ipl-logo

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

Show More
Related

How Is Meursault A Bad Person

998 Words | 4 Pages

Meursault shows his lack of emotional attachment to people: "I explained to him, however, that my nature was such that my physical needs often got in the way of my feelings"( page 41). Meursault shows the regrets of his nature but also, at the same time, explains that it’s not going to change. Rather than focusing on finding someone to spend his life with, Meursault would rather find someone who can always keep him pampered. Meursault again shows his regret for his actions when he says, "I wanted to try to explain to him that it was because of the sun, the sea, the light, in fact, everything, that I had simply loved him with no personal motive" (Page 68). Meursault shows his lack of care for those whom he loved, but at the same time shows that Meursault might not be able to fully control what he does, but rather does everything out of impulse, therefore making him regret his actions in some situations.

Read More

Mod World Lit Essay

869 Words | 4 Pages

This simple fact keeps him so alienated from the rest of the characters in the book. To go in deeper with Meursault’s isolation, most of his attention was self created. Others, such as his “fiancee” Marie and neighbor Raymond, wish to associate with him, however, he lacks the fundamental skills required to maintain healthy relationships. His alienation becomes especially noticeable thought his time in prison. At one point, he addresses his views on the world after having killed a man on the beach.

Read More

Meursault's Emotions In The Stranger, By Albert Camus

724 Words | 3 Pages

Meursault is not an emotional person. Meursault often seems not to react to major events that happen to him. For example when his mom dies, he says, “Really, nothing had changed”(24). There is an obvious emotional disconnect. Either he was not close to his mother or her death had little to no effect on him.

Read More

Meursault's Motives In The Stranger

2405 Words | 10 Pages

An Examination of Meursault’s Motive in The Stranger Many people who read The Stranger conclude that Meursault’s murder of the Arab was not deliberate because of his passive and apathetic personality within the novel, especially exhibiting emotional indifference to the people around him. His murder of the Arab at first seems to be completely thoughtless and impulsive. It is reasonable to assume that because of his personality, he would not have or develop a motive. However, that could not be further from the truth. The novel presents many motivations for Meursault throughout the novel.

Read More

Diction In The Stranger

932 Words | 4 Pages

Through the use of diction, Meursault perceives life is meaningless, which leads him to have the absence of strong bonding with acquaintance around him. He indicates that he lacks empathy from personal and social level. Meursault is a simple man who lives his life in a stickler type and changes annoy him. As the novel introduces Meursault mother being dead, he shows lack of concern and a burden to visit his mother for the last time. “Maman died today...

Read More

Meursault's Decisions In The Stranger, By Albert Camus

449 Words | 2 Pages

In politics, decisions made are not always clear or make complete sense, and remain unclear until later on. Similarly, in great literature, the conflict presented generates a degree of confusion in the reader, encouraging them to read forward. In the course of reading the story, more and more context and details are revealed, until the purpose behind the conflict is shown. The characters have driving motives that lead them to solve the conflict, sometimes in ways the reader can not fully understand. The source of pleasure and disquietude in The Stranger by Albert Camus are the unknown motives behind Meursault's decisions and thoughts.

Read More

Camus And Nihilism

1090 Words | 5 Pages

For instance, the first line of the book states that “Maman died today” (3). Camus delineates that Meursault lives unattached to his mother, and his indifferent attitude toward his mother’s death portrays his thought based on one of Camus’s absurdist ideas of meaningless of human life; Meursault encounters an issue with moral apathy, highlighting his opposition to the will of the majority by isolating himself from society. Even when he visits his mom’s funeral, he denies seeing her body, though he finds it interesting to ponder upon “the effects of heat and humidity on the rate of body decay” (6). This nihilistic attitude toward his society later brings in a conflict. “Do you want my life to be meaningless?”

Read More

Meursault's Existentialism In The Stranger, By Albert Camus

1166 Words | 5 Pages

“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion” –Albert Camus (Albert Camus Quotes). Camus utilized this freedom in all aspects of life, namely in his relationships with women, which shaped him into an obsessive womanizer who engaged in multiple affairs. His distorted view of women was communicated in his novel, The Stranger, through Meursault, a particularly emotionless main character with similar thoughts on love. Both Meursault and Camus were Existentialists at heart, for they only found value in the physical world and believed that the universe was irrational. Meursault had few interactions with women, and those he had existed to serve his materialistic, sexual

Read More

The Stranger Character Analysis

1437 Words | 6 Pages

Meursault notices that during the trial, “there was a lot said about [him], maybe more about [him] than about [his] crime” (98). By having Meursault 's personality be the focal point of the courtroom 's dialogue, Camus implies that Meursault 's persona plays a crucial role in his trial. Instead of focusing on the murder of the Arab, the prosecutor repeatedly mentions Meursault 's "dubious liaison"(94), his "insensitivity" (99) during Maman’s funeral, and his friendship with Raymond, who is a man "of doubtful morality" (99). Through the emphasis on Meursault 's -according to society- 'immoral ' ways, the prosecutor eliminates any sort of sympathy the jury has for Meursault. Following Marie 's testimony, the prosecutor once again exhibits his confidence that bias against Meursault will stem from hearing about his behaviour.

Read More

The Themes Of Death In Meursault's The Stranger

1232 Words | 5 Pages

The themes of death explored using absurdism in The Stranger is shown with a general disregard for death by Meursault and the strange way he sees life based on these existentialist views. The Stranger is a perfect example of an existentialist novel that was written for that time period, as during this time around the area of France and Europe there was an existentialist movement that Albert Camus, the author, was involved in.

Read More

The Importance Of Existence In The Stranger By Albert Camus

1491 Words | 6 Pages

Everything he will say; the magistrate will not believe him, he even feels there is no need for a lawyer because he thinks everything he does, is right and there is not something to question. He comes to understand that he trying to find meaning in his own life, make him impotent to society’s eyes, he only murdered an Arab and that is it. During the trial, there are investigators that learn that Meursault does not feel any remorse at his mother funeral. As Meursault does not have any evidence why he kills the Arab man, the lawyer thinks that it will be a strong argument if Meursault can come up with some answers for the questions. The investigator asks,” If I had felt any sadness that day” (Camus 65).

Read More

Existentialism And Absurdism In The Stranger, By Albert Camus

1021 Words | 5 Pages

In his novel The Stranger, Albert Camus creates an emotionally incapable, narcissistic, and, at times, sociopathic character named Meursault to explore and expose his philosophies of Existentialism and Absurdism. Throughout the story Meursault follows a philosophical arc that, while somewhat extreme - from unemotional and passive to detached and reckless to self-reflective - both criticizes the dependent nature of human existence and shows the journey through the absurd that is our world. In the onset of The Stranger, following his mother’s death, Meursault acts with close to utter indifference and detachment. While the rest of “maman’s”(9) loved ones express their overwhelming grief, Meursault remains unphased and, at times, annoyed at their

Read More

Albert Camus The Outsider Analysis

1491 Words | 6 Pages

Meursault feels this rejection first hand in the courtroom: “…the prosecutor exclaimed, “Oh no, that is quite sufficient!” with such glee and with such a triumphant look in my direction that for the first time in years I had this stupid urge to cry, because I could feel how much all these people hated me” ( Camus 89-90). As the prosecutor leads him further into condemnation, Meursault realizes how much the people detested him. Accompanied by this recognition, he feels the urge to cry. Meursault, while he recognizes his peers’ distaste, fails to identify their reasoning for doing so.

Read More

Essay On Meursault In Albert Camus 'The Outsider'

1416 Words | 6 Pages

Throughout most stages of ‘The Outsider’, by Albert Camus, the readers create the label of Meursault as portraying an anti-heroine like personality as they may derive through the parts such as Meursault showing no emotion whatsoever in the light of his mother 's death, the killing of the Arab, etc. The often displayed apathetic nature of Meursault throughout the entire book simply illustrates Meursault’s somewhat introverted-self and throughout this essay, The quote, said by the chaplain in the final chapter, “I 'm on your side. But you can’t see that because your heart is blind. I shall pray for you.” suggests that Meursault is a cold and indifferent individual.

Read More

Social Efficiency Ideology Reflection Paper

1180 Words | 5 Pages

I am challenging myself to evaluate, analysis with candor a couple good examples of Social Efficiency Ideology from the immense amount of information provided to us. Nevertheless, with this increased knowledge, one should be able to converse and analysis my own interpretation for consideration of the subject matter, conceivably even change my perspective after discussing it amongst my peers and professor. Understandably, still noting how this ideology holds and influences the curriculum thought processes in the 21st century from administration, educators in all forms, parents, even students as it holds true to its original identity, with some transformation.

Read More

More about Albert Camus The Stranger: Meursault's Existential Life

Related Topics

Open Document