Nausea: Music that Strikes a Core to the Heart

Nausea- A world of randomness chaos 

Jean-Paul Sartre is a renowned philosopher of Existentialism. His famous work follows Antonie Rouquentin, a writer who questions and explores his own existence. He goes through phases of extreme observation of his surrounding world, going beyond the materialistic world and questioning every single object and person in his life, only to find himself in a world of order that is chaotic, in other words, randomness, which causes him to have nausea. In an instant, he arrives at a bar that is equally unbearably to stand. The group of men playing poker, and as he deciphers the winning odds, or the strange drunken man approaching him with a vibrant outfit, all made his stomach turn. Until he asked the waitress to play music on the vinyl, he began another round of nausea. A peculiar kind of nausea that made him on cloud 9.  

"For a moment, the jazz is playing; there is no melody only notes, a myriad of tiny jolts. They know no rest, an inflexible order gives birth to them and destroys them without giving them time to recuperate and exist for themselves." 

Antonie describes the music highly resembling his existential conflict. Prior to the passage, he describes the vocal chorus as "short" or "abrupt manner," signifying a sound of order bores him. It does not merely pique his interest as much as the randomness of Jazz music. He takes time in writing every detail on how it makes him feel, or the memories that have been brought forth, like trips to Barcelona. In a way, Antonie represents Jazz music, for he excludes traits of randomness or disoriented melodies, not following the conventional way of thinking about life. Without forcing it, he thinks beyond the box.

Reflection: My Relationship with Music

I have a personal relationship with music, and I think as humans, we all are. Music has a way to touch the core of our hearts with melodies, and it can bring the most vulnerable memories to our minds. Yesterday afternoon was a study session with my friend Mia. We went to a hidden 24 cafe hidden in the streets of Gongguan. As I was catching up with her, some songs were playing in the background. I had to abruptly pause the conversation and tell her that this music has significance in my life, for it reminds me of a past lover. We proceed on engaging in a chillax yet intense conversation about our past. Among the questions were: "What did you learn from this person even though he has hurt you so badly?" "Why did you think this happened to you?" "What comes after this heartbreak?"  It was a therapeutic moment for both of us. Because it allowed us to reflect on the past as well as our whole being, and test and explore fate itself. All thanks to a song that reminded a person of the past. This shows the great magnitude of music in human physiology, and how certain music touches the uncharted territory of our hearts, as it was for Antonie in Nausea. 

Stranger Things Season 4 - Volume 1: The Power of Music 

*Spoiler Alert* 

The new installment of Stanger Things follows an Upside Down monster called Vecna, who infiltrates into the minds of the weak and traumatized, and kills them in a horrific and ghastly manner: by sucking up their blood, breaking the bones of their limbs, and pulling their eyes. For an instance, one of the main characters name Max was struggling with the death of her brother, Billy. She was greatly affected by it, shying away from her friends and indulging in unprescribed drugs, making her the next victim of Vecna.

 

In another scene were Nancy and Robin, who was in a mental facility finding answers about Vecna and a potential cure for Billy. They established that music can cope with the broken minds of the patients, for it has a calming effect, especially the right songs that hold some personal meaning. On the verge of Billy's brain abduction, while in her mind she is desperately escaping Vecna's mind control, the crew finally was able to put on Billy's headset and play "Running up the Hill" by Kate Moss. In a climatic fashion, Billy has flashbacks of her fond memories with her friend, fighting all her might against Vecna, and running toward her friend's safe arm. 

Conclusion 

I binge-watched Stranger Things last Saturday and found Nausea in the 24hr cafe store on Sunday. At the same time, they both gave me descriptions of how powerful music is. Whether it is fighting off a fictional character, or making sense of the world, music will always be an ageless comfort media for humans. In my opinion, there is no single person that hates music, because songs and melodies are very personal. A certain order of tunes strikes a core in one's heart. Therefore, music will be one of the biggest friend we have in the vast majority of the world. As I continue my journey in this lifetime, there will be a playlist with endless songs that reminds me of hidden memories.