It was as if that great rush of anger had washed me clean, emptied me of hope, and, gazing up at the dark sky spangled with its signs and stars, for the first time, the first, I laid my heart open to the benign indifference of the universe. To feel it so like myself, indeed, so brotherly, made me realize that I'd been happy, and that I was happy still. For all to be accomplished, for me to feel less lonely, all that remained to hope was that on the day of my execution there should be a huge crowd of spectators and that they should greet me with howls of execration. Albert Camus
About This Quote

In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the narrator talks about a time he spent with a close friend, Tom Buchanan. In the novel, Tom is a man who believes in wealth and social position. He believes that money and social status should be the priority of every human being.

Yet, as this quote describes, Tom has a change of heart because of a single moment in time. In the novel, it is depicted as if Tom was deeply troubled as he stood on his balcony watching as a mob of people rioted against him. He witnessed people burning cars and throwing rocks at his house.

However, what shocked him more was how everyone treated him as if he was one of them. He was not recognized as someone who had power over them for they were angry with him for bringing so much attention to himself. This experience made him realize how society is based on false constructs and that they tend to be cruel to those who they do not know or understand.

Thus, he decides to stop trying to change society for it is meant to operate on its own terms and not his terms.

Source: The Stranger

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