The Absurdity of Life

Life may seem absurd, random, or meaningless. Even when you accept this unpredictability, it is difficult to adjust to unforeseen circumstances.

The article “A Syrian Refugee Story,” by Alex Altman, and The Stranger, by Albert Camus, show the impact of unexpected events. Both explore the randomness of life, but they each show different responses to this unpredictability and differences in how people react when facing death.

The article and novel explore the absurdity of life through experiences. In his article, Altman follows the journey of Faez al Sharaa as he travels away from war-torn Syria. Faez’s account shows the rapid transformation of Syria into chaos after civil war and with the growing influence of ISIS. The instability that has hit Syria resulting in thousands of civilian deaths has seemed arbitrary and unjustified for people like Faez. For him and his family, it seems as though their situation is absurd. “With fear spreading and solutions in short supply, the refugees have become a target, even though they are trying to escape violence and move on with their lives,” writes Altman (Altman). It seems arbitrary and unjustified to lash out and be unwelcoming to refugees because of fear that they are as violent and cruel as the terrorist groups that have ravaged their countries. This unpredictability of life is common for many and is also represented in literary works.

In The Stranger, Meursault ends up killing an Arab man on a beach—even though he had no intention of doing so. Also, the absurdity of life is shown when Meursault receives a death sentence, even though he only expected a few years in prison. The situations faced by both Meursault and Faez have been difficult because of the randomness, and their fates seem undeserved. The common theme of absurdism (relating to the randomness of life) is an idea explored by both Altman and Camus in their respective works.

Though Faez and Meursault each face dismal situations, the differences in their responses show different ways to respond to randomness and disappointment caused by unexpected horrors of life. In The Stranger, Meursault demonstrates a simple way to relieve the pain—just accept it. Rather than worrying about the world and finding himself depressed thinking about its randomness, Meursault decides that it doesn’t matter to him. In the beginning of the novel, Meursault is apathetic with the death of his mother. Later, Meursault demonstrates his lack of interest and care when he decides that it doesn’t really matter to him if he marries Marie. Meursault’s response can be categorized by the philosophy of nihilism: he turns away from religion, accepts that life is meaningless and believes there is no point in trying to justify it.

In contrast, Faez tries to shield his family from the world’s absurdity. Faez doesn’t give up, and once he decides his family will not be safe in the chaos of Syria, he leads them to safety. “‘I would like to make sure to provide for my wife and children,’ he says, ‘so they can live a happy life,’” writes Altman in a description of Faez’s goals in the face of chaos in his old home (Altman). While both Faez and Meursault may realize that life might be chaotic and random, they choose different paths—one chooses to accept his fate in life, while the other fights to improve his situation as much as possible, even in dismal circumstances.

Faez and Meursault both face death as well—and while their initial responses are similar, their legacy is defined by the different actions each takes upon further consideration. Meursault is given the death penalty and knows he will face death. Rather than appealing to lengthen his trial and give himself a chance of escaping his sentence, he accepts death without response. Throughout the rest of the novel, Meursault considers his fate but still decides not to appeal.

Similarly, when Faez was first captured, he thought he faced certain death: so he initially accepted it like Meursault does. “‘We felt death upon us, and we accepted it,’” says Faez at gunpoint (Altman). However, there is a major difference in the following decisions chosen by Faez and Meursault. After his initial encounter with death, Faez decides he will not wait around in Syria until he and his family end up dead—he will do whatever he can to help them all. While Meursault may have been more accepting of his fate because it was certain, Faez faced the same hopelessness because of the difficulty in finding a new home. Both Faez and Meursault face difficult circumstances but their different responses define their outcomes—Meursault awaits future death while Faez finds himself in the safety of America.

Sometimes life may seem random and meaningless, and there is no simple response to the feeling of hopelessness after you accept this fate.

One option is to face this absurdity and decide that nothing really matters in the world. This path brings you into the philosophy of existentialism, as you believe that nothing you do has a higher meaning.   

However, in the same situation, others have found strength in a different response. You can find hope in religion and continue to take action to get out of difficult situations. This is the path taken by millions of refugees and others who take the risk of standing up to cruelty for the safety of themselves and their families. This is the path of strength, resilience, and a determination to combat the absurdity of life.