions of Life all persons have multiple questions concerning the understanding of life although the way we understand and look for solutions to life's ultimate questions will defer due to individual's beliefs and traditions.

Subsequently, one of the most prominent and well-known methods to search for answers to life's crucial questions through the practice of science and theology. Theology entails the mystery of God in himself as well as opening itself to other topics about life. It can be viewed as the intellectual dimension about the acts of faith. The essence of using religion is based on the urge to believe the level of understanding by way of putting together information about faith in a coherent system and detailed manner (Furchtgott, 1999). For instance, when an individual is born in a staunch Hindu family, his or her life is confined to spirituality, yoga, and praying. One's association with the society is reduced, and a person lives a socially secluded life. This instance depicts that the church, state, and the community have in most cases controlled the human life. This denotes that strict policies and taboos, as well as standards of behavior, have been managing the human life.

Crews work, Ultimate Questions of Life holds that persons appear to hide from the fundamental questions as they spend their lives in a turmoil of evasions, engaging in busy projects and sourcing for higher standards of material achievements (Crews, n.d). On the other hand, others are attached to the ultimate elements hence diminishing their ability to understand the ultimate questions about life. It is crucial to record that all persons at some point in life are exposed to primal things distinctly in their lives. When people are young, they are full of energy, and they are not concerned about their purpose in life. However, as they grow older, they start thinking about their life more about what they have achieved so far and what needs to be improved. Nobody desires to live an empty life hence the need to set goals and make life more interesting. Nevertheless, individuals tend to be influenced by the kind of people he or she hangs out with. In such a setting, a young person is most likely to rebel since adolescent stage entails the assessment of the surrounding world. In that, it is a time of searching one's self and a time of rebellions. This is a critical stage since discovering yourself, and your missions are necessary to live in peace with your soul. This implies that the soul is supposed to be free since life depends on opportunities to grow and experience the universe and not become a slave.

Subsequently, on the question of hope and the drive for life even when humanity encounters a desperate situation, people require significant efforts to survive. The desire for a new life is gratifying and gives one the freedom and ability to make individual decisions which is an overwhelming feeling. Our needs and wants are in most instances inconsistent since in most cases people appear to want something that they do not own hence losing interest on what they have already accomplished in life (Bouckoms, 1994). There is always that feeling of wanting something else, something unique from what we already have. It is believed that persons who are fanatical with standards in most cases hides the internal suffering of their mind and soul and in other cases, a majority of persons are frightened by the fact that their lives are not in line with their imaginary criterions. Consequently, a person is more likely to lose one's unique personality or fail to recognize one's character when they are under pressure from the standard stereotypes such as jobs and university.

Conclusion

Conclusively, Clyde holds that our lives are full of questions and we experience them in the day to day matters affecting our homes and workplaces. As a consequence, human beings will naturally learn to ask and react to arising issues in our life. As depicted in this work, ultimate concern for human beings is the question about the meaning and purpose of life. Notably, the questioning process is a vital segment of theological reflection hence the book provides enlightenment through the many guidelines that respond to questioners on life's way. It is now apparent that we are in full control of our destiny. What we as human beings input in our present settings play a key role in the modeling of our future because the fate is foreordained to us since birth. For instance, if a person lives with the perception that it is right to accept everything that life puts on the table as opposed to trying to modify something, then there is a high likelihood that they will miss essential opportunities in their life thus losing the sense of existence.

References

Bouckoms, A. J. (1994). The Vulnerable Self: Confronting the Ultimate Questions. Psychosomatics, 35(4), 407. Doi: 10.1016/s0033-3182(94)71764-3.

Crews, C. F. (1981). Ancient Baffles and Modern Times: Teaching Ultimate Questions. Horizons, 8(02), 291-298. Doi: 10.1017/s0360966900018910

Crews, C. F. (n.d.). Ultimate Questions. Retrieved June 21, 2018, from https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=setvsmOa0l4C&pg=PP7&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=3#v=onepage&q&f=false.

Furchtgott, E. (1999). Purpose or Meaning of Life. Aging and Human Motivation, 247-257. Doi: 10.1007/978-1-4757-4463-7_12.