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Albert Camus The Stranger: Meursault's Existential Life

820 Words4 Pages

The majority of people decide it is easier to live by the ideals already set in place and to conform to society’s standards, taking the freedom that allows everyone to live their own, individual life in a world that they can generate their own meaning of for granted. With that in mind, the author, Albert Camus, wrote The Stranger about a man named Meursault who lived an existential life. A life, detached from society, where he had no meaning or will to conform to the dictations of it, but to just live each day as they came. As a result of this alienation, Meursault faced the consequences of what caused his estrangement, as well having an effect on the society around him. Consequently, Meursault’s outlook on life and beliefs of the world …show more content…

His detachment and indifference left him incapable of forming proper and deep relationships with others. Family ties, romantic interests, and friendships were affected. Rather than taking care of his mother, Meursault put her in a home as he did not have the money to look after her and that they “didn’t expect anything else from each other anymore(88).” He did what seemed reasonable and what would benefit everyone, not letting his emotions, or more lack of emotions, getting in the way. There was a lack of emotions from him at his mother’s funeral, where one is expected to cry or show some sort of emotional response, Meursault showed none and focused on what was physically going on around him. Besides his inability to form proper relationships and lack of emotions, Meursault is unable to really formulate his own opinions or even act upon them. As it creates a generally passive character, Meursault is easily manipulated. That leads to him getting involved with Raymond and his situation with his mistress when he asked Meursault to write the letter to her, and he simply “didn’t have any reason not to please him(32).” Eventually, this led him to murder the Arab involved. If there was a reason for the murder, the result of the trial that ensued could have ended on better terms. However, as there was no reason, the judge pieced together his insensitivity at his mother’s

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