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Post by Jason Parris on Nov 19, 2013 20:41:55 GMT
Bad things happen all the time, but we tend to reserve the term "tragedy" for things that somehow move beyond the arena of the just-everyday-sad or crappy into something more rarified and profound; what, in your opinion, is necessary to "elevate" (yes, I see the irony therein) an event from the mundanely bad to the realm of the tragic? Be as specific as you can
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Post by betsyrahe on Nov 19, 2013 20:55:55 GMT
In my experience death is what makes an event tragic. The true Shakespeare definition of a Tragedy is that someone dies in the end, while in a comedy everyone lives. Although death is something that happens everyday and often we still put it up as the "thing" that stamps an event as tragic. When a bad thing happens but everyone lives I often hear people say "Well atleast no one died" and even though people will be paralyzed for the rest of their life at least they are still living. Life is something we often ignore but it's opposite, death, is the thing we often most fear. Death is an unknown and scary thing. When someone dies their body is still with us but you can't create a relationship with a corpse. Death is lasting and forever. When someone dies there's no hope of seeing them again, and I think that's why there are so many undead or dead but not quite stories. Vampires, zombies and Frankenstein's monster are all in a way "cheating death" or not a hundred percent dead. We have an obsession with death.
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Post by moreno on Nov 19, 2013 22:11:12 GMT
Although I do not believe death is completely necessary for something to constitute a tragedy, it can certainly be a contributing factor. By death, I do not necessarily mean that someone must die, but that death is closer than usual. I cannot help but bring up recent events. What happened to three of our peers this last weekend was a tragedy, at least in my opinion. No one was killed, but the possibility of death surrounds the situation and sets it apart from an ordinary car accident. Accidents occur all the time, and it is certainly sad and unfortunate, but they are not defined as tragedies unless someone is severely injured or killed. More, I believe what sets a tragedy apart from the everyday crap is that a tragedy tends to effect more than those involved. If someone breaks their leg, their immediate family and friends may know about it, but not many people beyond that. On the other hand, if someone is killed or hospitalized for serious injuries, many more people are notified. For example, with Katie's current state, the entire community is aware of what happened and rallying to show support. What happened certainly constitutes as a tragedy and we will continue to pray for the sweet girls affected by the accident.
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Post by hannahlewman on Nov 19, 2013 23:51:13 GMT
Tragedy is what happens when humans are no longer able to ignore their mortality. Tragedy comes in many forms: a death or accident that reminds viewers how delicate and temporal life is, a disease that either accelerates death or impairs life to the point where living is almost as bad as dying, or a reminder that we are all on our way to the grave and will reach that destination much more quickly than we would like to. So much of our lives are built around clinging to truths to combat fear of mortality-I mean really, there's nothing like the promise of an afterlife to assuage those fears-and when our truths or ideals about mortality ("bad things shouldn't happen to good people") are shaken, it becomes tragic. As soon as we cannot ignore the death that looms constantly over all of us, we have entered into the realm of tragedy. It is not necessarily the fear of death itself, because really what the heck is death, but the fear of not living anymore, or at least living how we currently live. Tragedy is when life takes a stab at the truths you cling to, kicks you in the knees, and whispers in your ear that death, for you and everything you love, is just around the corner.
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Post by Lauren on Nov 19, 2013 23:58:43 GMT
For me, a Tragedy is something that effects masses. Things like hurricanes, bombings, or other large events that leave many people physically or mentally harmed. I agree with Morgan that death doesn't have to be involved to make tragedy, but it does make the tragedy more memorable and it raises the emotional investment in the situation. In my acting class we have an assignment to write a dramatic scene and give it as much emotion as possible. Because of this, most of the scenes involve murder, suicide, or deaths of loved ones. Tragic events don't just involve death though, they involve death (or almost death) of the people we care about. If a group of serial killers are killed in an accidental fire, we won't call it a tragedy; but if it's a group of young students who are well known and loved, the situation is suddenly something that won't be easily forgotten.
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Post by sheridanf on Nov 20, 2013 0:00:55 GMT
I definitely believe that death and events close to or surrounding death can be classified as a tragedy, and that a certain event may be called a "tragedy" based on the number of people it affects and how it affects them. But what about the tragedies that extend beyond a single event that no one else hears about? Think of the life of the protagonist from A Wild Sheep Chase. He lives most of his life without really living it- he has a boring job, he lacks in the human connections department, and his sex life doesn't seem to bring him any joy (remember that the first time he had sex, the first thing he thought was "whale penis"). It's as if his entire life is one of those bad days that we occasionally have when nothing particularly interesting happens, and he doesn't seem to have hope that it will get better. Now that's a tragedy. But it didn't really affect anyone else, did it? No one really seems to care about his tragedy, and if he had died, I have trouble believing that enough people would care enough to openly say, "Wow, what a tragedy that this man died."
I think something must be deemed a tragedy mostly based off of the effect it has on person that it's is focused on. We as readers find the protagonist's life a tragedy because we get to see his thoughts and see first hand his life. Most don't get that kind of perspective on a person's life, so few "outsiders" would think to call the protagonist's life tragic. But its effects on the protagonist- an unexciting life, little hope- would characterize his life as a tragedy.
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Post by emilybrinkmann on Nov 20, 2013 0:07:49 GMT
I think tragedy is defined individually. Yes, there are factors that can help people determine if a situation or certain even constitutes as tragic, but overall I think it lies in the eye of the beholder. Some could say that a tragedy is something that effects more than a small group of people, but I do not think that is the case. A tragedy could be the loss of a family member or friend, or it could be the loss of your pet tarantella, for me it is how the beholder takes the event. We all suffer individual losses and challenges everyday that we do our best to get through, but for me a tragedy is something that takes time to heal and recover from. Going back to what I put before how long it takes an individual to recover from an event is entirely personal and everyone is different. When we read a very sad scene of a book, hear a heart-breaking part of a song, or watch pain in a theater performance we all read see and hear these things differently. I could think that a betrayal of a friend is a tragedy and my best friend sitting next to me could think it is just that sad nature of life, it is our reaction that defines a tragedy for ourselves.
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Post by cassiecumberland on Nov 20, 2013 0:08:58 GMT
I think I'd agree with Betsy but shape the notion that death is what creates tragedy into unforeseen death. If our grandparents die, it's sad but by my own definition it wouldn't be considered tragic because we know that humans die at old ages. When a newborn dies, however, it's a tragedy because with technology we don't expect it. I believe that unforeseen death is tragic, but I recognize there are other tragedies too. 9/11 was tragic because we didn't know it was coming. Although many died and that was a tragedy in itself (as stated previously), the buildings crashing down-ruining what some would say were masterpieces, was a tragedy because it was something held to high esteem, recognition, or accomplishment that was destroyed. 9/11 was a double tragedy. As said by posts above, I believe tragedy is also the things that aren't in our hands, which are again unforeseen, but are naturally occurring. An example would be the typhoon in the Philippines. This is naturally occurring, unforeseen, and isn't in our hands. It's uncontrollable. It also took lives early, which is a tragedy AND it has destroyed the homes and livelihood of many filipinos.
Tragedy is an event which is unforeseen, out of our hands, or naturally occurring. That we humans don't understand.
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Post by haleyjensen on Nov 20, 2013 0:19:15 GMT
I definitely agree with Betsy and Morgan that tragedy encompasses severe physical impairments, or even death. However, I do not think every time that some one dies is tragic, depending on the situation. Example: Think about an older woman who has lived a full life, but is currently struggling to stay healthy and is suffering from physical pain everyday. Her husband passed away a few years ago and she misses him more than she ever thought she could. Let's also say that she and her family are Christian and they believe she is going to heaven. If this elderly woman died a peaceful death, I would not consider that a tragedy; she and the people around her would have redemptive hope for what lies beyond this world. Her death would be sad, and painful for everyone left on earth, definitely. But tragic? No. The circumstances that surround death and physical injury are often what makes an event tragic in nature.
Besides tragedy in a physical context, I think tragedy can be present in an emotional/psychological context as well. My health class finished up the mental health unit a few weeks ago, and learned about all different kinds of mental disorders. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Schizophrenia, Body Dismorphic Disorder and Anxiety Disorder were a few of the ones we studied. These are all disorders that can take over a person's life. Thinking about the constant streams of worry, uncertainty and self deprecation that run through the minds of people who have these diseases makes me shiver. I find it incredibly hard to watch a person that I know go through intense physical struggles, and I also find it incredibly hard to watch a person that I know go through severe emotional or psychological struggles. While the mental disorder itself may not be a tragedy, I think the implications that a mental disorder can have on a person can definitely be tragic.
Final thoughts... I think the use of the word "tragedy" in everyday language is very interesting. In some cases, it is highly overused and unfitting for the situation being described. Sometimes people comment on an event and say "oh, that's tragic..." when it might just fall into the "everyday crap" category. However, I also think that people often shy away from the use of the word tragedy because of a fear of misusing it or using it in the wrong context. I'm sure I've been on both ends of this spectrum at some point in my life. This may be the topic of the second prompt, but... regardless of whether something is crappy or really is tragic, I think that "bad" things that happen in life remind us to really appreciate the good things.
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Kasey
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Post by Kasey on Nov 20, 2013 0:19:57 GMT
We keep talking about death as a tragedy, and while I dont disagree, it's more tragic for those still living than those who have died. It's more about us losing them than them losing themselves.
For me, what makes something tragic is the absence or threat of absence of something that can't be replaced, especially when we cant remember a time when we were left with that absence. Death is tragic because we lose someone who we share enough memories with to notice they're gone, and we know we'll never get them back. The breakup of a family is tragic because family is all a lot of people have known. Molestation or rape is tragic because there's something there that's taken away, and you can't replace it (Excuse the extremely short explanations, obviously I can't do these tragedies justice).
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Post by jessicalee on Nov 20, 2013 0:24:45 GMT
I agree with Emily in that tragedy is an extremely subjective concept. Tragedy does not simply come in one form, nor is one form more valid than another. Tragedy can arrive through (but is not limited to) death, injuries, and disasters. Tragedy is not necessarily the looming, imminent force of doom, but is rather the realization; the realization of the weight of a fatal situation. I believe that when one realizes the severity of her situation, then it becomes tragic because reality has punched her in the gut and she cannot turn back. Merely being "just-everyday-sad" implies that the subject may still carry a glimmer of hope that she can overcome her obstacle or difficulty. Tragedy, however, is much more drastic. The subject would believe that she cannot escape from her difficulties, from her torment, or from her helpless world. When she loses faith and hope in her situation, only then is it a true tragedy.
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rishi
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Post by rishi on Nov 20, 2013 0:32:38 GMT
"Tragic...TRAGIC!" exclaimed Mr. Omar after describing the death of one of his clients. Mr. Omar is a funeral director in one of the funniest TV shows ever made, "Everybody Hates Chris," and even though most of us agree that death is not something to be taken lightly, we continue to laugh at Mr. Omar and his stories. But why do we laugh at Mr. Omar and his tragedies when we take so seriously the tragedies in our own lives such as the death of a family member or friend? We feel this way because Mr. Omar and his clients are not real. Our family and friends are. The line between reality and fiction is clearly defined, and that same line is what divides tragedy from comedy. When someone else's misfortunes seem like they have a legitimate chance of happening in our own lives, that is when we call those events tragic. The misfortunes we coin "tragedies" happen to people that are similar to us, so we assume that they can happen to us too. The most common of all tragedies is death, and that is because it is the most realistic. It has more than just a "chance" of happening because we know it will happen; it is real.
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Post by yongkim on Nov 20, 2013 0:52:47 GMT
Tragedy is defined as an event causing great suffering, destruction, and distress.
Similar to Cassie, I agree with the notion that a tragedy is often unforeseen. Every living thing, including us human beings, experience death, and we expect it to come due to old age. However, a terminal illness, an assassination, a fatal natural disaster (hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis), or any event that cuts life short is seen as tragic in my eyes. In three days, our nation will commemorate the death of John F. Kennedy. When JFK was shot at 12:30 PM while he was riding in the presidential motorcade with his wife, nearly everyone was shocked and distressed by what was known as a tragedy. The assassination of our president was simply unforeseen.
Although I believe the above definition is mostly accurate, there are a few events that bring about the same negative emotions yet are not considered a tragedy. In many cases, break-ups cause individuals to suffer emotionally for a long period of time, but no one (besides maybe the person that got hurt) defines a break-up as a tragedy. In fact, many people say a death has to occur for it to move beyond the arena of everyday-sad and into something more rarified and profound. I disagree. Take for example the life of Jay Gatsby. He lives a materialistic life that is solely based on a girl whom he thinks is the woman of his dreams. When Gatsby realizes Daisy is clearly not as he initially perceived her to be, the reader defines Jay Gatsby's life as tragic as he spent all of his life accumulating immense wealth for essentially a nonexistent woman.
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Post by pjharris on Nov 20, 2013 0:55:36 GMT
I am inclined to connect "tragedy" to the word "failure". Usually tragedies come from an error of small proportions that could have yielded totally different results had it gone the other way. For example the titanic (a good example) was not only an error of the driver but the failure to provide enough life boats. Another example is a Tragedy: Romeo and Juliet. The story may have experienced a different, positive, outcome if Romeo had kept his cool and hadn't lashed out at Tybalt. Some human gave into their selfish whims (the "Titanic"s arrogance and Romeo's rage). A personal favorite example of Tragedy would be Othello. Had Iago ignored his jealousy and had faith in his wife a number of people could have been spared grief and pain. On a smaller, more individualized scale I would have to agree with KC's "absence tragedy". All of these are linked by the common theme of human inability to suppress selfish whims and a disregard for how the actions may negatively affect people other than yourself.
Then again, how do tragedies such as floods or natural disasters fit into that? They don't. My definition is not a fact. There are a lot of different ways this argument can be pulled and many valid ideas here. But seeing as our next point of focus is on Oedipus Rex am inclined to connect tragedy with human failure to accommodate the welfare of others by selfish whims and the indelible effects they have on those others.
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Post by racheladele on Nov 20, 2013 0:58:24 GMT
I see tragedy as irreversible and sincere damage to one's life. Both the idea of "bad" and "tragic" in relation to our lives are subjective, but "bad" things are generally more transitory, such as a bad grade on a test or bad weather. Tragedies stand out because they are much less common. This also adds an element of subjectivity, as every person has a different idea of the norm for unpleasant occurrences, and tragedies are often the outliers. In terms of what makes a tragedy, I think it is the depth of its effect, which is why I agree with Kasey in that the tragedy of death is determined by those who are left behind. Tragedy conjures emotion of more depth than something merely “sad.” Often the word “tragic” is used sarcastically, or in dramatized circumstances, but the true tragedies are those that put things in perspective or remind us of our insignificance. I think natural disasters are a powerful example of tragedy because they are completely out of our control and (like the typhoon in the Philippines, earthquake in Haiti or Hurricane Katrina) cause irreversible and heartbreaking damage. Natural disasters are tragic in themselves as well, because although they cause an incalculable amount of death, the world is detached from these deaths by the fact of their occurrence in a large number. War is the same way. That is why tragedy is the most powerful when it is personal or can be understood/felt very directly.
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