What Is Meursault's Inhuman Characterization

Analysis of the Meursault’s Inhuman Characterization in Albert Camus’ The Stranger

Vienna Wong- Ville 2G- IB English 11

Albert Camus’ The Stranger is a French novel that follows the narrative of Meursault, a withdrawn and indifferent individual, who is faced with a trial of murder. Camus uses components of nature, as well as natural instincts, to illustrate Meursault’s inhuman characterization. The natural motifs displaying or contributing to Meursault’s inhuman character include: weather’s influence, common human-based ideas, physical necessities, and his constant observation of tangible surroundings. In the novel, Camus strongest and most prominent example of Meursault’s influence by the weather is the usage of heat and the sun when

Like animals, Meursault does desire or express intangible properties such as: marriage, beliefs, religion, or meaning. These human desires are irrelevant to Meursault, declaring that these ideas have no significance to his life. When Marie proposes to Meursault, he says that it “[does not] really matter” and rejects Marie’s statement that “marriage [is] a serious thing” (41-42). His apathetic response to Marie’s proposal and his rejection of the idea of marriage and events having meaning makes him appear withdrawn and inhuman. Another human-based idea Meursault rejects is the significance of god and religion. Meursault declares that he “[was not] going to waste [time] on god” and he “[did not] want to helped” (117). His refusal to rely on or believe in a supernatural/ spiritual force is another depiction of the philosophical idea of Naturalism, which rejects the idea that a supreme force can alter the course of a human’s life. Meursault also disagrees with the human idea of events and occasions having meaning. A critical example of this is that to Meursault, death lacks meaning. He states that even with Marie, his significant other, that he “[would not be] interested in her dead…people will forget [him] when [he] dies. They [would not] have anything more to do with [him],” which expresses the absence of meaning in anyone’s death. Meursault’s rejection of

Many of Meursault’s actions are due to his physical needs such as eating when he is hungry, sleeping or drinking coffee when he his tired, and making love with Marie or smoking cigars when he desires a physical pleasure. Similar to animals, Meursault’s physical demands impact his actions. When Meursault is tired, he fails to be engaged in anything that happens around him. Meursault describes attending Maman’s funeral being half awake saying that ”[his] physical needs often [get] in the way of [his] feelings” (65). Camus incorporates repetition of Meursault’s hunger, fatigue, and his sex drive more frequently than human-like desires (such as love, wealth, power, or status) to emphasize the portrayal of Meursault being