PRESENTATION

Authentic Existence: An Existential

Study of Select Novels of Philip Roth
by

S.P.RUTH RAJATHI

Research Adviser External Examiner

DR.SURESH FREDERICK DR. G.BASKARAN
 MEANING OF AUTHENTICITY

The Chamber’s Dictionary defines “genuine… the

quality of being authentic, the state of being true”.

AUTHENTICITY IN EXISTENTIALISM
The term ‘authenticity’ was introduced by Martin

Heidegger in Being and Time, though the idea got

derived from Soren Kierkegaard.

Kierkegaard was the first in the existentialist tradition

to insist on authenticity.
 EXISTENTIALISM
 A human centered philosophy

 Human beings are not born heroes.

 Individual must struggle to live

 Absolute freedom of an individual

 Notions -Dread, boredom, alienation, absurdity, choice, commitment,

nothingness and death.

 Major philosophers- Kierkegaard and Sartre

 Frederick Nietzsche, Karl Jaspers, Martin Heidegger, Albert Camus, Martin Buber,

Merleau Ponty, aul Tillich and Simon De Beauvoir.

MAJOR EXISTENTIALISTS

Kierkegaard Sartre
Danish French
Theist Atheist
 PHILIP ROTH

 Roth- A Contemporary Jewish American

 A post modern novelist
 Many awards and prizes- Winner of National Book Award,
PEN/Faulkner Award, Pulitzer Prize , Koret Jewish Book Award
(2000), Chicago Tribune Editor’s Pick (2000), WH Smith Literary
Award (2001)and National Jewish Book Award (2001)
 Retired from writing
 SELECT NOVELS
Sabbath’s Theater(1995) The Human stain(2000) Everyman
(2006)
 SELECT NOVELS
Indignation (2008) The Humbling (2009) Nemesis(2010)
 CHAPTERS
I Introduction

II Existential Anxiety

III Existential Choice

IV Existential Freedom

V Conclusion
 CHAPTER I- INTRODUCTION
Three Existential notions- Anxiety, choice and Freedom

Anxiety- a psychological state or mood before choice

making

Choice- inevitable factor in a human being’s life

Freedom- allows an individual to be free in actions based

on the thought of responsibility

CHAPTER II- EXISTENTIAL ANXIETY
 Kierkegaard writes anxiety as thus “dizziness of freedom” which is

“peculiar to human beings and “not found in the beast”

 “Kierkegaard defines dread as freedom’s appearance before itself as

‘possibility’”

 Jean-Paul Sartre: “In anxiety I apprehend myself at once as totally free

and as not being able to derive the meaning of the world except as

coming from my-self”

 SABBATH’S THEATER
Drenka says, “Either forswear …others or the affair is
over” (ST 1). He answers her: “No. I disagree” (ST 25).


ANXIETY
 THE HUMAN STAIN
Coleman Silk- “Neither his mother’s longevity nor her mortality
could be allowed to have any bearing on what he was doing . . .”
(THS 141).

ANXIETY
CHAPTER III- EXISTENTIAL CHOICE
Kierkegaard says, “It is not so much a question of choosing the

right as of the energy, the earnestness, the pathos with which

one chooses. There by the personality announces its inner

infinity. . . and . . . the personality is consolidated” (Bretall 106).

Sartre, says that Choice “. . . originally creates all causes and

motives which can guide us to partial actions . . . which

arranges the world with its meaning”

 EVERYMAN
“. . . he decided to oppose the sense of estrangement brought on
by his bodily failings and to enter more vigorously in to the
worlds around him. He did this by organizing two weekly
painting classes for the village residents. . .” (EM 79).
 INDIGNATION
Marcus- “I was eager to be an adult, an educated, mature,
independent adult, which was just what was frightening my
father.” (IN 17).

Choice
CHAPTER IV-EXISTENTIAL FREEDOM
 Sartre says that “What is at the very heart and centre of Existentialism is

the absolute character of the free commitment, by which every man

realizes himself”

 Sartre believed in the essential freedom of individuals, …That is, with total

freedom comes total responsibility.

 Historical Dictionary of Existentialism explains as follows “Facing up to

and taking responsibility for one’s freedom is the normative goal of

existence”.
 THE HUMBLING
(Pegeen Mike) In The Humbling Her father says, “Pegeen does what
she wants to do. She’s done that all her life” (TH 135).

FREEDOM
 NEMESIS
Cantor in Nemesis, believes that “when you have to pay the
price, you pay it” (NM 25).
 CONCLUSION
Authentic living is possible if the individual is ready to live

a life based on overcoming anxieties through free choices

with the realization that he or she is responsible for his or

her life.

Authentic existence surely makes an individual’s life

meaningful.
 SABBATH’S THEATER
Sabbath’s (the “anti-illusionist”) “He hadn’t

committed suicide, because he was waiting

to be murdered”

Sabbath proves himself to be authentic.

 THE HUMAN STAIN
Coleman is portrayed as this;“- he is repowered and free to be

whatever he wants, free to pursue the hugest aim, the

confidence right in his bones to be his particular I”

“I don’t want anybody butting in my life” (THS 40) says he who

never allows his family to influence him

 EVERYMAN
Finally he says “But this is what I did! I am 71. This is

the man I have made”(EM97).

His choice of profession, three marriages,

hospitalizations and loneliness prove him authentic

 INDIGNATION
As Descartes says “I think, therefore I am”

(Palmer 50), Marcus says to his mother: “I

said, I’m me” (IN 10).
He denies to attend the chapel which is

against his will

 THE HUMBLING
Pegeen-At last she says clearly to Axler “It’s not

what I want” (TH 126).

Pegeen creates her own world through her original

choices.
 NEMESIS
Cantor says “Look, you mustn’t be eaten up with

worry and you mustn’t be eaten with fear. What’s

important is not to infect the children with the

germ of fear. We’ll come through this, believe

me”.
 FURTHER SCOPE
Multiculturalism in Roth

Narratology

Autobiographical note

Anti Semitism

Blend of Historical setting