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“The Stranger” By Albert Camus
The Absurdity of Life: A Sudden Realization
“Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday; I can’t be sure.” (Albert Camus)
Have you ever been sitting in some place, and the world suddenly zones out, as though you’re watching it through a screen? You see the world as a subject, and you as an entity that lies outside of it.
For a moment, everything feels stripped of meaning—relationships, routines, the significance we place on actions—everything feels hollow. It’s as though life itself is a performance, devoid of an audience. The ties you have with others, even if genuine, lose their weight.
For a fleeting second, you feel a piercing alienation—a terrifying loneliness that’s as cold as it is isolating. This is what can be called an Absurd check.
Most of us, when encountering such a moment, quickly reboot our systems and return to our daily lives. But for Meursault, this check didn’t disappear—it became a fundamental part of who he is.
The Humanity Behind the "Absurd" Line
