Accepting the Inherent

In a world that is more connected than ever, people interact with each other on many emotional and superficial levels. People expect validation for these interactions, a reward for presenting their opinions or doing a good deed. However, these people refuse to accept the blatant reality that life is not a slave to their desires; it doesn’t exist to please them. Only a few, select people truly understand that the world owes them nothing. One of these is Stephen Crane, the author of “A Man Said to the Universe.” In this brief poem, Crane effectively asserts his opinion that, “the universe/… has not created in [itself]/ a sense of obligation” (Crane, line 4-5). In this line, Crane shows his view that people should expect nothing from life. The poem, which only consists of five lines, holds power in its simplicity. This opinion is one shared by Meursault, the narrator of The Stranger. Meursault reflects that “none of it really mattered” (Camus, page 78). This is an idea that resonates throughout the entire story, during which Meursault discovers the insignificance of his own existence. Meursault, like Stephen Crane, understands the fact that the universe doesn’t conspire against humans and nor does it conspire with them. In short, the world doesn’t care about people, for it doesn’t need to. Unlike many, both Meursault and Crane acknowledge that the world is not accountable for them. Perhaps by accepting the absurd like Crane and Meursault, humans could stop perseverating the unknown and accept life as it comes along?