To get at the roots of the Solversons’ ability to find life nasty, brutish, and short but nevertheless meaningful, we get a word from Lou’s wife, Betsy, a young mother dying of cancer. The sullen Noreen looks at her and says, “Camus says knowin’ we’re gonna die makes life absurd.” Betsy responds, “Nobody with any sense would say something that foolish. We’re put on this earth to do a job, and each of us gets the time we get to do it.” She looks at her young daughter Molly and continues. “And when this life is over, and you stand in front of the Lord, well, you try telling him it was all some
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