Existentialism in the main character of El Tunnel
In the present work we have as an orientation to an outstanding work of the Argentine author Ernesto Sabato, "El Tunnel", where Juan Pablo Castel is presented as the main character;defined as a painter trapped in a terrible loneliness, in addition to dedicating himself to exploring human beings in a miserable way. Generally, that feeling of being alone in the world appears mixed to a proud feeling of superiority: contempt for men, I see them dirty, ugly, unable, eager, rude, petty;My loneliness does not scare me, it is almost Olympic (Sabato, p. 89). This appointment extracted from the book makes us known how the protagonist has a thought about very raw life, in addition to being related to the philosophical thought established in the society of the twentieth century, where each person constantly reflects on the sense ofLife and death, this is greatly believed due to global scale conflicts that occurred. The current of existentialism arises gives you the possibility that Castel observes life in a different way, is free and creates its own way of existing.
Therefore, the following investigation will be divided into four chapters. In each one it will try to expand in a greater way the understanding of the work, on the other hand, will help the receiver or the reading person to understand from the beginning as Sabato presents Juan Pablo Castel as a purely existentialist character. Throughout the plot it is demonstrated as said individual intends to communicate to others that he is in a single way, his essence is existentialist. This is an important factor to describe my purpose of the study to develop it with enthusiasm and know it in depth. Therefore, the approach derives in the subsequent question. How do the main character Juan Pablo Castel through his actions and thoughts denotes the philosophical current of existentialism?
Chapter I – Existentialism reflected in the author
The philosophical current of existentialism was developed based on the idea that human life is a conscious existence. It begins by defining existential experience, embodied as an absolute existence that belongs to beings that live in freedom, and implies that the human being is absolute subjectivity;He lives with himself, with the world around him, and especially with the beings around him.
The philosophy of this current arises in the twentieth century by the French writer, philosopher and playwright, Jean Paul Sartre. His ideology considers that the human being is condemned to a lifestyle where the real in human existence is analyzed. Therefore, the meaning of life, the consequence of death, is questioned and man presents as a fragile individual whose only meaning is the present.
An existential being is characterized by being someone apathetic because he always questions the "why" of life. This is based on the idea that existence precedes the essence (Sartre). That idea proposes as an explanation that God is the only being whose existence makes sense, therefore, everyone else has a secondary existence. Based on this characteristic, the human being has the right and autonomy to decide whether or not. Sartre explains this by proposing that the human being lives, is there, and therefore his life is created based on his own way of existing.
On the other hand, being existential is someone free. Sartre explains this thought through two types of entities. The first group is aware of their own identity and their presence in the world, while the second group simply exists without a notion of the meaning of life. From that classification it follows as an explanation that the human being is not configured with a certain essence, because freedom takes responsibility for molding the essence of an individual. Freedom therefore is expressed in the anguish of an individual to which it clarifies reality.
The emotions of an existential being are appreciated through incommunication, lack of empathy, loneliness and misunderstanding. The first indicates how to be aware of one’s own identity, one loses connection with other individuals since the mind creates a constant dialogue between it and the conscience of oneself. The second point as an individual lives for himself, and although he tries to integrate or surrender to another human being, he will fail. The third and fourth separate the individual from the life around him, and he is dedicated mentally proposing that the only partner he has is oneself.
As said, Ernesto Sabato, resorts to existentialism with the purpose of using the characteristics of this current to deepen the identity of a character that perceives reality immediately based on its existence. Castel’s relationship with his own experience defines his way of understanding life. The intention of Sábato is to present a contradictory and imperfect being, which illustrates that we are increasingly human, humanity is ours, we do not forgive it! (Sabato). That appointment presents the author’s desire to live life ignoring "moral" established by a frivolous society whose only achievement is to prevent the human being from being sincere with his person.
Sábato was born on June 24, 1911 in Rojas, a small town in the province of Buenos Aires. He grew up in a home full of affection, but very stiff. He studied Physics in 1929 and divided his career in science and literature. He was always very passionate about stories and letters since issues such as loneliness, death, absurdity, despair and despair caught his attention. As a person, Sábato was a being full of mentions, and consequently, existentialism was a mental support to investigate the meaning of his vision of life.
During 1917 and 1937 Argentina presented social and political conflicts that produced in society a negative mentality and tormented by anguish. This influenced the identity of the protagonists of Sábato’s novels since it portrayed the individuals around him in his life. In those times of crisis, Sábato was a young man in training and mental growth, whose ideas could be influenced by the values of society, but due to his eagerness for literature, he managed to observe his surroundings and obtain his own vision. In the case of the novel El Tunnel, written in 1948, his approach was to tell the life of a withdrawn artist, who despises his entire surroundings and loses mental control for not communicating with anyone. According to that description, the protagonist of the Juan Pablo Castel tunnel demonstrates to be an individual who is aware of his existence. As existentialism proposes, Castel is real with himself, he creates his life based on what he wants and as he wants, since his freedom is seen in his identity;composed of existentialist characteristics such as incommunication, lack of empathy, loneliness and misunderstanding.
Therefore, the configuration of Juan Pablo Castel as an existentialist being is seen through Sábato’s decision to create his identity based on the values of this philosophical movement.
Chapter II- Existentialism as a representation of Juan Pablo Castel
At the beginning of El Tunnel, the main character is very briefly expressing the crime committed that condemned him to prison: it will be enoughAnd that no major explanations about my person are needed (Sabato, p. 7). This character is recognized as someone controversial and controversial, whose identity is clearly influenced by his point of view, the actions he has taken throughout his life and his idiosyncrasy. From the previous appointment and that it is presented from the beginning in the novel, the reader understands that Castel has always been the same, monotonous and without something relevant in his daily life. This is understood that, lacking transformation in the plot, Juan Pablo highlights the fact that existentialism represents it and therefore is a prototype of this.
The protagonist is shown as someone who lives incommunicado, in addition to despising the beings that are in their environment, in this way the reader is subjective thinking of the identity of Castel himself. As he is a character outside of society, this gives him one more reason to not find a way of relating to people and locking himself in his distressed bubble and suffering from anger, feelings he experiences when he perceives reality against his implanted values. The emotions of existentialism and belonging to Juan Pablo, are guilty that he departs from the outside world to deepen and reflect, in the attempt to understand something that for his nature is totally lacking meaning. When distanced from society, the main character survives intrinsically within what would be a metaphorically speaking tunnel, an opaque, gloomy and homeless space in which it is the only place where you can maintain your identity. Describes this area as their point of view before life. The tunnel is defined as a space with a dark start and uncertain end, Castel’s mind is also defined. Enter the idea or image through your view, it reaches your mind and allows your consciousness to meditate on it in a self-centered, confusing and different way. The above is perceived by the protagonist as something natural, making its authenticity progress according to its individual tunnel, in which it does not make any intention to be able to leave.
On the other hand, the incommunication that is reflected in Juan Pablo Castel exhibited it as someone in lack of empathy. It is explained in a better way in the relationship it carries with María Iribarne, showing it as a person who is not equal to others, or at least that appears, it is for this reason that it produces a different sensation in Castel and its universe. From the moment this woman appears, observing, in an exhibition of her works, specifically the "maternity" picture, feels the desperate need to know more about her, to feel its owner since she perceived a mental connection with Mary, and evenget to confuse this and think that it is love. In this way he generates an internal metal battle when he realizes that it is almost impossible to communicate with her. The above is due to the world that understands this, comparing it with his own, he sees how Maria interrelates with others, something distant for him and therefore does not understand her reality. First, Juan Pablo wanted an absolute love with her, he imagines that together they would be a link to combat society, and had mentally granted Mary the duty to help him get out of his incommunication. He confesses, I felt that the anonymous love that I had fed for years of solitude had concentrated on Mary … (Sabato, p. 59). Castel communicates that he wishes to turn his ideas into reality, but the little transparent life of her rejects this proposed proposal, and this causes him even more anguish.
On the other hand, Juan Pablo mentions … I have been a while to give a slot the opinion and justice of men (Sabato, P. 9), however, demonstrates in the work to be a person who does not like to appear as a ridicule in front of the others. This contradiction is an example of the doubts and constant criticism that his mind presents based on how he should act. Castel has an insistent consciousness that defines its lack of total communication as an existential type isolation. This creates in him an attitude of contempt where he refers to the beings that surround him as … dirty, ugly, unable, avid, rude, petty … (Sabato, p. 89). This language suggests that the protagonist believes himself superior to others, and consequently he moves away from them as much as possible.
The protagonist has properly an intact identity that gives him the power to live life with freedom in his own way, so much so that his actions, words, desires and achievements are the product of the mind that he possesses. As any author or founder of said philosophical movement would say that has been treated, to be a symbol of existentialism one must be faithful to the search for the meaning of life and prolong in decisions the interest in understanding the "why" ofthings. This is achieved by Castel because, by walking aware of his existence, he lives seeking the meaning in his anguish, the reason for his lack of communication, the melancholy of his love, and the darkness that makes up his authenticity.
Chapter III – Juan Pablo Castel and his loneliness
Loneliness is an important characteristic of existentialism since it leads the person to reflect and question about the reason for their existence. When he is alone, a person is able to analyze the lack of sense that life possesses. It is thought that, just as water is life and a space is needed to remain intact, in the same way, to reason and think about the existence of the human being, the complete presence of itself is necessary. Therefore, the meaning of lonely based on this philosophical current is to be aware of the sense of things around him, especially his presence in this life. Being fully responsible for the meaning of what is around each implies inquire about how what surrounds everyone has an impact and also defines the experience of existence. This characteristic is important because it is vital when creating a unique environment of the individual where your mind is established with total will.
According to Sabato, loneliness is for Castel a constant memory of why he is where he is, why his life is what he is, and why he is like that. First, through total isolation, the protagonist begins to deepen the meaning of his thoughts and cares about creating with the reader a dialogue with real awareness. When asked about the sense of the environment in which he lives, Castel transmits the reader how loneliness separates the individual into a space in which his life subsists from his own identity. That creates in the person a feeling of curiosity accompanied by anguish. In the case of Juan Pablo, this is seen through a series of dreams that highlight the theme of loneliness. In the first dream he says sometimes I was lost in the dark or I had the impression of hidden enemies who could assault me from behind or people who whispered and made fun of me … I felt that in that house the ancient loves reborn in me … I understoodthat the house of the dream was Maria (Sabato, P. 63). In that dream the darkness is shown, a symbol of loneliness. The author uses this figure to describe the sensation that Castel perceives when he is alone. Details it as an environment of uncertainty, distant and insecurity. On the other hand, mentioning that this sleep house refers to Maria, the author presents Juan Pablo’s desire to receive maternal protection. She is the mother of Jesus and the name of the woman that the main character believes to love, that is why the name is a symbol of an ephemeral love in the life of this. In the second dream he meets his friends and a magician makes him a bird’s size bird. In that identity he understands that he feels oblivious to this world and says … nobody, never, would know that I had been transformed into a bird. I was lost forever and the secret would go to my grave (Sabato, P. 95). In the third dream, Juan Pablo is inside a dark and lonely tunnel, and within him he manages to observe Maria, who was living any day and showing that his presence is not of vital importance for his life. In that scene, the protagonist infers and then felt that my destiny was infinitely lonely than those I had imagined (Sabato, page. 152).
Surprisingly on that occasion does not try to establish communication with Maria, transmitting that her destiny is to be irremediably alone. The three dreams of the main character have a surrealist connotation, used by Sábato to show us that undoubtedly Castel is an unstable being, with the disturbed mind, with permanent anguish and, therefore, someone totally existentialist.
That relates to the author’s life who let loneliness governing his childhood. Not being able to forget its introverted character, its night nightmares and the mystery that surrounded it, in this way, Sábato presents the issue of isolation. Those feelings that taught him to perceive the world with a critical lens, and therefore recognizes the presence of a dehumanization caused by money, reification and value to the social range, through Juan Pablo Castel describes the lonely man who separatesfrom the world around him due to feeling overwhelmed and homeless in his own melancholy. It is for this reason that the protagonist of the novel prefers to resort to loneliness and thus be able to decipher its authenticity.
On the other hand, people who governed under existentialism associate death with the fact of being absolutely alone since they have been in a state without exit. By killing his only source of "love", Castel fortifies the notion that there is no other alternative in his life, he is fully located only while his condemnation fulfills and also accompanies a deep darkness. Through this it is likely to conclude that ending Maria’s life is the unconditional statement that Juan Pablo only conceives an identity in her life, her own.
Chapter IV – The author and his existential character
When the main character intends to tell the story behind the crime committed, he visualizes a minimum hope in finding how he manifests it in the work, a single person who manages to understand it. Analyzing this small part, a very deep meaning arises, it is denoted as the author and his character seek that the reader listen to them in a reflective and attentive way.
From the beginning, at the time his picture is presented to society, Castel also presents the desire to be heard, but discreetly, while the reader explicitly details the exposed painting … I presented a picture called Maternity. It was … solid, I was well architectized … but up, to the left, through a window …: a lonely beach and a woman who looked at the sea … looked like waiting for something … the scene suggested, in my opinion, an anxious loneliness andAbsolute (Sabato, p. 12). This picture is shown as a link between the protagonist and his way of being, of thinking: someone lonely, who fails to be heard, is not able to communicate with his environment, but, he needs to be understood. Then he resorts to a form of expression which allows him to be free without reproaches and that not many would understand the message behind it, the painting. Although it is usually disconcerting to use a woman to represent what she feels, in the expectation of an individual who gives importance to her presence in the picture. This implies that, through art, remembering that Castel is a painter, this has been able to vent and express both the positive and the negative, without the need to think that it is what they will say, with total naturalness, this subtly given,showing that he feels satisfied with his being and does not intend to change it in any way. In the above, the existentialism that precedes Castel is evidenced, conceptualizing its freedom through an intellectual and delicate way, giving strength and life.
As another point, with the willingness to criticize the outrageous that the individual and their existence are related, it decides to contribute to know the reality between the two. Raising as the subject of the work mainly to the lonely self, the author joins the constant Searches of the identity of Castel, this is better understood in the tunnel metaphor, the main character decides to lock himself in this dark space and thus intends to understand himselfsame, it can be understood as protects in despite any reason its position before life. Therefore, Sabato manages a crisis of the psychological type in which the human being establishes everything around him, what he thinks, his feelings and position using as a fundamental tool, reason. This causes everything that has not yet been discovered, and can even create a certain fear of the new, so your life is pure monotony.
The writer of the novel seeks to deepen the mentality of the protagonist, he also tries to be aware of his identity, thus qualifies existentialism to the purpose for which one must live, but is simply nonsense, something absurd without explanation. Juan Pablo works as is, he is loyal to his idiosyncrasy and also travels the path of life under his own norms, consequently, reason defines his life. The essence of existence in Castel is an effect of acting under said philosophical current.
conclusion
Sabato demonstrates an existential character of the twentieth century, establishing from the beginning the destiny, feelings, thoughts and wishes of this, this in order to give readers a life lesson and understand the unwavering position of the protagonist.
Castel manifests contempt and indignation to every person around him and also does not feel part of the world since he sees men as veryyefy beings, manifests it through his intellectual and insightful thinking, becoming responsible for what he expresses. Living as a being belonging to loneliness, he is selfless in living with society, product of his position before men, he does not see necessary to interact with these, he does not feel bad about thinking that way. As an existentialist, it does not see importance to life itself and the moments that are generated throughout it, but rather its only objective is to look for an explanation to the reason for being of each thing. In addition, it could be affirmed that it is not sentimental, and even selfish since in your life there is only room for what you think and what it is. He has his own satisfaction and joy through the experiences that only encompass himself, he does not need anyone else because this would surely involve that his way of thinking and being to change and it is evident that he does not intend that. As another point, the freedom found in your mind, by acting in this way, existentialism is also present, giving it free choice so that I continued thinking how the right believe.
To conclude, the question that leads to the analysis is the following. How does the main character Juan Pablo Castel through his thoughts and actions denotes the philosophical current of existentialism?, Then it is evidenced through the disgust that Castel feels towards society, the isolation that is of his preference, the importance he gives to his point of view and his lack of sentimentality, that this is a totally existential being, taking this currentas a justification of your thoughts and actions.
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