The Stranger –
Albert Camus Anticipation
Guide
Part I Directions:
Before reading The Stranger, in the “Before” column, respond to
each statement by putting a plus sign (+) if you agree with it, a minus
sign (-) if you disagree, and a
question mark (?) if you are unsure of
your belief.
Part II Directions:
For one of the statements below, respond by writing a Deep
Thoughts response of 250 words or
more in MLA format as to why you have the belief you do. Then, post it on the blog comments at mswebster2012.blogspot.com and print out
your blog to turn in Monday, 11/5, in class.
Part III Directions: After reading the novel, in the
“After” column respond again to the statements.
Then, reply by writing a 500 words
or more Deep Thoughts response in MLA format to a statement where your belief changed
since reading the story. If not, write
about a different statement than you responded to in Part II. (Follow the directions for posting on the blog.)
Natalie Moses
ReplyDeleteMs. Webster
English Period 3
November 3, 2012
Not Selfish, Just Smart
Over the course of my nearly eighteen year long life, I have learned that I must make choices that will ultimately be best for me, regardless of what other people say, how they feel about it, or even how they are affected by it. Although many people may say that that is a selfish thing to feel, I strongly believe that everyone is entitled the right to do what is best for them. In life, people just want to get ahead, which is totally understandable. If someone is standing in your way, you definitely cannot let them for the simple fact that you just have to do what is best for you in life. For example, if you are just finishing up with high school and want to leave the country to do your studies and your parents do not approve, do you go anyway with the thought that going will impact your live greatly and make you extremely successful? Or, o you stay at home, go to a school that is not as nice, and forever regret the idea that you could have been doing more with your life. People think that by doing what you want to do, even if it affects other people or upsets them, that it makes you selfish. Really though, they are being selfish. In life you should always do what you want to do, and that is the motto that I will forever live by.
Jake, White
DeleteMs. Webster
English 12a
November 4, 2012
“Political philosophies, religous dogma, societal beliefs are irrelevant to me and do not define me.”
I belive this statement is true, becuase wether or not you are religous, atheist, or simply
spiritual, nothing can define you except your actions. A person is defined by there
charecter and past expierences that have led them to act a particular way. Political
philosophies are nothing but an opiniated philosophy made by someones personal
belifes. Although religous dogmas may be important and stepping stones to someones path of life, they do not personaly reflect how I act or think. I am not religous and just belive in simple philosophies such as karma and possitivety. What you give out is what you will get in return in the long run. It is unknown how long it may take to get what you give, but it is inevidable that you will receive possitivity. If this statement was true, not only would we all be alike, but there would not be much that defined us as a individual. Charecter is everything in life and you should not act a particular way because of religous, political, of societal belifes. Personally being a spiritual person is all I need to define my true charecter. Although in practically all religions it states to not sin, It should just be a defualt belief to never sin for peace and sanity. In conclusion to this statement, every person is different and should be due to our individuality and complexity. Everyone believes in something, its just a matter of how much and what it is that you belive in. Stay true to your charecter and live life as you choose.
Melissa Duronslet
DeleteMs. Webster
English Period 3
November 5, 2012
“Day to day existence is filled with anxiety and fear.”
I highly agree with this statement because everyone is built up with anxiety and fear each day even with out thinking about it. Life is a mystery and you must appreciate and just keep wondering that anything can occur. Karma is a major discussion and optimistic mystery we fear and become curious with anxiety. We must cherish every moment because we never know what can happen to anyone of us. I can relate because I do believe whatever you say and do can really reflect on your behavior and the way your judgment reflects on others. Just being home alone and hearing a random creek will make me fulfill in fear thinking someone is in the house or just make you think weird. It really depends on the anxiety and fear caught up in your situation. Sometimes both together can bring excitement or just a bad habit that may be occurring. It’s impossible to not fear or have anxiety. Life is precious and not so perfect but we do have to worry about many things unless you just put it to side and just pretend that nothing matters and you just don’t mind. The way we live and breathe really causes us these two topics because of work, school, money, bills, friends, and family just being an important priority. We all have our worries it’s impossible to not be afraid of the things life brings to us.
Mason Heinold
DeleteMs. Webster
English
November 4, 2012
State of Nothingness.
I think to question the meaning of life is less important than to question what truly makes you happy. Happiness is the ultimate testamat to life and should be the only goal when living. No matter how you perceive having fun, in the end as long as your happy with yourself your'e doing it right. However, to achieve a state of nothingness it takes two ways(in my opinion). It takes elite concentration and focus to block out the surrounding world. Thus, you achieve a state of nothingness, a zen and holly consciousness. The other is a low point. A state at which nothing is there and you've lost all empathy and ambition to do anything in life. You've hit rock bottom and have no where to go but up, but somehow theres still hope and you can still live on. That to me is the ultimate state of nothingness.
Julia Keating
DeletePeriod 1, English
November 4, 2012
The Authenticity of Life
Some may say your most authentic moment in life is death. I’d beg to differ. The journey through life is such an amazing adventure, granted some people have it much harder then others, But none the less everyone has a story. Whether the story is long, short, sad or exciting it’s what brought you to where you are today. In my opinion your most authentic moment in life is the day you’re born. I see it as a fresh start to the world. Even though you aren’t coherent when this even takes place it’s the start to ones journey and it’s the most important moment of your life. Without being born there isn’t a life. The moment you’re born your journey begins whether you like it or not. The authenticity of this moment is so remarkable it gives you the biggest gift of all life. When others argue the most authentic moment in life is death I disagree. I don’t believe you experience your death because you aren’t there to mourn your death because your already gone. Although you do experience being born even if you don’t remember it it’s the most important moment of your life that paves the way to your future. The authenticity of life is a philosophy the many people live by.
Brian Nguyen
ReplyDeleteMs. Webster
English Per. 1
November 4, 2012
"Day to day existence is filled with anxiety and fear."
In my opinion, this statement is not true. Sure, there are some people who live every day with anxiety and fear, but that doesnt apply
to everybody. Especially the people I know. The friends I hang out with take on adversity with a smile on their face. They dont let the
negative things in life affect them in a bad way.They stay optimistic through some tough situations. Thats how I live life too.
If you live everyday being stressed and scared, work won't get done to its full potential. It will be rushed and messy. I can
apply this to my football team. We went into every game with people doubting us because 31 Seniors left our team last year.
We never stopped fighting, even at til' the last game. We could've been scared of all the other teams, and we couldve been
going through anxiety, but we wouldn't have gotten the job done. Our last game, we fought til' our last breath but it wasnt enough.
We were predicted to lose but it didnt stop us from leaving our hearts out on that field. That's just an example of proving this quote wrong.
Because many obstacles will appear before everybody in life. It's how you react to that obstacle which defines you. That's why I
disagree with this pessimistic saying. There's always a choice to whather your going to look at life as glass half full or glass half empty.
You dont live life fully if your not happy, and your not happy if your living day to day with anxiety and fear.
Jordan Moffett
ReplyDeleteMs. Webster
Modern Literature period 5
1 November 2012
Most people want to live their live for a greater purpose. To every person a different purpose is set in their mind. How the person lives their life will reflect the purpose they believe they have. However some people they live for a higher being. Some may believe that weather or not God exists is irrelevant because of free will. But to the many that believe in God, they think that it is not irrelevant. God gives free will but His free will is not the same when you do not believe in Him. When you believe in God you are to use your free will for the better of yourself and others. The will that God gives you is to make God happy or to please Him. So the free will that a person is given is supposed to be used for good. However without the knowledge or presence of God in a person’s life they do not have to use their free will in the negative way. The difference would be that if God did not exist, the people that would have believed in God and know what their goals were according to Him, might feel they have a different purpose because He is not in their life. The will that they have can be used for anything. But if they had God in their lives it would have most likely been used for the better. Over all the fact that believing God does exist is a big factor, and is relevant. The knowledge of God will help guide what the people who believe in Him do with their “free will”. Some people do not believe in God but what they choose to do with their free will can go either way. The same goes for the people that do believe in God, but because of the beliefs that come with believing the Christian God there is a higher chance that the free will that is given will be used in a positive way.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAviv Azal
ReplyDeleteMs.Webster
Per.1
Day to day existence is filled with anxiety and fear
I believe that fear and anxiety is something that everyone goes through on their daily lives. Some people may argue and say that they don’t, but that’s just a false statement. Fear can be anything from being scared to be late to class to jumping out of an airplane. I am not going to act like a big tough guy and say that I do not fear anything. I have a lot of fears and it could be different every day. I fear when a family member is not home when they should be because I heard of crazy stories throughout my life and just a small part of me always thinks that something bad happened. Anxiety is even more common, it happens every time a boy talks to a girl he likes for the first time or when a basketball game is tied up in the fourth quarter and there is five seconds left on the shot clock. I am not saying that people fear the same things in life. Some things someone may fear of can be other things someone does not simply care about. For example finishing a homework assignment, maybe one kid is scared about not finishing it because it could make his grade drop one letter, as on the other hand the other kid does not even think about it because he is failing that class anyways. Fear can also be a good thing because it can make someone do things like study for a test instead of playing video games, because that person wants to get a good grade.
Karina Kakar
ReplyDeleteMs.Webster
Period 3
"Day to day existence is filled with anxiety and fear."
I agree with this statement and think it is completely true. In my life I have encountered many things that make me believe that we live each and everyday with anxiety and fear. Everyday is a miracle and waking up each morning is a blessing, we try to stay alive every single day. Many live with the fear of dying,getting sick,losing a loved one, hearing a little noise at home when no one else is around, not being able to pay the bills, we all fear something. Our jobs, famalies, bills, being out in public and having to socialize also cause a great deal of anxiety and stress. Some may argue and say that they fear nothing, but we all know that is not true. Every human being as something they are afraid of, we may not be aware of it because fear comes in different forms and is not the same for everyone. I can relate to this quote because I am a very clumsy person and I fear of getting into an accident that may harm me. I am also afraid of staying home alone with fear that a ghost is in my house with me. It may sound ridiculous but everyone has their own fears. Others might disagree with this statement but no one's life is perfect and we all have something to cause us some sort of anxiety no matter how great our lives are. It is true, each day is filled with fear and anxiety.
Nathol Dafesh
ReplyDeleteMs. Webster
Per.3
"I can only obtain true meaning in life after I have reached a state of nothingness."
I believe that we will never know who we really are until we have lost and fallen. Someone's true colors are shown in their worst times. We cannot push foward unless we know that there is a wall behind us. In life we all go through pain and suffering and at times we become nothing, unknown, hated, and unwanted. When I was at that point there was the time where I had to make a choice to push foward due to the fact I had nothing left. This nothingness is a necessity, and we cant push without it. There always comes a time when we are tested and in such become nothing and push foward, not because of will or our inner fire; but because of the fact there is nothing left and there is no going back. And for some reason for any reason we only push foward and foward and foward until we get to where we need and push more. When people are bullied, left to die, and abandoned they become nothing. Now they either stay nothing or push to become something, heal their wounds and get the energy to move on. We all go through it, and it will always happen. It develops us and defines us. It separates those who are weak and those who are strong. And even when you are pushed back, u wont fall back you have nothing left.
Joanna Mey F. Azarcon Ms.Webster Modern Literature period 1 November 5, 2012
ReplyDeleteDo Not Take It For Granted
Everyday I experience different kinds of ups and downs in my life that mold me to appreciate life. “I can only obtain true meaning in life after I have reached a state of nothingness.” In my opinion this statement is true, because without nothingness I could never look back to the things I have and notice the great things around me. For me nothingness means when I am at the bottom of my career. Throughout my seventeen years of living I have faced many challenges and problems in my life that came out not to be good. Like every time I fail on my exams or things would not turn out to what I expect, I just think positive things. Disappointment makes me comprehend that it is not the end of my career and be thankful that I have tried things that I know it would be challenging for me. All of those experiences made me realize how beautiful life is. Also by comparing to where I stand to other people or seeing what others life have, it makes me feel how lucky I am that I have a wonderful life and appreciate what I have and learn how to not take everything for granted. Like when I was a kid, every time I wanted something and my mom would not give it to me, I do hysterical act. Looking back to what I did it kind a see it as pointless thing to do because other people who have nothing can be happy on simple things that they receive.
David Quintanilla
ReplyDeleteMs. Webster
Modern Literature, Per 5
November 4, 2012
The Caste System #6
The belief of improving your social and economic status in life is one of the foundations that America was built on. The thought of being born into a certain social and economic environment without the opportunity of improvement is ridiculous. In the Hindu Caste System, social status is determined by birth. Starting with the Brahmin, the Hindu Caste System has five levels. The lowest level “The Untouchables” are considering the scum of their society. Due to such low standards of living, many “Untouchables” never get the chance to improve their social status. This endless cycle of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer is displayed perfectly in the Hindu Cast system.
The ability to changes one social and economic status through hard work and dedication should be universal. The American Dream is what drives many American citizens to go to work every day. Day after day, many Americans struggle to put food on the table for their families. However, the idea that tomorrow brings a new opportunity to improve their social status is what drives many Americans to go to work and work such long hours. The reason that children go to school is because parents want them to have a better life than they did. Without the opportunity to change your status I life, the concept of life in general is pointless. I hope that someday, everyone will have the chance to improve their standard of living no matter where you are born.
Madisyn Tendler
ReplyDeleteMs. Webster
Lit, Period 5
4 November, 2012
#10 “In life, I must make choices regardless of what’s best for others. I can only choose what’s best for me.”
The reason that I disagree with this statement is because when making decisions you have to factor in every possibility, not just base it on what good or bad it will do to you. Every decision has its pros and cons, but in order to make the right choice you need to factor in what the effect will be on others as well as yourself. Making choices based only on what’s best for you will not allow you to get close to people in life. Being self and not worrying about others will most likely leave you alone in your lifetime. I believe that you need to be compassionate and caring towards others; after all you yourself would not exist if it wasn’t for other people. All of your choices have consequences, and if you don’t think about all the aspects you may make the wrong decision. For example when you have a child you cant make choices based on what’s better for you. You need to put you child’s life, their wants and needs, before your own and choose based on what would be the best thing for your child. Sometimes when you make choices only on what’s best for you, it can leave your loved ones in misery. Anyone who could be affected by your decision for something should be thought about before your choice is made. The decisions you make through out your life time will always affect other people. So choosing only based on what’s best for you isn’t always the best choice.
Felix Pelegrino
ReplyDeleteMs. Webster
Modern Lit. Period 5
2 November 2012
Impossible or possible?
I strongly disagree with the statement “Existence is absurd and true meaning in life is impossible”. I believe that your existence is meaning and not absurd. To say its absurd, is to say you don’t want to live. Also the true meaning in life is not impossible, because nothing is impossible. It’s true that many people are not able to find their meaning in life but this is what makes your existence exciting and a mystery.
Everyone should be thankful for their existence and shouldn’t complain about it. I believe the people who say that are clearly mentally weak. They show me that they don’t have the ability of going on and continue their existence. Existence is like an adventure, you have good days, bad days or horrible days but no matter how bad your life seems to be, you still go on. I believe some say this because other people look down on them and see them with a “why are you alive?’ expression. Any person’s existence who are born is not a sin. John Locke once said that everyone is born with a clean state and I agree with his belief.
Today, anything that is impossible is actually possible. Nobody believed we would get to the moon but 1969, Neil Armstrong made it to the moon. As long as you set your mind into doing something, even the impossible will be nothing but a mission that you want to complete. In my opinion, the meaning in life differs in each person and means that it's what you make of your own life.
Jack Jacobson
ReplyDeleteMs. Webster
Literature P.3
5 November 2012
Deep Thoughts
The course of a person's life is largely influenced by the choices he/she makes. Everyone makes different decisions for various reasons. This ideal becomes expressed through my selfless decision-making. Throughout the entirety of my life, I have aimed to act in accordance to what will be most beneficial for those I love and the greater good.
I believe that concern for other individuals should determine the choices people make. The need of the many outweighs the need of the one. I have aimed my decision making to follow these principles over the course of my existence. I will always attempt to assist another person in need, regardless of the benefit or my desire. For example, I act as many different individuals' personal tutor every day of my life. This ideal is additionally highlighted by my desire to pursue a career in the medical field. Furthermore, I would not want live in a world in which everyone solely made selfish decisions. This would result in anarchy and chaos as people become forced to fight for their survival. Without people to make sacrifices and help others, eventually all Hell would break loose upon the Earth. People must make selfless decisions to help others in order for the world to function as a safe home for everyone.
People will never be able to live in complete harmony with one another if selfishness maintains its grasp on their decision-making. Everyone has a fundamental obligation as a human being, to help their brothers and sisters survive. However, our world will find its demise if selfishness continues plaguing free will.
Jasmine Byrd
ReplyDeleteMs. Webster
November 4, 2012
Period 1
Molded By Experiences
In life our personality and our background are shaped by the past experiences. Wither you are guarded or open it depends on what happened in your past to make you that way. A baby in my eyes is born pure, with no mistakes, no cares or worries. As time passes on they are hit with experiences that affect them as a person and build their character and personality. For instance if we were all to sit and think about what has been our experiences we would all see we would be a different person if we had not experienced certain things. Everyone is born as this undefined being, Humans are in a way like seeds; like seeds grow as they are watered, and humans grow through their experiences. The water that is added to the seed helps grow the seed into something beautiful, unique and one of a kind. A human is brought up the same exact way and ends up being just like the seed and becoming something unique and one of a kind. For the past seventeen years I have seen many new parents sit and hope for the best future children, wondering what their brand new child will be like five years from now. Now as I see these kids at seven and nine I see that their lives have been watered and their seed is growing. Life is filled with unexpected surprises that make and mold a undefined newborn creating a beautiful masterpiece.
Brennen Taylor
ReplyDeleteMs. Webster
Modern Lit. Per. 3
November 4, 2012
"Ultimately, I am alone in this world, alienated from everything that attempts to define me"
I believe this saying is true because theres a quote that goes "You're born alone and you will die alone" what this is trying to say is that when you're born you're born alone... When you die... your coffin will be a coffin for one. Everything else in between life and death is just a distraction. Sure there is family and friends whom you will love throughout life but in the very end the only person who knows whats best for you is YOU. Somethings will try and define you but nothing can really truly define who you are as a person, only you can do that. You may think to yourself I have a husband/wife/partner that I will have forever and I am not alone. That is all temporary nothing really lasts forever. In the end you will ultimately be alone. There is nothing wrong with being alone. Everything in life was built to do alone. For example driving a car, using the restroom, reading a book, eating, drinking, having fun, watching a movie, playing video games, etc. Everything you do you can do it alone. Thats just how life is. In life, you must make choices regardless of what's best for others. Say, you broke your foot in an accident does that mean anyone else will feel what you feel ? No. You're alone. When we die will some one accompany us? No, No one. So when I say we are alone, I mean every one is alone.
Tristan Knudsen
ReplyDeleteMs. Webster
Modern Literature Per.5
4 November 2012
Birth is at random. Every human being is a result of one gamete out of a million others uniting with an egg cell. There are as of now over 6 billion people in the world. Out of all the people who are in unfortunate situations in third world countries it is absurd that I’m born into a comfortable family. My soul had the same chance as theirs to be born into a third world country, but mine wasn’t and theirs was. There are many other souls and the population numbers prove that. Also it is absurd that I was born in this time. There were a lot of people born in the 50s. Why wasn’t I one of those? It is absurd that I wasn’t born in the 1800s or in the future. I do believe that it is absurd that each and every one of us is born into a certain family, time, place, and economic environment. I had just the same chance as any other soul to be born into a family that are made up celebrities or a family that does not make much money and cannot afford much food to eat. I feel very fortunate to have lived the life that I have had so far. I could have easily been born and grown up speaking a different language or having a different ethnicity or different culture. I feel very grateful for being born into a loving family with my two wonderful parents. It is an extraordinarily absurd world we live in.
Bender 1
ReplyDeleteMichael Bender
Ms. Webster
Modern Literature, Period 5
2 November, 2012
The Stranger Anticipation Guide
I agree with the statement, “Whether or not God exists is irrelevant because of free will.” I have this belief because regardless if God exists, people are still murdering and stealing their own neighbor’s lives. Although I believe in Judaism, I do not strictly follow each and every one of the six hundred and thirteen comments. Sometimes these commandments must be broken by individual choice when a human is put into a certain situation in life. For example, a Jewish man may be homeless and starving. According to Jewish law, it says that we should always choose life over death, but if the homeless man were to steal some food to stay alive, that man would be fulfilling one of God’s commandments but breaking another one. This just goes to show that whether God exists is irrelevant because of free will. Not only are God’s commandments confusing, but they can also be seen as unrelated due to the ill conceived proposals God has put for forth as to what is right or what is wrong. Therefore, a human’s choice of free will completely overrules God’s commandments in this life. Free will always overrules what is said in the Bible or any religious book for that matter. If someone swears in court to tell the truth putting his or her reputation on the line just over a holy book, the free will often takes over for providing the truth, but sometimes and far too often it is chosen to lie and commit perjury to oneself without anyone every finding out. It is only until a believed afterlife is achieved that God will be relevant. Overall, God is currently irrelevant due to free will, but who knows if that will change if God decides to prove Himself to the world.
Mariam Hossine
ReplyDeleteMs. Webster
English Per. 1
November 5, 2012
I chose the deep thought, “day to day existence is filled with anxiety and fear,” because I agree with it. I do feel anxiety and fear everyday because I watch too many movies involving the end of the world and that gives me anxiety and fear. Being existent the reason why everyone is facing the fact that you will die one day and that seem to be a little frightening. Watching movies, watching the news, and listening to the radio are kind of things that would give you anxiety. The thought of even us being here is a form of anxiety, the questions that roam in our minds would be “for what purpose are we here?” and “how it all began?” I mean how humanity became or how the world has become into what it is now. Even though this doesn’t really affect many people that believe in religion because many religions that is aware judgment day, what others may call the end of the world. This anxiety or fear does not affect many people’s day-to-day life. Some would go crazy to know but it’s just inevitable. That’s pretty frightening just to think about. Anxiety is distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune. Fear is a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, and pain whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid. Therefore we will never understand the concept of existence, but we can learn to cope with it throughout our lives.
Amiel Azizollahi
ReplyDeleteMs. Webster
English 12A Period 5
5 November 2012
Moment of Truth
I believe that the most authentic moment in life is death. Death is the moment in a person’s life, where he or she realizes and appreciates everything in his or her life endured. Whether it was success and happiness or death and struggle, during death is when the person looks back on the past. The way a person dies also defines his or her image for the future generations to come. The true moment that stands out from every other experience in a person’s life occurs at the time of his or her death. The person’s death may receive different responses such as appreciation, disapproval, or happiness. A person realizes that he or she may represent something larger as he or she is passing away. The successes and failures of a person are left in the world as symbols and reminders of that individual. For example, the genius and visionary Steve Jobs was appreciated the most at the time of his death. During his heyday, Jobs was not seen as an individual who changed the world of technology, but was only seen as the mastermind behind apple. At the time of his death, modern society began to appreciate his work and his success and perceived him as an extraordinary individual. The majority of the world’s individuals are seen as normal and are included in the bubble of equilibrium, but at the time of death each individual is recognized for what he or she has accomplished or have failed to accomplish. The most authentic moment in life is death, which is brought about by living life.
Marvin Bart
ReplyDeleteMs. Webster
Modern Literature period 3
11.4.12
Ultimately, I am alone in this world, alienated from everything that attempts to define me
I´m not a despite person but I sadly came to the conclusion that doesn’t matter what we try that we are pretty alone because there is no one in the whole world who you can trust everything that is on your mind, Ok now you maybe goanna say I got my best friend I tell him or her everything but you don’t there are always things you don’t because you don’t want to hurt feelings knows that your friend got another opinion and you don’t want to get hurt also everyone around us is influence our behavior the way we talk the way we think the way we do everything so every person we meet get to know a different part of our personality and if everyone only know a part of you how can anyone be close to you.
Everybody tries to get someone who they can say everything what is on their mind someone who knows everything about themselves but every kind of relationships least only for a specific amount of time and don’t matter how close they come there is always some things that keeps them alone I guess that is because of our complexity of our fought that no one thinks the same way and we are all individuals and so different from each other that we are too afraid to get close enough with a person that we are not alone any more.
Sergey Kalashnikov
ReplyDeleteMs. Webster
English Period 3
November 4, 2012
Some people think that your most authentic moment in life is death. when they say this, they are most likely referring to the human nature, that drives us to lie and make up things about are self in order to be more fluidly integrated into society. i however, disagree with this statement. who is to say that any given moment from your life isnt as authentic as your moment in death? humans are, after all, social creatures. it is in your genetics to lie and manipulate people to get to the top. we even have an evolutionary defense to manipulation, we call it our ego. denying ourselves this sort of behavior is rejecting what it means to be human. on the other side of the spectrum, who is to say the death truly is our most authentic moment in life? if you have ever seen someone on their deathbed, you can see that they act differently, perhaps in some ways that they wouldnt during life. the most courageous person might show fear, and vice-versa. in my opinion, this sort of behavior makes a person seem less authentic than at any point in their life.
Sergey Kalashnikov
DeleteMs. Webster
English Period 3
November 4, 2012
The point that the story The Stranger tried to convey was that indeed, our most authentic moment in life was in death. The author convoyed this by showing how the main character reacted to various moments of his life, leading up to how he finally embraced death. It seemed that when presented with the inevitability of his demise, he at first had hoped for a salvation from his grim fate. But as he came to terms with the fact that there was no escape from the prison he was forced into, something inside of him changed. He didn't even realize it until the moment that the prison chaplain attempted to convince Mersault to embrace God. Here he was coming to terms with his fate, when someone shows up and offers him a useless and arbitrary salvation? Mersault exploded! Emotions and arguments and tears cascaded out of him, until he was finally at peace with no one but himself. He had stopped second guessing himself and trying to appeal to someone, and now he finally did not care what the future held, because he realized that nothing would change either way. It seems that this was the author's way of showing that Mersault's most authentic moment in life truly was only after embracing death.
Besiana Hadri
ReplyDeleteMs. Webster
Modern Literature, Period 5
November 4, 2012
"In life I must make choices regardless of what is best for others I can only choose whats best for me"
Obviously this statement is something that will mean different things to different people but nevertheless if you agree you’re egocentric. Personally I would never agree with this statement because every day I try to take care of the people around me and choose what they think is right, as this helps me and them. I think that if you focused on only yourself you wouldn’t be able to see the happiness of everyone else, you would be locked in your own little cave and not know what affection or consciousness is. Sometime we do have to make choices no matter what everyone else says but the choices have to be right. We will eventually make some wrong choices no matter what, even if it is better for someone else or yourself. What you think is best for you isn’t always the best for you. You could have interpreted something wrong just like every human being does. None of us really have the same thought about what is best for us and therefore we have to share with each other what we think would help. It is very difficult to make good choices in life no matter who you are and what rules and choices you have been growing up with. This is one of the main reasons why we should share choices so that we can teach each other what really is best for everyone.
Sandra Umandal
ReplyDeleteMs. Webster
English Per. 1
November 4, 2012
“My most authentic moment in life is death”
I believe that death would not be the most authentic moment in mine or anyone else’s life because we get the chance to be alive and experience the wonders of life which I think is greater than death. Being born into this world we have so many opportunities that are given to us to do anything we want, and to be anything we make ourselves to be. We’re able to make decisions and choose paths for ourselves that can lead us to just about anything. Death is unknown, whatever happens to us after we die is a mystery, and no one knows exactly what happens to us and I think that I fear it more than anything. I like knowing the idea that we get to experience several things in life but in death it may be just nothingness. Most of us see death as a tragedy and a sad event, and I feel that it is not a moment to look forward to because in death we lose everything. I believe that death is something that is dark and unfortunate but life is a light and a miracle. The meaning of authenticity is something that is original that we have on our own, but death is something that ends up happening to us all. In the end, we all die. It happens to all humans, but not all of us are given the chance at life because death is certain, but life is not. This is why I believe that my most authentic moment in life would not be death, but it would be being born into life.
Steven Huynh
ReplyDeleteMs. Webster
Modern Literature
4 November 2012
Fate
I believe that the idea that a person if born into a particular time, place, family, and economic environment is absurd. People have the potential to make a change in their lives, and they should not be limited by these things. Everyone should get the chance to improve their social status. Unfortunately, this is not possible in every place, but it should be. Hard work and determination will get people somewhere. They can change what they have started off as. My friend’s uncle Kendrick was born into a poor family. His childhood was a constant struggle. He never had the money to buy the things he wanted and had to deal with a scarce amount of food. The kids at school would make fun of him for having ragged clothes and smelling funny. This made him a pretty sad kid most of the time, but he always had hope that someday he would work hard and improve his life. When he got into high school, he studied so hard. He was determined to change his life and was always on top of things. Kendrick was aiming for big dreams. He was planning to study and become a doctor. His friends and family were aware of this and helped him save up money for college. Kendrick’s family were so surprised about how hard he worked. They would constantly tell him to just calm down and take a small break. Sometimes Kendrick could not fight it, and gave in to the small breaks. Kendrick is only human though, so he needed breaks to continue working hard. In the end though, Kendrick’s hard work paid off. He got the life he wanted and is a happy man.
"The idea that I am born into a particular time, place, family, and economic environment is absurd.
DeleteGabriel Alonso
ReplyDeleteMs.Webster
Per.5
“Day to day existence is filled with anxiety and fear.” This statement holds a lot of meaning to me because it sounds like something I would have said at one point in my life. Day to day feelings of anxiety and fear may be a result of a very negative experience in the past traumatizing enough to put a person in such a state of despair. An experience such as witnessing a horrific accident can put someone’s life at turmoil. Every day anxiety, over thinking about what happened, could have happened, and fear for when it will happen again, can turn one’s mind inside out. Feelings spiral in a hybrid of paranoia and depression, and life seems hopeless. Once someone plunges into such a dark reality, existence turns into somewhat of a curse. The mind begins to turn into a chaotic whirlwind of morbid thoughts. Having to deal with this kind of misery everyday becomes very difficult; some may even seek alternatives, or an “easy way out”, such as the irony of suicide. When you live in fear day to day, living isn't worth the suffering.
Caitlin Stine
ReplyDeletePeriod 1
“Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive that is youer than you.”- Dr.Suess. For me, the belief that I when I was born, I was born undefined without any prior essence or preconceived personality or soul is what holds strongest in my life. I think that when we are born our soul is like a blank canvas for us to decorate. It is our experiences and surroundings that develop the building blocks to the person you will become. For instance, if you are raised into a wealthy family, money and materialistic things come easily to you, but if you are raised in a poor family, you have to work hard for every penny. It is these kinds of experiences that teach you the fundamental skills of life. Whether it’s to work hard and never give up, or it’s to sit around and wait for things to be handed to you, it’s still what makes you who you are. Personally, I think that if I was brought up in a different family I would not be the person I am today. However, my mom thinks you were born with a soul, and that you lived in heaven before earth and your soul was carried with you. This isn’t true for me, because I know that I have picked up so many quality traits from her that I would not possess if I lived in a different family. It is important to strive for more, and to be the best person you can be, but it’s more important to always be yourself, because the people that mind don’t matter, and the people that matter don’t mind who you are.
Justin Revies
ReplyDeleteEnglish Per.1
11-4-12
The Stranger
Some people might think and might live Day to day in existence filled with anxiety and fear. I for one do live with this anxiety and fear to an extent. Because one can never know what we have in store for ourselves and the human race/universe in general. Everything is larger than we can ever mentally imagine it could be. Our brain just can’t fathom such things as to whether or not we’ll be alive the next month. Although I try to think positive and enjoy everything I have and live life to the fullest I can. There truly is always an opposite of something. Life is a gift and should be treated as one but you must also see the darkness life can bring. Death isn’t even the only thing to fear, it’s just losing the state of happiness and peace you are in. I live in fear because truly I have no idea what will happen to me when I die. I don’t care when I die as long as I know it won’t be an endless abyss and/or limbo. The quote is very vague as well. Not only am I scared for my daily existence but I am scared for the human race because who knows what society can do to us and how we will evolve in the future. I am very fearful of what could be of the great thing life, nature, and beauty could be later on. Yet being such one little being on the face of the planet I can’t do anything and end up being filled with anxiety of if I will end up doing something meaningful in my life. Or maybe I would just end up another corporation worker bee and be forgotten like the rest of them. To just finish off my theory of it all, the only thing one can really do is to be able to adapt to their own anxiety because the only thing left to fear is fear itself.
Diana Escobar
ReplyDeleteMs. Webster
English Period 3
November 4, 2012
"Ultimately, I am alone in this world, alienated from everything that attempts to define me"
I believe this quote is true because ultimately you are alone in this world, we are just one person with one mind. For example when you get hurt or find out you have a disease, you are the one who feels the pain no body else. We don’t fully understand everything that goes on in another persons mind for the simple fact we aren’t them. Everyone has different ways of thinking, everyone has a different perception on everything and we all go through things that make us change our views. Everyone has their own story and when you try and understand or define a person you cant because you’ve never lived their life, no matter how much you try and understand a person you cant its like if a young boy came here to the United states from Africa and they lived in the worst condition over there, and they come here and explain how he lived, no one would fully understand they could try and imagine how it would be like to live in those conditions but you ultimately cant because you were never in that position and never lived in those conditions. No body can define anyone because everybody has their own story and we don’t know what they have gone through.
Joshua Servera
ReplyDeleteMs.Webster
Modern Lit. Period 5
4 November, 2012
#8
I agree that when I am born, I am undefined with out any prior essence or preconceived personality or soul. I agree with this statement because I don't think that when you are born, you already have a set definition of who you are or have a planned personality. I believe that you make up yourself and fill your soul with all the choices and decisions you make during your lifetime. Whether they're good or bad, those choices still make up who you are.
I believe everyone is born with the opportunity to define him or herself, create their own personality and build their soul. Also, in my opinion, I think that when you are born, you are born with nothing and as nothing. You are nothing but new life to the world, and until you are able to make your own personal decisions, your parents try to guide you in the right direction, to be good, hopefully. They somewhat take part in creating your personality and childhood character. Usually your personality and how you act when you are little comes from your parent’s personalities and their actions. But I don't think they would have any affect on your soul, because I believe your soul can only be created by yourself when you can start making your own decisions in life, on the path of growing up. Your soul is what defines you as to what kind of person you are in the world.
Although, as you grow up, the things that you do or how you act, start to define you and make up your personality. Whatever kind of person you want to be, all depends on yourself and what you make of the choices in your life. Because mostly of everything you do, takes part in defining you and creating your character.
Dima Zarook
ReplyDeleteMs. Webster, Period 3
12 Modern Literature
2 November 2012
The Stranger Anticipation Guide Part II
From the moment that one's head slams against his or her pillow at night to that very second when one's eyes catch the day light breaking through his or her bedroom window; he or she's mind is filled with conflicted thoughts of what the day might hold. As human beings we are constantly anticipating the possibilities that the day has to offer. We speed through the motions of each day, never quite able to stop those dreaded feelings of anxiety and fear from clouding our minds. Therefore, the philosophical statement that day to day existence is filled with anxiety and fear is not only true but perfectly depicts the reality of life.
Anxiety is essentially a coping mechanism for our minds as they attempt to deal with the stress that the uncertainty of each day presents. Human beings are always anxious. In fact, we treat time as if it is a ticking bomb. We are constantly worried that if will sleep too long, miss that train, or do not get that job promotion soon then we will never achieve our standard of happiness. We do not stop to think whether or not our standards of happiness are realistic or even if they have changed over the years. Instead we fill our heads with misconceptions of what our lives should be like; therefore causing us to feel anxious every day that we feel like we have failed at bringing ourselves one step closer to fulfilling our goals. Or even if we do stop to think, we question things so much that we make ourselves feel lost, which consequently creates more anxiety in our hearts. Our expectations employ anxiety, giving it reasons to exist in both our minds and hearts. So long as there is that human desire to live meaningful lives and have a sense of purpose, anxiety will accompany our day to day existence.
Dima Zarook
ReplyDeleteMs. Webster, per. 3
12 Modern Literature
2 November 2012
The Stranger Continued
However it is Fear that is both man's tormentor and captor. Nothing is sacred to fear. It preys upon our darkest insecurities as well as our deepest desires to prevent us from making any significant progress in our lives. In fact, people would rather miss out on countless numbers of opportunities than face their fears. For example, each day the fear of rejection holds back many men and women (young and old) from making their presence known to the world or more importantly living out their dreams. People are deathly afraid of the idea of putting themselves out there and getting rejected because they do not want to face the possibility of not being good enough, not being worthy. Another universal fear that humans carry is the fear that we are wasting away our time pining over that one magical day that will never come or that destination that we will never reach. We even irrationally fear little things like clowns, spiders, and heights because they represent something that our minds cannot process. Therefore, so much of daily human existence is filled with fear because it is human nature to hide away from the things that we do not understand or can be certain of.
Ultimately, the reality of life is that we as human beings will never have the answers to everything but that is okay. The beauty of life is its uncertainty. Once we are able to accept/understand that then we can stop feeling anxious every, single day and stop allowing ourselves to be tormented and imprisoned by our fears. Better yet, if people were to stop treating each day as a race to some imaginary finish line and stop thinking about what the future may or may not hold for them, then they might have the chance to experience the feeling of true satisfaction. We are so concerned and preoccupied with what we have to do for tomorrow that we completely miss out on today. As time passes and we age, we start to slowly lose our ability to live in the moment and enjoy the day that is right in front of our misguided eyes. The greatest gift that life has to offer anyone of any age is the ability to live passionately and somewhat recklessly in the moment, before there is no more moment left to experience.
Mateen Stuckey
ReplyDeleteMs. Webster
Modern Literature, Period 5
5 November 2012
"The idea that I am born into a particular time, place, family, and economic environment is absurd."
I disagree with the previous statement for a few reasons. First, I feel that it is not accurate in the sense that this quote is implying that regardless of the era, location, family ties, and economy, that everyone has the opportunity to better themselves or work to achieve their goals. While I agree with the general belief that if you try hard enough and with enough persistence in most cases you will succeed, I feel that under many different circumstances it becomes nearly impossible to do so. For example, if a child is born into a very poor environment with bad role models and is left to accomplish tasks on their own, the likelihood of that child realizing at age 5 that they should begin schooling, or even figuring out how to reach school on their own for that matter, is slim to none. If given the right motivation and dedication that child might decide to begin schooling at age ten to thirteen. By then they'll probably have already butchered their chances of becoming an astronaut or the president. Another possibility of how one could be born into a position they could not make their way out of is being born into a family business. If your family has been working as lawyers for hundreds of years in a law firm that your great grandfather built, chances are that out of some obligation you feel towards your family, you'll end up working as a lawyer or paralegal in that law firm. People could argue that if your parents cared about you they would let you go pursue whatever career you want but in most cases parents' feelings get hurt and they feel betrayed. As it can be seen, it's not so easy to work your way out of certain conditions. Hopefully one day there will be enough prosperity and cooperation so that everyone can have the appropriate means to better their lifestyle.
Cendy Veliz
ReplyDeleteNovemeber 5,2012
English Period 1
In life i must make choices regradless of whats the best for others.i can only choose whats best for me.i agree with this statement because not all the time do people know whats bes for you and you should not care what everyone else says, you should only care and worry about yourself, and what you decied. you cant always be pleasing everyone else, and making them happy, because you should think about yourself and think what makes you happy. does it make you happy with what makes you happy. Does it make around you. Not everyone around you knows whats best for you becaye their not in your shoes, and you should not be pleasing people because its not thier life, you should not care about what they say think about you because end of the day oyu know you are making a choice for yourself and you should not feel ashamed or feel like you are being selfish because you are thinking about your slef and taking choices for your best. YOu should not casre, because in the future there choices you make are for you and going to benefit you in the long run. its not going to benefit them its going to either harm or benefit you, untimatetly its your choice, and you should just choice the best for you and no one else and not care what people say.
Orit Morami
ReplyDeleteMs. Webster
English per 1
November 4 2012
Deep Thoughts: The Stranger
"In life, I must make choices regardless of what's best for others. I can only choose what's best for me." This quote from The Stranger means that the decisions we have to make in life should be the ones that benefit our selves rather than putting others before us and benefiting them. My dad once told me that in order for me to be happy in life I need to make selfish choices. I thought so wrong of this when he first said it to me. I thought, well what about the people close to me? I never want to hurt anyone; I could not ever live with that. It had to have been the most selfish thing I have ever heard. But as I got older, I started to understand what he meant. In this world everyone is born to live their life to please themselves by the ways they wish to. We can live it happy or sad, and that all depends on each person. We were born to be selfish because we were brought into this world alone in our own womb. It is good to look out for other people too but the first person to look out for is yourself because if you don’t you’re not living for yourself but for others. No one should purposely hurt another if not for the reason of only pleasing themselves first. Life really is short and if a human is not happy then he is behind in life.
Carellos Christina
ReplyDeleteWebster
Modern Lit, Per 3
5 November 2012
Deep Thoughts Response
“Whether or not God exists is irrelevant because of free will” I agree with this statement, and hold my beliefs strongly regarding this. Because of free will we are free to express and do things, but because of Gods existence in the minds of some of us, we are scolded upon for not following his commands, disregarding free will. God’s existence is extremely irrelevant. If nobody can possibly be perfect, why is he real? I mean, in the belief of Christians and Catholics you can’t do anything against their beliefs under God, or you will go to hell. This is irrelevant because practically you have to be perfect in order to go to heaven, and nobody’s perfect. Free will is becoming constricted by Gods existence, which it shouldn't be because that’s the whole point of free will, to be free and do what we please. I believe God is used to control people and to frighten people, which I don’t believe is right at all. We all have free will for a reason; I have free will to believe whatever I want and I won’t be manipulated by someone scolding me upon my beliefs, and I would never try to force my beliefs upon someone.
Nhaem Hossine
ReplyDeletePer. 3
11-5-12
There are many quotes I follow by but the quite the that I have recently found that is the troubling truth is this quote :"day to day existence is filled with anxiety and fear." This quote to me makes a lot of sense because every day we live we are afraid to die, to get hurt, or to lose something or someone. Our day to day life is also filled with anxiety because we are anxious about getting something our anxious about loosing something, whatever the case we humans are built to be overly anxious even about the most dumbest stuff. I think because of our fear and our anxiety it holds back humans from accomplishing many things and it prevents humans from working together as well as trusting one another. If we didn't have as much fear installed to us then I think we can stop war there won't have to be as many people dying and we can also help make this world better in terms as in the envorment and we can help hungry and starving kids and adults all across the world. If the world had more trust in people and in each other I feel like everything will be better around us. If people didn't have soo much anxiety installed in them then I think people would never second guess to trust someone and they wouldn't be soo anxious to give some one their word becaus e of all the mistrust in the world going on today and because of that you never see people truly trust a stranger even sometime their own family. Because of these reasons I think fear and anxiety are always filled with each and every humen and I feel like we can accomplish a lot without these feelings breathing down our neck but these are the feelings that make us humen and bring us down every time we think we are more and that can really help sometime.
Nora Murphy
ReplyDeleteEnglish P.1
Ms. Webster
November 6, 2012
"When I am born, I am undefined without any prior essence or preconceived personality or soul."
To me, this quote is saying that when you are born, you are not automatically born with a certain time or personality or any characteristics. I think this quote is true because I believe that the things you experience in live give you personality and character. For example, when I was in middle school I was battling an eating disorder. I struggled with it for a very long time and that experience has definitely given me character and a different type of personality compared to what it was before. That experience made me look at things differently and think of people differently. When your born, you haven't had the chance to see things or experience things yet, so you don't have anything that builds you or gives you a history. However, over time, any little thing you deal with in life can change that. The way you react to things, or the way you do things will all develop later in life. Everyone has past experiences that have shaped the way they are today. Whether you let those define you or not, they have affected your personality and soul.
Winokur 1
ReplyDeleteNatalie Winokur
English 12A
Period 1
Ms. Webster
6 November 2012
The Stranger
The statement I chose was, “In life, I must make choices regardless of what’s best for
others. I can only choose what’s best for me.” I believe this is true because I am not responsible
for others people’s choices and how they live their life. The only thing I can do is help and
support those people. An example for doing what’s best for me would be softball. I am playing
hard for the best team so that I can get signed. Yes it is about being a team working together but
also working hard myself to get myself out there. If you keep worrying about doing what is best
for others then you cannot work on what is best for you. I have been working my hardest to get
back into shape when season starts. Life is all about making choices but I believe it should
always be the right choices. Another example of choosing what is best for me would be choosing
the right friends to hang with. I have seen some of my close friends go down the wrong road
while I choose to do the right thing and work on a better life. I believe things would go down a
better road if people chose what was best for them. It is best to live life knowing that you worked
hard to achieve your goals rather then someone elses. But you can always help others get to that
point.
Gonzalez, Jazmin
ReplyDeleteMs. Webster
English 12
12 November 2012
The Stranger Blog Question: # 9
I completely disagree with this statement- that I am alone in this world, alienated from everything that attempts to define me. Yes at times it does feel like I am alone, especially in tough circumstances, but who doesn’t. I also have faith in God. At times I even feel like God is not there for me, but then I would be lying to myself because I have faith that He is there, and always will be, especially in the tough parts of life.
When it comes to being alienated by everything that tries to define me I’m not exactly sure what to say, but I try to do my best to not let myself be labeled as anything other than myself and who I am meant to be. And to me the person I am and who I am meant to be is defined by God. Every day I am faced with the challenge of not blending in, especially as a teenager in high school, and I guess one can say that I’m a misfit because of the way I choose to live, but I don’t mind it because that’s me and I love the fact that I am not like everyone else, I love that I have the confidence that I have a purpose in life greater than anything I can ever imagine, and most of all I love knowing that there will always be someone there for me to love me and call me higher, not matter what.
Verny Wang
ReplyDeletePer. 5 Modern Lit
Nov. 4/12
Ms. Webster
The Stranger
Meursault, the main character says, “My most authentic moment in life is death.” At the beginning his mother dies and he is unsure when she died: “Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don't know. I got a telegram from the home: ‘Mother deceased.
The absurdity of life is that it ends. Meursault is the "living dead" in the novel because he realizes that the monotonous behaviors of people—their empty rituals that lack sincerity, their calculated games and strictly-held, counterintuitive laws—are meaningless, and death will prove it. Therefore, he faces his own death as one who has accepted the impersonal nature of the universe; his demise has to happen and it does not matter when, where or under what conditions.
But Meursault hastens his inevitable death sentence when he kills the Arab on the beach. He fires one shot into the knife-wielding Arab because the glare of the sun makes it appear as though the knife is coming closer to him, when, in fact, the Arab has not moved. So the first shot is excusable. However, Meursault fires four more shots into the body.
It is as if Meursault wants to be truly unhappy so that he can stop the process of intellectualizing his meaningless existence. The “four quick knocks on the door of unhappiness” symbolize his desire to be one with the meaningless, cold universe: “I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world. Finding it so much like myself—so like a brother, really—I felt that I had been happy and that I was happy again. "
Death is the only substantial thing about Meursault's existence. And Meursault was fascinated by the power and resolution of death.He begins this while in prison, where he has nothing else to do. This is definitely different from his former stance. He also discovers that there is something to live for: life itself. Ironically, he finds meaning in his life only when he is sentenced to die.
Cendy Veliz
ReplyDeleteNovember 24, 2012
English Period 1
"When I am born, I am undefined without any prior essence or preconceived personality or soul."
I agree with this quote and what I think this quote is trying to say, is that everyone is born but does not know how there going to be right when you are born, because through out the years, you learn and things make you stronger. Impacts hit you while growing up that make you the person you are now. When your born you just don’t randomly choose what personality or what path you want to take. You are given that chance through out your life and choose what kind person you want to be, what kind of choices you want to do. It’s just not given to you to be a bad or good person, you choose it for yourself. Your parents try to lead you in the right way for you’re to be a good responsible child but at the end of the day you are the one that’s going to make yourself a bad or good person. It all on you, they try but if you’re not willing to get that help there trying to hand you over, then it won’t do no good for you. I think you’re not defined till you are older and have gone through a lot of things in your life because when you are young you are still. Trying to figure yourself out, and trying to see who you really are, I think what else defines you for who you are, is your parents because they are the one who raised you and taught you the way you are. You go through hard times that change you, and make you a better person, or they can harm you. But all of that goes on with your life is what makes you who you are and makes your personality and defines you. What you do through out your life, your childhood, and your history, what you have learned, what has hurt you, harm you, and made joy in your life is what defines you. But ultimately at the end of the day it’s up to you and what you decide because based on those decision you make is what defines you, and will show the kind of person you are and what your personality is. You really can’t define your self till you are a bit older because you had not yet lived your life complete and not have yet experienced fully everything, but you can show your personality, with the actions our take. I strongly agree with the quote, “When I am born, I am undefined without any prior essence or preconceived personality or soul.”
Gonzalez, Jazmin
ReplyDeleteMs. Webster
English 12
28 November 2012
The Stranger Blog Question: # 8
“When I am born, I am undefined without any prior essence or preconceived personality or soul.” I disagree with this statement because I believe in God and I know that He created me before He created the universe, and I know He had a plan for me when He did so. This may seem a bit radical, but that’s the point. I know God didn’t intend for my life to be pointless and boring, but extraordinary and exciting.
As God mentions in the Bible, in Jeremiah 11:29, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” This scripture is pretty self explanatory. This scripture also contradicts what Meursault believes, in The Stranger, since he doesn’t believe in God-he believes God is a waste of time. This explains why Meursault’s life was so dull and depressing, and I do not doubt Camus life was any different from Meursault’s.
Before I was interested in God I had similar beliefs as Meursault. Even at the beginning of getting to know who God is, through Bible studies, I had a hard time grasping that God had a purpose for me before He created the universe. I had a hard time grasping that He was the one who created me during this time as well. I had a hard time because like Meursault I did not believe in God, or at least like I do today- I didn’t really care. One of the scriptures I was shown was in Psalm 139: 13, which says, “For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” This was very hard to comprehend when I doubted, but then I realized that there was really nothing negative, that could happen to me if I chose to believe in and follow God. Even if God does not exist I still would be satisfied because I lived a pretty darn good life, believing in someone that loves me no matter what and understands me more than any one since He created me, and that He ultimately has the best in store for me if I just love Him- I saw an open door. And to be honest ever since my realization, as cliché as it may seem and or sound, I have had nothing but blessings, witnessed and experienced nothing but miracles, and I have never been so happy in my life as I do now with God.
Yes I have short comings and my bad days, like any other human being. The only thing that really sets me apart is that I believe, choose to follow, and love God out of free will- like He intended. Another thing He has promised, even before the land before time, was for my life to be full and assuring, as it has been. And because of God I know that when I was born, I was defined with a prior essence and preconceived personality and soul.
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