Craig states, “The universe is doomed to die anyway. In the end it makes no difference whether the universe ever existed or not. Therefore, it is without ultimate significance.” Craig assumes that because the universe will die, a person’s life is insignificant and devoid of meaning. Though Craig states that man is lying to himself in an attempt to create meaning independent of God, he has not stated why a person’s own version of meaning is any less valid than one that God provides. Furthermore, even if someone who
Meursault, the protagonist and narrator in The Stranger, is a dispassionate person who shows no emotional attachment to events and couldn 't care less about consequences of any event. Meursault is an outsider to his peers due to his unusual reactions to various events like death, marriage, and trial. People try to see deeper in Meursault, however his actions clearly shows what he values. In Albert Camus’, The Stranger, Meursault’s lack of emotions towards his mother reveals that Meursault views life as meaningless, regardless of whether times are sad, happy, or violent. A man’s relationship with his mother tells all about what kind of person he may be.
Titus, in this scene, has started to lose his civility when he stabbed his own flesh and blood. Titus’ civility is diminishing because he showed no reason or thought into his careless action of killing his son, it was a senseless act. This act of murder was not civil because he murdered his own kin which is also seen as a barbaric act because barbarism is killing with no reasoning. Titus explicitly defines barbarism by not assessing the matter before stabbing his son for no other reason than for being in his way. Titus’ slow crawl into the realm of barbarism is shown in this scene as he is showing no logic in his actions and no forgiveness to his sons for betraying Rome.
He isn’t very revealing about his thoughts or feelings, and he only ever says enough to get his point across. He’s very reserved and even with Catherine, doesn’t like to let out his emotions. Henry says he loves the comfort of Catherine’s hair. This is yet another example of Henry simply covering up the bad with physical things. He believes in no religion, feels no love, and shows no emotion.
This shows that he is inconsiderate and selfish and does not care for others. For the reasons stated, Joe is an inquisitive, grim and untrustworthy
This is further proven when he beats Ned Logan, a black man, to death. The ‘hero’ figure who finally ends Bill’s reign of terror is likewise morally unsound, even though he brings back order to the town. Unlike Shane, Munny is a known murderer and thief: “[he] shot Charlie Pepper… killed William Harbey and robbed the train over”. He denies this facet of his personality multiple times, saying “I ain’t like that no more”, but that doesn’t last. Thanks to the prostitutes’ money reward, Munny has a reason to murder again.
Mersault is emotionless for the most part, and goes about life nonchalantly. His experiences do not faze him and he reacts in an analytical, concrete fashion when something disastrous occurs, such as when his mother passes away at the beginning of the novel as well as when he shoots the Arab on the beach. Mersault also does not understand how his shooting of the Arab was a crime, he blames it entirely on circumstance. This is why The Stranger is an absurdist novel instead of an existentialist novel. With existentialism the actions of a person determine the course of their life, while with an absurdist life the person is beyond apathetic towards because he/she feels that there is no true purpose to life, therefore why waste time on something as menial as emotion.
Scott Fitzgerald and Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron,” a lack of God is evident to the audience. In both works, the lack of God proved troublesome to many characters. In upper class characters, including Jay Gatsby, and Tom and Daisy Buchanan, there is no mention of religious affiliation. They are self-absorbed, excessive drinkers, and lie in order to achieve what they want. “In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the God is one who does not interfere with what people are doing on Earth.
“I should have had a physical courage enough, I assure you; but I had not the moral courage.” (The Notes from the Underground, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Part II, Book I, page 31). Overall, this man’s nature is contradicted by his own double personality. It seems like the Underground man does not have his character built yet, since he cannot choose what he wishes to be. He has a choice in being between good, ordinary man and the despicable, spiteful and unique person. In contrary, he is not able to pick what is best for him.
Fear and Importance of Perspective Within both protagonists in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak, fear makes its presence known. In I Am the Messenger, Ed describes himself as one who has “no real career. No respect in the community. Nothing.” (19), living in a city that has “not a whole lot of prospects or possibility.” (12). It is only through accepting mediocrity throughout his life that Ed becomes too afraid of doing anything out the ordinary, leading to an uneventful lifestyle.