Existentialism in American Lit

Existentialism in American Literature "I must find a truth that is true for me, the idea for which I can live or die," (Sfren Kierkegaard). Being the first acknowledged existentialist, Kierkegaard’s ideas set the standards. Existentialist ideas are based mainly on the individual, his plights, and his confrontations. Ernest Hemingway, another existentialist and author of "A Clean Well-lighted Place," shows multiple examples of this philosophy in his work. The universe’s indifference to humanity, …

…lack of concern for an elderly customer symbolizes the universe’s indifference to humanity. The old man’s suicide attempt represents the normality and emphasis upon death and its role in human life. The suicide attempt along with the old man’s choices show an emphasis on the individual and his tenets. Sfren Kierkegaard, as the first proclaimed existentialist started many of the beliefs of existentialism and shows them through his ideas and his quotation.