On a warm summer evening, I sat down in my room with a new book in my hand. My friend informed me of a book titled “The Stranger” by Albert Camus. Playing the role of the persuader, my friend Julie briefly summarized the story which follows the detached character known as Meursault. Within the first minute, I found my interest spark. When I opened the book and began reading, I found my attention secured after the opener, “Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday, I don’t know.” Like a vulture, I ravenously tore through the story, trying to understand the motives behind Meursault’s actions and appreciating his desire for true genuity, unlike that of the hypocritical and narrow-minded society he lived in. After reflecting on the themes and values of this story, I realized that this French book had greatly enhanced my perspective on the world and taught me a new meaning to life. …show more content…
Unfortunately, I found few similarities with Meursault. Despite this, his struggle to understand why life mattered spoke loud and clear to me. In the story, Meursault’s thoughts of the meaning of life created an inner turmoil that kept him from developing and enclosed him off from the world. Like Meursault, I felt insecure about my thoughts regarding the meaning of life, yet felt determined to please my parents. Feeling unsure of my college career, I decided to head straight into pharmacy, taking rigorous AP classes and spending many hours preparing myself for this goal during my first years of high school. Despite this progression, my will started to lack as I received feedback that told me my goal was for my parents, not