Self Identity Influenced by Love

Self Identity Influenced by Love

After the study and discussion of a handful of the great literary works of the nineteenth century it is apparent that love is a powerful and recurring theme. Within many of these texts an idea of self identity influenced by love of another is presented through the characters and plot. Whether this concept is unintended or deliberately placed by the author, self discovery is an underlying message. In The Symposium, Plato presents various intellectual perspectives on the subject of love. The speech given by Aristophanes focuses on a search for wholeness culminating with the discovery of a soul mate. This idea is articulated by George Eliot in Silas Marner. Silas leads a lonely existence, cut off from the world, until Eppie is brought into his life. Whether it is the love for a beloved, family member or friend; love brings about the discovery of self-hood and personal identity.

The comic poet, Aristophanes, discusses the idea that love is essential to becoming whole. This speech establishes a myth which suggests that lovers were once physically joined together. According to Aristophanes, human beings were originally spherical, with two heads that faced in opposite directions, four legs, four arms, and two sets of genitals. The god Zeus, in a rage, severed the union of lovers into two pieces. These halves of men immediately sought out their counterparts and clung to each other. In the soul of each man lies a longing for something that can never be articulated or explained. Aristophanes attempts to elucidate this with a discussion of soul mates and an individual’s search for their missing half.

Aristophanes explains that it is human nature to search for and desire a partner. He states, “The reason is that this is our original state and we used to be whole creatures: ‘love’ is the name for the desire and pursuit of wholeness.” According to Aristophanes, Lovers were not created as separate identities but as a single entity. Like a magnetic attraction the detached beings are drawn to each other. Many people search for a lifetime and are unable to find their missing half. Others discover their soul mate and upon this discovery uncover wholeness and contentment.

It seems evident in a number of classic romance tales that discovering love ultimately means realizing personal identity. People often declare that a lover understands their personality better than they themselves comprehend it. Aristophanes’ claim that lovers were once a single being supports this credence. This reasoning, however, only accounts for the personal change simultaneous with the discovery of a lover. Often it is not a lover who changes a person’s life. A man could find his true identity through a relative or friend, perhaps even through a complete stranger or with nature.

Finding a soul mate, in light of Aristophanes’ story, also signifies finding yourself. “That’s how, long ago, the innate desire of human beings for each other started. It draws the two halves of our original nature back together and tries to make one out of two and to heal the wound in human nature.” Human beings are constantly searching to find their own identity. According to Aristophanes, this search is not an inner search, but, rather, a search for another being to fulfill a feeling of deficiency. A person is not “healed” until love is made a part of life. The attraction between soul mates is a force that cannot be denied. It is only natural for a person to seek out a match and desire a union with their equivalent.

Love is a journey, not a destination. Self discovery often occurs while traveling this path. Although it may go unnoticed, personal change comes about gradually as two lovers move towards becoming a single entity. Relationships come in various types, and while lovers can bring about self discovery, so can other influential individuals. Many times the influence of a single person can alter an existence forever.

Aristophanes’ speech gives reason as to why humans search for a soul mate. This is accomplished through his tale of the separation of a single being into two halves, each destined to find the other. Discovery of this person brings about wholeness and self discovery. George Eliot in Silas Marner articulates and develops the idea set forth by Plato in The Symposium. A single person can completely alter the existence and outlook of another, simply by becoming a part of their life.

Silas Marner is the story of the miraculous healing and redemption of Silas Marner, a weaver. Silas was a broken, closed, selfish, unhappy hermit, with an accumulation of money. In his isolation, he shared nothing. His sad, lonely life revolved around his work and the money he collected. When Silas is robbed of his precious gold, he removes himself from social interaction. His love for money had led him to a life of greed