Bigelow, Gordon E., "A Primer of Existentialism."
             In his essay "A Primer of Existentialism," Gordon Bigelow acknowledges the impact of this "ism" on literature, art, philosophy, theology and social science. Furthermore, he goes on to state the six major themes common in Existentialism, exploring each in great detail.
             The first Existentialist idea is the belief in "existence before essence." This emphasizes the individuality of man, reasoning that every person is unique because of his/her past experiences in life. This unique view on mankind is reflected in literature in that the authors of the time now dealt with the question "who am I?" rather than "what am I here for?"
             The second common theme is that of "reason's impotence in dealing with the depths of human life." Contradicting Plato who separated reason from the rest of the human psyche because of its importance and higher state of existence, this idea unifies all the parts of man, brining"wholeness" and a larger sense of unity to one's life.
             Furthermore, Bigelow stresses the common sentiment of "alienation and estrangement" from God or a higher power among Existentialist philosophers. The unification of reason and the rest of man, he argues, encourages a growth in science which leads to the merging of man and concrete earthly existence. This, in turn, results in man's further separation from God, leaving him with a "spiritual bareness" and rift from nature. Coming after the horrors of the Second World War, Existentialists tended to lived in fear, paranoid with questions like, "when will I blow up?" This "unbearable terror" caused many to lose themselves in anguish, bringing forth an era of lost ideals and moral values.
             For someone alienated by God, nature, man and himself – at the same time living in constant panic and par...