Life is a constant journey: a scavenger hunt to find its purpose. Through different philosophies, everyone’s on a mission. Whether you are constantly searching for an unseen purpose, have created your own purpose, or live with no purpose at all; you each go on with life in similar ways, despite the ups and downs. In The Stranger by Albert Camus, the main character, Meursault, embodies a life outlook on the basis of absurdism. He has seemingly given up on finding his purpose in life, but continues to survive and push forward, even on his worst days. In Flight by Sherman Alexie, Zits lives more of an existential lifestyle. He travels on a journey through time and multiple bodies, looking his path in life and learning many lessons along the way. Similarly, “Let the Drummer Kick,” a song by Citizen Cope, explores an existential idea by listing the major points of the journey through a relationship. “Let the Drummer Kick” by Citizen Cope depicts concepts similar to those of Flight and The Stranger through its simple language, philosophy on life, and message.
Language choice and writing technique in a piece of literature share a lot of information about the style and message of one’s writing. The writing style of The Stranger is very unique. Initially written in French, Camus writes using only the simple past tense. Even when translated, the style shines through to reveal important aspects of Meursault’s personality in the story. Meursault often shares personal events by simply listing them as a chain of events, such as, “I caught the streetcar to go to the public beach down at the harbor. Once there, I dove into the channel. There were lots of young people.” (Camus 48) This simple writing style supports Meursault’s static character traits, as a rather insouciant individual. Likewise, “Let The Drummer Kick,” conveys an important message with clarity and concision. Many of the topics discussed in the song are sung in a list format. In a very straightforward manner, Citizen Cope sings, “Incarceration. Determination. Equation. Humiliation.” (Greenwood, “Let The Drummer Kick”) Although blunt at some points, this songwriting technique supports the message of the song and shares the highs and lows of a relationship, which Citizen Cope considers to be a monumental journey. Both Meursault and Citizen Cope share important life missions in a straight-forward way that clearly conveys their messages.
The message of “Let The Drummer Kick” is similar to Flight, as both travel on a journey filled with life lessons that the narrators carry with them for the rest of their lives. “Let The Drummer Kick” shares the story of the narrator learning important values through the main aspects of a relationship, such as “identification” and “inspiration.”(Greenwood, “Let The Drummer Kick”) At the end of the song, Citizen Cope sings, “You don’t even have to wait. You don’t even have to wait.”(Greenwood, “Let The Drummer Kick”) These lines emphasize the message that the narrator is trying to convey - follow your heart (as a result of the lessons learned above). In the same way, Flight by Sherman Alexie shares Zits’s journey to find his duty in life, as he learns that his rebellious behavior may serve as his downfall if he does not change his ways. Towards the end of the story, Zits reflects on his self-discovery, saying, “I learned a valuable lesson. But I don’t know what that lesson is. It’s too complicated, too strange… Maybe you’re not supposed to kill. No matter who tells you to do it. No matter how good or bad the reason. Maybe you’re supposed to believe that all life is sacred.” (Alexie 243) Although the journey for both Citizen Cope and Zits may be long, their outcomes are similar in how they see the world around them and their perspectives on life.
Both Flight and “Let The Drummer Kick” are centered around the philosophy that while life is difficult, there’s a hidden purpose that one must constantly search for. This existential outlook can be seen in how Zits begins to perceive the world around him after being taken in by Officer Dave’s family. He quickly realizes that he has the right to live by his own terms and become a better person, exemplified when Alexie writes, “I am tired of hurting people. I am tired of being hurt.” (Alexie 242) Existentialism is defined as a philosophical understanding “that stresses the individual's unique position as a self-determining agent responsible for the authenticity of his or her choices.” (www.dictionary.com) Quite opposite to nihilist views, Zits begins to find purpose for himself towards the end of the novella. Equally, “Let The Drummer Kick,” stresses the importance of pushing forward despite difficulties one may encounter. In the second verse, Citizen Cope provides more of an explanation for each noun used in the first verb. He touches on “determination,” and identifies “inspiration” as “what pulls you through.” (Greenwood, “Let The Drummer Kick”) Both of these notions highlight the theme of the song and its existential view on life. On the other hand, Meursault, in The Stranger, shares more of an absurdist outlook on life. When he is imprisoned, he refuses to listen to others and see the Chaplain, instead accepting his death and making no attempt to change his future. This carefree nature of Meursault’s clearly embodies a lifestyle centered around absurdism, as he gives up on finding his purpose in life, but doesn’t let that change how he perceives the world around him. 
In all three pieces of writing, there is an undertone of life purpose and self discovery. In “Let The Drummer Kick” and Flight, the writers explore existential philosophies, while Camus’s writing is centered around absurdism. Both of these concepts stray from nihilism, the belief that life has no purpose and is not worth living. The Stranger shares a different outlook, related to the author, Albert Camus’s, philosophical discoveries on absurdism. Camus believes that one may struggle to find a purpose in life, but they must continue on despite struggles. In other ways, The Stranger connects to “Let The Drummer Kick” in technique rather than context, with simplicity and concision. Although each piece of writing shares a different story, they can all be connected in a distinct way, as each narrator is taken on a life-changing journey that alters their outlook on life. Through writing style, life philosophies, and textual messages, “Let The Drummer Kick” by Citizen Cope connects to Flight by Sherman Alexie and The Stranger by Albert Camus.
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