Existence beyond Deities:

Unraveling Existential Secularist Threads in Padma Nadir Majhi and The Outsider

Abstract

With no divine guidance, people must figure out their own existence and what
ultimately gives their uncertain lives meaning. Manik Bandopadhyay's Padma Nadir Majhi
(1936) and Albert Camus's The Outsider (1942) reflect this thought in different social and
cultural contexts. Each narrative underscores the contextual influences that determine human
ethical choices. The main purpose of this study is to examine the character analysis of the two
novels and how they face the fundamental questions of life, even amid social unrest, economic
uncertainty, and deep personal conflicts. The contrasting historical realities of rural Bengal
and post-war France shapes their responses. Yet, both works reflect a persistent struggle with
alienation, absurdity, and the search for significance in a secular modern world. By situating
these texts within the frameworks of existentialism and secularism, the paper highlights how
Bandopadhyay and Camus effectively depict the crises of human existence and the ongoing
attempts to affirm meaning in a disenchanted reality.