Circumstances Beyond the Control of Man

A British prime minister, Benjamin Disraeli has stated “Circumstances are beyond the control of man, but his conduct is in his own power.” This quote is valid as Disraeli teaches us that we should concern ourselves with how we should react to situations and events we encounter, even though we can't predict the future. Ultimately, this is all we are in control of and responsible for. I concur with this quote, as we can't control what happens, but we have the power to make decisions for ourselves. The Stranger by Albert Camus and The Crucible by Arthur Miller are two great pieces of literature that strongly reflect this quote. The protagonists in both stories are presented with several options to choose from, yet the outcome is out of their control. In the novel The Stranger by Albert Camus, the protagonist, Meursault, is presented with many decisions yet many of the consequences are unfavorable and beyond his control. Meursault is a passive man who decides to befriend Raymond, a pimp who is well known in his neighborhood. Raymond has control over which friends he chooses to befriend. Out of all people, he chooses Raymond, who has led
Meursault to his demise. Meursault knows Raymond is not a benevolent person, yet he continues to befriend him. Later on in the novel, Meursault is face to face with one of Raymond's enemies. Meursault meets him for the first time and assassinates the stranger with a firearm, shooting the victim 5 times. If it was self defense, one shot is probably enough to knock the attacker unconscious. Meursault has the power to fire his pistol once, but instead he fires 4 more times. Finally, Meursault is presented with the consequences. Meursault has been arrested and tried in court. He has never wanted this to happen as circumstances are beyond the control of man. Almost a year after the incident, Meursault has been executed via the guillotine. The protagonist could've lived a perfectly normal life without any felonies, yet he made