The Character Of Meursault In Albert Camus The Stranger

Absurdism is Ideal Everything that is done can be chalked up to fate. There is no concept of having control over your actions. Nothing in life holds significance or meaning. Relationships hold no magnitude and are inevitably unnecessary. There is no hope for a fulfilling afterlife. This unorthodox mentality is exactly what Albert Camus conveys in The Stranger through the main character, Meursault. Despite the obvious differences between Meursault and a typical society member he is able to carry out and relatively normal life that has value depth and an overall good quality of life. Although Meursault’s disposition appears obscure at face value, his outlook on life in nothing short of perfect as shown through his display of unconventional

One activity that holds significance to him is his not so exciting Sunday routine. Meursault, being the obscure man that he is, loves the repetitiveness of his Sunday morning adventures. The interesting part about his routine’s description is the alienation that arises through the somewhat lengthy report. He is extremely isolated but doesn’t display any sadness about this reality. He wakes up and then waits until noon to get out of bed. Proceeding that he makes eggs and then because of his boredom he wanders around the apartment doing nothing of significance. He then goes to his balcony to observe others living their Sundays more productively. The day goes on in this same uneventful and gloomy fashion. So uneventful in fact that Meursault feels compelled to add in the precise details of how he washed his hands and the type of cloth that he chose to dry them with. The most interesting part about the entire description is the fact that not once does he complain about the lack of things to do. He is happy to spend an entire day in the small apartment doing little bits of nothing. His ability to be joyfully isolated is sought after by many and achieved by few. Although being content while alone is not viewed as normal it is an amazing gift that Meursault has to see the positive in spending time by

Meursault is able to have control over his emotions and choose not to dwell on the things he cannot control such as the death of his mother or the fact he is not in love with Marie Cardona. He remains true to himself when he talks about his Sunday routine and how peaceful he is just spending time by himself. Finally, Meursault is honest even when his life is on the line and he potentially has the power to change whether he is killed or not. Overall, Albert Camus is able to create an absurdist character who at first may appear odd and erratic but ends up being someone that everyone should model their lives