The Fall

In The Fall by Albert Camus the main character Jean-Baptiste takes on an interesting role as he is talking with the reader. Jean-Baptiste shows that he has a desperate need to be above everyone else. this need is both figuratively with status and noble deeds as well as literally with trying to physically be above others. Jean-Baptiste is extremely selfish and can not really do something for anyone else. In the story he walks a blind man across the street, but he does not do this for the man. Jean-Baptiste is doing this to make himself feel better and because other people are watching and he wants them to think highly of him. When the attention and onlookers are not there Jean-Baptiste encounters a chance to be helpful on a much larger scale. A woman jumped off a bridge and he can hear her drowning. Instead of trying to save her he leaves her because he could have potentially drowned. This brought up the question of wether or not it is possible to do something completely for someone else. This brought up the question to myself of if it is possible to do something solely for someone else. I still do not know for sure, but as of now I can not think of a situation where someone can do something for someone else and not have any benefit. This is because when we do good deeds or do things for other people we feel good about it.