Friendship Leads to Happiness

Viktoriya Belanovskaya

Professor Dr. Harold Parker

Intellectual Heritage: The Good Life

15 December 2017

Friendship Leads to Happiness

​        Aristotle states, “Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” The pursuit of happiness is a common ambition that many people strive to attain. Each person has the ability to create their own form of happiness, especially if they surround themselves with a good support system. Happiness expresses how we feel, but it is more than just a temporary feeling. We are created to be emotional individuals and experience a widespread of feelings on an everyday basis. Happiness is not just about being able to make the most out of the good times, but also to cope effectively with the unavoidable bad times, in order to experience the best possible life overall. However, in order to cope with the unavoidable bad times, you need a companion in your life to uplift you and provide you with comfort. From supporting you through heartbreak, providing advice with important life decisions, or just being there to share a good laugh, having a good friendship in your life can make you a happier person. In the book “The Epic of Gilgamesh”, we see the friendship that is developed between Gilgamesh and Enkidu that leads to Gilgamesh maturing and transforming into a happier, justice ruler. While on the other hand, in the book “Frankenstein”, the desired happiness and friendship that the monster Frankenstein is longing for is obvious, but unfortunately he does not obtain it. That being said, the friendships you create throughout your lifetime may contribute a great amount of happiness on your life.

Maintaining a good friendship with someone may lead you into happiness and prevent you from feeling alone. Friendships are said to increase your sense of belonging and purpose and even help you figure out your true self. Friendship is usually a bond that is shared among people that have mutual characteristics and interest. A friend is someone you enjoy spending time with, whether it’s the small everyday things or major adventures. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, we can observe the friendship that is among Gilgamesh and Enkidu as most significant. Gilgamesh was a self-absorbed, arrogant, and cruel ruler, yet surprisingly he found a companion who he had nothing but love and respect for, trusted upon, shared adventures with and ultimately made him happy.

Gilgamesh was an oppressive ruler who cared about no one but himself. He slept with women before their wedding night and took anyone or anything he wanted. He was an absolute definition of an unjust ruler. Therefore, Enkidu was sent as an opponent to challenge Gilgamesh. Before they even met, Gilgamesh had dreams about meeting someone he would share a close bond with, a companion who would be there for him in times of trouble. “A mighty comrade will come to you, and be his friend’s saviour…like a wife you’ll love him, caress and embrace him, he will be mighty and often will save you” (George 10).  In these lines from the book, we can see that having a companion can rescue you from your times of trouble. If we did not have friends to help us get through hardships and difficult times in our lives, then we would eventually always be unhappy. A friendship is a bond of mutual affection. However, sometimes it can be difficult to find a friend who never lets you down, and is always there to help you no matter what. We see in the character of Gilgamesh that he was someone who really did not have any friends. By the way Gilgamesh treated the people of Uruk, it resulted in no one liking him. When you don’t have a close friend or people around you that you can bond with, you start to only think about yourself and deep down inside you are most likely truly unhappy. Therefore, the friendship that Gilgamesh created with Enkidu and Enkidu’s death lead Gilgamesh on a journey for everlasting life, and then to accept his own mortality. It is the happiness and fulfillment he finds in his friendship with Enkidu, then, that ultimately allows Gilgamesh to find meaning even in his limited existence and become a justice ruler to his people.

All human beings acquire a fundamental need for human interaction and connection. The need for human connection, to share ideas and thoughts, as well as enjoying companionship might be a reason why friends are so important to us. We desire friendship because it also makes us feel like were accepted in the society around us. By nature, we as humans need the affection and intimate connection with one another. Having the support and love of one another gives us the feeling of comfort and happiness.

In Frankenstein, the monster created by Victor Frankenstein is rejected by the human society because of his appearance. We notice how the creature is totally ignored and abused by society, therefore it results in him being unhappy. When we feel like we are accepted by those around us, we create a connection that results in a friendship. However, the monster had no community, no friends, no family, when he tries to interact with humans they become frightened of him and reject him. In the book, we see the creature express his feeling towards the cottagers, “They loved and sympathized with one another; and their joys, depending on each other, were not interrupted by the casualties that took place around them. The more I saw of them, the greater became my desire to claim their protection and kindness; my heart yearned to be known and loved by these amiable creatures;” (Shelley 157). The monster realizes the happiness it brings to the humans to have each other and to be loved by one another. The monster anxiously longs for a companion because his life is unhappy and miserable without the acceptance of humankind. When the monster finally convinces Frankenstein to create him a companion, the monster has a grin on his lips, therefore, indicating he was smiling and clearly happy. “A ghastly grin wrinkled his lips as he gazed on me, where I sat fulfilling the task which he had allotted to me” (Shelley 203). Once his companion is created, the monster will lastly be able to attain some degree of happiness and will no longer have to live in complete loneliness. However, when Frankenstein destroys this half-finished creature, the monster cries, “you can blast my other passions; but revenge remains-revenge henceforth dearer than light or food!” (Shelley 205-6). Frankenstein has destroyed the monster’s hope of happiness, therefore, the monster vows to destroy Frankenstein’s life. The monster no longer has anything to live for, so the monster’s only motivation in life becomes revenge against his creator. If we did not have the friendships that shape our lives today, we would be miserable and feel hopeless just like the monster.