Content
The content of the book ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ by Viktor Frankl describes the experiences
of the Second World War concentration camps. Written directly by an inmate of the Auschwitz
Concentration Camp, there is a lot of detail in the explanation of the war period. The Nazi
Germans were firmly in control of Europe and the Chancellor, Hitler was reforming the social
shape of the continent. By using the concentration camps, the Nazis had found an effective way
of getting rid of the one race they did not like; the Jews. The contents of this book describe the
horrors that were happening within these concentration camps as Germany was exerting its
dominance in the world.
As a result of the book being written by an inmate of the concentration camps, the
contents of the book also feature a lot of personal experiences. There are a lot of details on the
kind of life that the inmates were living within these camps. The writer chronicles the days when
he would go without seeing any food or water, watching the people around him fall and die one
by one. The personal experiences in the book draw a lot of sympathy from the reader as the
writer describes the most horrifying scenarios of the war.
The second part of the book provides an analysis of meaning as it relates to human
beings. The writer introduces the concept of logo therapy that attempts to establish the possibility
of a normal life after the experiences of a concentration camp. Viktor Frankl takes his own
personal experiences into account at this stage as he introduces a relatively new concept to cope
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with the pressures of life. The book offers new insight into knowledge and certainly is influential
in shaping the thoughts of human beings in the modern world.
Style
There are a number of styles that are evident in the book ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ by Viktor
Frankl. One of them is the use of personal experiences to recount the main points of the book. In
fact, this style is dominant throughout both sections of the book and can account for its main
theme. The writer looks back at the period when he was an inmate in the concentration camp and
uses this knowledge to develop a new theory. Consequently, the book becomes very influential
because it touches on real experiences that are unimaginable in the present world.
Another style that the author uses in his book is a remorseful tone to bring up the main
concepts. The book has a lot of compunction because the writer looks back at the unfair targeting
of his people and their eventual deaths. He does not understand why the Nazis have to be so
brutal, but more importantly, why the world is taking too long to respond. The book develops its
theories and analysis on the back drop of remorse, and the reader can quickly correspond to the
harsh times the writer was going through.
Additionally, the writer makes use of descriptive language in providing details about his
stay in the concentration camps and his new theory. The reality of his stay in the concentration
camps is unimaginable and will require firsthand details on the reality of the situation. The
descriptive language also comes in hand as he introduces and explains the theory of logo therapy.
A comprehensive discussion of the new theory is essential to giving it meaning to relate to
different situations. This style allows the reader to develop an in depth understanding on the
subject in order to relate to Viktor Frankl’s situation.
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Merit
Considering the book is giving an important and in depth information at a critical point in human
history, it has a lot of merit. The descriptions of the horror experiences that the Jews were going
through provide a lot of insightful information for the modern day reader. It becomes possible to
connect different points in history and develop a general understanding of the past. The book
also exhibits its merit as it sheds light on the operations of the Nazi Germans during this period.
The volume of historical information provides value to knowledge in the modern day world.
Additionally, there is a lot of merit in the book in the manner in which the writer shares
his personal experiences. By fighting his own personal conflicts, the writer provides insightful
information about his life and his views at the time. He provides his experiences through three
steps; the initial shock at joining the camp, the danger of deformation and, lastly, bitterness. The
recounting of his personal experiences is emotional and a courageous act on the part of the
writer. It gives meaning to the book as well as the message and theory that the writer
communicates to his audience.
It is also intriguing to note that ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ by Viktor Frankl is among
the ten most influential books in the United States. A survey by the Library of Congress and
Book of the Month Club came to the conclusion that he book would have a large effect on the
reader. By linking past experiences to provide a new level of knowledge, the writer achieves
progression in an impressive manner. As a result, there were over 24 translations of the book,
and Viktor Frankl would see 10 million copies in sales by the time of his death in 1997.
Passages
There are a number of crucial passages in the book that provide merit to the main message by the
writer. In the beginning of the book, the writer uses the line ‘the salvation of man is through love
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and in love.’ Viktor Frankl makes use of this passage to counter the main points of Nazism that
divide superior races from inferior races. According to the writer, there are only two races of
men in the world; indecent men and decent men. This clear division by the writer articulates the
unfair treatment they were experiencing at the hands of Hitler’s forces (Frankl 12).
The last passage of the first section provides a lot of insightful information about the
inmates. The writer uses this section to provide details about their liberation and the three stages
that they go through. This information makes use of a lot of personal experiences of the writer in
describing the desperate situations of the inmates. In the end, they come to realize that they
cannot achieve true happiness on the basis of the experiences that they have been through. These
passages provide strong facts about the depressing future that lies ahead for them.
In the last section of the book, Viktor Frankl shows the eventuality of the situation
towards the end of the prisoners’ stay. This is because they will have gone through a lot of
personal suffering that they will be unable to suffer any more. The tough experiences will be
responsible for shaping a new outlook because they will be able to fear nothing or nobody,
‘except their God.’ By believing in one true God, Viktor Frankl restates that his meaning in life
is to help others find their own meaning. This is a selfless act, and he makes use of this passage
to round off the main themes of his book.
Personal Evaluation
The book provides a lot of historical information of the injustices of the past and the road for
improvement in the future. The book ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ prompts the readers into a
deeper reflection of their own life and the steps they can take for improvement. Thus, the book is
quite emotional as the writer describes their horrifying personal experiences in the concentration
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camps. The book is certainly influential in demeaning the negative concepts of Nazism and is
quick to unite the entire human race as one.
Therefore, the message from this book is that conflict never solves any problem that
human beings experience. By subjecting the Jews to improper treatment, the Germans would
only worsen their own fate as Hitler would not survive after the Second World War. Human
beings should always a find a way to live together and avoid unnecessary conflicts that only
demean the current progress. The human races need to embrace each other as one in order to
ensure peace, progress and a better tomorrow for future generations.
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Work Cited
Frankl, Viktor. Man’s Search for Meaning. New York: Beacon Press, 2006.