By: Gabriela Haddad (Grade 4)

Every day is filled with constant anxiety and fear. These feelings manifest in different forms like fear of failure, or death or even of rejection. Literature and philosophy are deeply connected with these emotions and offer reflections on how individuals confront or deny them. The novel “The Stranger”, written by Albert Camus, is an excellent example of how anxiety and fear are in our lives. After looking through the journey of the protagonist Meursault it becomes evident that these feelings are essential conditions of existence.

In the book, Meursault embodies an indifference to usual emotions, however, we can see anxiety and fear in the moment he has to face death. Until his trial and sentencing, the protagonist appears detached from social norms and expectations. Despite that, in the final chapters when he has the certainty of his execution, Meursault goes through an existential confrontation and he realizes that life is absurd and its only certainty is death. Although, this revelation does not take away his fear and transforms it, allowing him to embrace the present moment. The author suggests that anxiety and fear are unavoidable but can become paths to freedom and acceptance when faced honestly.

This philosophical perspective aligns with the ideas of Soren Kierkegaard, who described those emotions as “the dizziness of freedom”. For him, these feelings arise because when humans realize they are free to choose between multiple paths, even the unknown ones, they get this dizziness of freedom. It’s possible to see this in today’s society because people face anxiety over career paths, relationships or social status. An amplifier of this phenomenon is social media. Meursault facing death and modern people fearing irrelevance or failure illustrates how anxiety exposes the fragility of human existence.

A literary work that talks about these themes is the book “1984”, written by George Orwell. This book portrays a society dominated by surveillance and fear, showing how political powers explore anxiety to maintain control over them. These works demonstrate that fear is not only a private burden but also a collective condition, incorporated in all of the structures that shape our lives.

Therefore, recognizing that anxiety and fear are inevitable is necessary for a meaningful existence. When you try to deny it you are only leading to a bigger suffering. Fear reminds us of life’s fragility, while anxiety triggers us to question it, so they are necessary, because they help to resist conformity and to seek purpose. So they shouldn’t be seen only as obstacles, but also as an invitation to confront absurdity with courage and honesty, and to live with more freedom and authenticity.

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