Destiny

“Destiny” derives from the Latin word “destinatus” meaning, “to make firm, establish”[1]. It was used in ancient writings to indicate a situation or action that was out of mere mortal hands. It was usually an indicator that the state of affairs was the will of the gods or fated by the hands of some higher deciding factor. There are numerous examples of this rhetoric being used in ancient and classic writings to indicate the negative ramifications of a character’s choices of action or inaction. In Homer’s The Iliad, destiny is used in Book XIII line 602 when Pisander is discussing his impending doom as his destiny, a fate allotted to him by the gods that no mortal could alter, “Pisander then made straight at Menelaus- his evil destiny luring him on to his doom, for he was to fall in fight with you, O Menelaus.”[2] As portrayed here, it also commonly signified a situation that was inescapable or unavoidable for the characters.[3]

Similarly in contemporary writings the term is used to signify parallel story elements. “Destiny” is used to describe situations in which the characters are fated to enact a particular outcome. [4] However, a major distinction between contemporary and ancient literature’s use of destiny is the originator of destiny. While in some literature destiny derives from God or the gods of the setting, in other works destiny is created or scripted by a much more ambiguous or invisible being. These authors include such creators of destiny as the universe, nature, or even personify destiny as a factor acting entirely of its own accord. [5]

There are examples of this use of destiny in contemporary rhetoric. However, because of the meaning of destiny, the word is typically avoided in most political rhetoric. This is because implying or outright stating that something is the cause of destiny implies no control on the part of the rhetor. Therefore, the rhetor appears weak, idealistic, or even naïve, all of which are negative characteristics for a political rhetor in most circumstances. One example is in President Roosevelt’s speech before the 1936 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. The speech was entitled, A Rendezvous with Destiny, however, the word “destiny” never appeared in the body of the speech. Instead other phrases were used to incite support without appearing powerless or weak.[6]

Similarly, the term’s use is limited in pedagogy for the same fears of appearing idealistic or powerless. However, this term is used more freely when discussing literature and literature’s use of destiny. It is only by discussing the origins and uses of the terms, that allow those learning to fully comprehend the term’s significance. An example of this is in a pedagogical article, “Persuasion gave students a heroine as active agent of her own marital destiny, and The Color Purple demonstrated how meaningful work might provide an empowering way out of conditions of oppression and powerlessness…” [7] This is an example of when destiny is studied in great literature to gain a deeper understanding of the term.

[1] http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=destiny&searchmode=none
[2] Homer. The Iliad.
[3] http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/searchresults?q=destiny&page=2
[4] Mead, W. R. (1984). Norden: Destiny and Fortune. Daedalus, 113 (1).
[5] Mead, W. R. (1984). Norden: Destiny and Fortune. Daedalus, 113 (1).
[6] Roosevelt, F. (1936). A Rendezvous with Destiny.
[7] Schenck, C. M. (1986). Destiny and desire: Feminizing freshman humanities at barnard. Frountiers: A journal of women studies 8 (3).