Thus I progressed on the surface of life, in the realm of words as it were, never in reality. All those books barely read, those friends barely loved, those cities barely visited, those women barely possessed! I went through the gestures out of boredom or absent-mindedness. Then came human beings; they wanted to cling, but there was nothing to cling to, and that was unfortunate--for them. As for me, I forgot. I never remembered anything but myself.
In Albert Camus's "The Fall," the narrator reflects on a life lived superficially, engaging with the world only through words and gestures. He acknowledges that his experiences, including friendships and travels, were never fully realized; they were approached casually and without genuine connection. This sense of detachment reveals a deeper existential emptiness, where life is navigated out of boredom rather than passion or commitment.
The narrator also notes the attempts of others to form meaningful connections with him, but he recognizes that there is little substance for them to hold onto. Their desire to cling to him only highlights his own self-absorption and forgetfulness regarding anything outside of himself. This creates a profound distance between him and others, suggesting a poignant critique of isolation in modern existence.
