Quote by Jean Baudrillard
Neither dead nor alive, the hostage is suspended by an incalculable outcome. It is not his destiny that awaits for him, nor his own death, but anonymous chance, which can only seem to him something absolutely arbitrary. He is in a state of radical emergency, of virtual extermination.
Summary
This quote captures the uncertain and precarious situation of a hostage. The hostage is trapped in a state between life and death, with their fate hanging in the balance. Rather than facing a predetermined destiny or a predictable death, they are beholden to an unknown and ambiguous outcome, determined by a random chance. This creates a feeling of extreme urgency and impending annihilation. The hostage exists in a state of profound vulnerability and existential uncertainty.