Essay about the Stranger and the Absurd - 1296 Words

The Stranger is heavily rooted in philosopher Albert Camus’ theory of the absurd: the notion that human life has no definable purpose, and while the pursuit of an intrinsic meaning to life and the universe holds value, it will inevitably prove futile. Meursault, Camus’ protagonist, lives his life according to these tenets, however unwittingly, and for the majority of the novel reacts only to concrete, sensory things, showing neither understanding nor interest in more abstract societal constructs. Grief, guilt, passion and morality are foreign concepts to Meursault, but it is only through the prospect of impending death that he realizes that he lives in a separate world from the rest of society, where his perceptions and beliefs about the†¦show more content†¦This is only the first in a long line of reactions to emotional stimuli by Meursault. Friendships, proposals, sentences and hatred are not reacted to icily or harshly; they’re just not reacted to at all. This follows Meursault’s tendency throughout the majority of the novel to focus on the physical, tangible world rather than the nonphysical, intangible one. In Meursault’s mind, and in the mind of absurdist philosophers, the only real things in the universe are those that we can experience in the physical sense. When asked by the perverted and violent Raymond to write a letter to his mistress to manipulate her back into his arms so that he could abuse her yet again, Meursault acquiesces, showing his very distinct lack of a stringent moral compass by saying that â€Å"I tried my best to please Raymond because I didn’t have any reason not to please him† (pg 32). He doesn’t mind helping Raymond or becoming his â€Å"pal,† because while it may seem repugnant to the reader to befriend someone like Raymond, Meursault is incapable of making value judgments like these, and couldn’t care more or less either way. Meursault’s dependence of the physical senses for decision-making and perception is a main reason why he, a heretofore nonviolent, passive man, shoots the Arab at the climax of Part 1. Meursault kills the Arab because of his response to the glaring sun, in a scene that is as disorienting to the reader as itShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Absurd in Albert Camus’ The Stranger1036 Words   |  5 PagesEmpathy makes us human yet not all humans are emphatic, In Albert Camus’ The Stranger a suspiciously apathetic man named Meursault comes to light as a criminal. However Meursault perpetrated a crime of passion, is that not absurd for a negligent man? In a simple view of Meursault life and philosophies the remission of human feelings is evident, and slightly frightening. 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