Psychological Events In The Stranger

Coming from a mind set where everything has to be physically seen to be proven true; where the power of the mind and psychological events are only auditory, not taken into consideration is what we are taught to follow by society. However, in “The Stranger” this takes a great shift as it is set in an existentialist setting where constant struggles of being an “outsider” occur. In “The Stranger” by Albert Camus, Meursault, a psychological indifferent character, struggles with physically demonstrating emotions; however, manages to portray those thoughts mentally through the environment, rather than physical actions. Throughout the novel, it was evident that the psychological events were crucial; therefore providing elation through mental contemplation.

Before the first confrontation, Meursault agrees to go for a stroll on the beach and states how “the sun was overpowering” (Camus 55). As the shifts in tone and setting have occurred, at this point it is evident how the power and the aspects in the environment itself mentally drove Meursault. They added onto his actions rather than the emotions themselves. This was demonstrated through the second confrontation as Meursault seemed to be driven by the sun itself. When Meursault finally reaches the point of confrontation, he seems to be well aware of what he is about to do; however, after he has shot he no longer seems to know why he did it. He is desperately driven by the environment once again as he states how “the whole beach, throbbing in the sun, was pressing on [his] back” (Camus 58). Camus was able to integrate suppence through this as he used vivid diction that allowed for the reader to dive right into Meursault mind and see what was his thoughts were. Also, Meursault, having been different from others, was easily pressured by the environment, which is confirmed later on in the novel when he is ask the reason for shooting the Arab and he states it was because of the sun itself. This being one of the most significant events in the novel, because of the great shift it caused in Meursault's life, it was evident that Camus decided to integrate the psychological aspects of consciousness within to make it stand out. Another aspect that is psychologically demonstrated throughout “The Stranger” is how towards the epilogue of the novel Meursault has a mental awakening, and a sense of realization comes along with it as well. At this point in the novel, being locked up in a cell has allowed Meursault to reflect on life and contemplate, which leads to him finally accepting rejection and personal