ZENGEL 1

John R. Zengel
Loz Dunn
May 10, y
Absurdism

Humanity as a whole generally likes the idea that we are controllers of our own destiny.
That with hard work and perseverance we can change fate. However absurdism presents a
different idea, an idea based almost solely on fate. This philosophy in which we, as humans have
little to no power over. The idea that our efforts are all for naught, if the powers at be wish them
to be. This philosophy however, normally takes this idea in a more negative angle. Showing the
plight of some people who are nearing the end of their life, or being forced to make a choice,
with both choices leading to death. Take for example in the guest, in the guest we see a school
teacher being forced into looking over a criminal who recently killed his own cousin for
seemingly no reason. Then over the night they spend together the teacher forms some sorta of
bound with this criminal, the teacher also hears some strange ruling in the night. The next day the
teacher gives the criminal some food and around one hundred franks. He then tells him his two
choices, first to go off to the hill where a locals with harbor him, and take care of him. With the
other choice to go to the prison and face his own death. The teacher walks away from the
criminal, hoping he would try and escape, but when the teacher looks back he sees the criminal
walking towards the prison and his own death. Saddened by this the teacher goes back inside
only to see poorly written on the chalk board "You handed over our brother. You will pay for
this. Through is hole short story there is an over whelming felling of two souls who both fell
isolated and lost being brought together only to have fate force them both into facing death. With

ZENGEL 1

the Criminal facing his death with the rule cold hand of the state, while it seams the teacher will
meet his end at the hand of a small group of Arabs who blah him for turning their brother in.
The rest of this story is filled with these kind of choices, where no mater what the charters said or
did the conciliation could almost always be the same. The teacher would ether die at the hand of
the arabs who blame him for the death of their brother, or by the hand of the rule state due to his
actions to help the criminal escape. While the criminal can ether face his own death at the prison,
or try to run away and escape, while hoping they never find him. These choices give a perfect
example of what absurdism thrives on, the hopelessness and disappear of fate. Giving examples
of the horrible things fate brings, the feeling of pointless and weakness. The idea that, as humans
do not have control of our own fate scares and scares most people. Making some people who
believe in it to feel almost like everything they do is pointless. Which, in absurdism is almost
true.