This idea that the world is meaningless developed in Europe around the time of World War II. Meursault is indifferent on the subject as he does not desire more and was not dissatisfied by what he had now. His ideas and beliefs seem wrong but are very right. Since society does not understand him, they cannot know him and therefore he’s a stranger. It also conveys the existentialist idea that reason is powerless to the idea with the depths of human life. "She was wearing a pair of my pajamas with the sleeves rolled up. The main theme in The Stranger is that life is absurd. The ThemeTracker below shows where, and to what degree, the theme of Meaninglessness of Life and the Absurd appears in each chapter of The Stranger. Andrew Irvine, “Basic Themes of existentialism”, http://people.bu.edu/wwildman/WeirdWildWeb/courses/wphil/lectures/wphil_theme20.htm, Crowell, Steven, “Existentialism”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2010 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed. This text is NOT unique. He demonstrates this belief once again as his boss offers him a chance to move to Paris where he would attain a change in life. He no longer had anyone or thing to worry about but himself. Albert Camus - The Stranger. Special offer for LiteratureEssaySamples.com readers. Most of Mersault’s actions have no true conscious motives. Existentialism in The Stranger It was Camus who first introduced the idea of absurdity into the realm of existentialism. Despite encompassing a staggering range of philosophical, religious, and political ideologies, the underlying concepts of existentialism are simple. The Stranger:Random House. In The Things They Carried, as the title indicates author and Vietnam war veteran Tim O’Brien carefully describes all of the necessities of warfare carried by the men with whom […], Most veterans of the Vietnam War will remember a land that was radically different from what they knew and were used to, a country that was hot and humid, full […], Violent movies can transform a calm person’s personality to brutal. Existentialism In Albert Camus's The Stranger 830 Words | 4 Pages. Reference this. One aspect that is questionable is our ability to continuously reinvent ourselves through our actions. Start studying existentialism and the stranger. In other words, the title means that Meursault is a stranger to society. The prosecutor alienates him because he had not followed society’s current misconceptions when confronted with a situation that one was supposed to grieve during. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. The onlookers present do not understand him; in fact, they are afraid of him. Meursault displays this theme at the very end of part one of the novel. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thinking after reading a book or even coming to his or her own realization like Meursault. Finding Joy in Albert Camus’ The Stranger: A Different Perspective Existentialism is often defined as a philosophical movement that emphasizes individual existence, freedom and choice. His insensitivity is introduced through the emotions, or lack thereof, that he displays upon news of the death of Maman. This is a question that naturally protrudes throughout the novel, as it is not abundantly clear […], Existentialism is a philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual experience in a hostile or indifferent universe, regards human existence as unexplainable, and stresses freedom of choice […], Existentialism is often defined as a philosophical movement or tendency, emphasizing individual existence, freedom and choice. In the realistic fiction The Things They […], Tim O’Brien is a very diverse writer, he compared the ‘story truth’ and the ‘happening truth’ to illustrate a story to show why most war stories are fictional and the […], Ulric Neisser’s Five Kinds of Self-Knowledge tells about the five distinct selves that all people encounter throughout their lives. He cannot perceive any right or wrong in killing the Arab. Another notable occasion in which he offers an outlook on existentialism is during his stay in prison. At the beginning of the novel, Meursault sits at his mother’s funeral, quietly analyzing details of the scene. In his closing arguments, the prosecutor says, “But here in the wholly negative virtue of tolerance must give way to the sterner but loftier virtue of justice. Through this thinking Meursault displays Existence and Passion. The character of Meursault exhibits a bold existentialist attitude throughout the story that, on several occasions, explodes forth in a sharp contrast to his normal submissive personality; a most noticeable occasion being his outburst during his episode with the chaplain when he snapped after having an epiphany. The strongest display of individuality is at the very end of the novel when Meursault wants a large crowd of people to witness his death, and he also wants them to greet him with cries, but those of hate. When I started reading the book for the first time I jumped in right away and didn’t want to close it because I never read anything like it. What seems to be the only thing motivating Meursault in his daily life? Study for free with our range of university lectures! Existentialism In The Stranger, By Albert Camus 843 Words4 Pages The novel, The Stranger, by Albert Camus, illustrates the main character, Meursault with traits of an existential individual. There are, however, basic themes common in existentialist beliefs. Category: Existentialism Climate Change: A Loss Of Secular Hope? In existentialism, you believe that there are some things that cannot be rationally explained and just happen out of your control. Review for the Mid-book Quiz. Meursault is perfectly capable of analyzing the situation, but not of responding to it as society wishes him to. He is considered the personification of existentialism, the existential hero if you will. Meursault is found guilty and he is convicted and sentenced because of his lack of moral feeling. It is simple to him: he murdered a man and is now ready to face the consequences. Life or death, and anything in between, makes no difference to him. In the end, he opens himself “to the gentle indifference of the world,” and “finding it so much like myself,” he feels he has been happy, and is again. However, the ending changed all of that and further analyzing gave me the real reasons for his actions. They force us to think about our relation to such topics as the existence and nature of God, what it is to be Christian, the nature of values, and the fact of one’s own death. Reason is incapable of explaining human nature. He is considered the personification of existentialism, the existential hero if you will. Mersault’s murder of the Arab is another example of existentialism. An individual is a single unique member of a collectivity. Existentialism In The Stranger, By Albert Camus 1197 Words5 Pages Existentialism is just one of the many philosophies that attempt to determine the meaning of life. While awaiting his execution, he thinks about how his life has no meaning besides just living and how death does not scare him. An important note, however, is that there are many interpretations of existentialism, be it more optimistic or pessimistic. In fact, he abjured “armchair” philosophy and … In response he states, “I said it didn’t make any difference to me and that we could if she wanted to.” Such an insensitive response is intrinsic to the beliefs of an existential. Rather than being on trial for the crime, he is on trial for his values, like the lack of grievance of his mother’s death. Nonetheless, this character had the most interesting conflicts that kept me reading. It was all about the way he acted and how different he was. The second half of the book begins after Meursault is put in jail and is awaiting his trial. Society had declared Meursault absurd because of his unrelenting uniqueness and through this, the title of the book may be derived. To sum up, Albert Camus’ first novel The Stranger is devoted to the themes of social alienation, racism and sexism. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. When he thought about his own life and that he was about to die, he accepted it. These opening lines of the novel serve not only to introduce the novel but to summarize it as well. Camus uses the death of Mersault’s mother to convey his existentialistic philosophy. All work is written to order. Was 10th grade required reading for me. The understanding of this allowed Meursault to be at peace with himself. They believed in an afterlife and a heaven while Meursault did not, since he was an atheist. Mankind has free will. 9 1 19. I was impressed. This corporal representation of existentialism is what makes The Stranger the unique book it is. The novel is divided into two parts. Thoughts? We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. He did not make any personal connections to the things he has done, only indifferent observations. Albert Camus - The Stranger. Mersault shoots the Arab because of his physical discomfort with his surroundings, but in any case he consciously makes the decision to shoot the Arab. Later on, Marie inquires as to whether Meursault would be interested in marrying her. Amman died today or yesterday maybe, I don’t know”. Existentialism In The Stranger. In addition, Meursault is more concerned about his surroundings at the home and in the mortuary, rather than the fact that his mother lies dead in a casket, several feet from him. Albert Camus The Stranger: Existentialism and Absurdism, Mersault and His Trial in Albert Camus's "The Stranger", Commentary of a Passage Taken from " the Comfort of the Strangers ", The Things They Carried" Compared to Neisser's "Five Kinds of Self Knowledge, “Story Truth” and “Happening Truth” in "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien, Analysis "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien, The Portrayal of Vietnam in The Things They Carried and Good Morning Vietnam, Love and War in Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried. No plagiarism, guaranteed! In the novel The Stranger Meursault is an existentialist. ” Meursault is alienated from society throughout the tale as he accepts individual responsibility for his unique progression. Get Help With Your Essay Developed between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, this ideology influenced literature greatly. At the end of the novel Meursault is able to understand the meaning of life. It did not matter that he was being killed and the chaplain living another day, for he had lived his life and taken hold of his fate; therefore was certain as to what would come. He begins to become aware of what he was unaware of. A prime example of the incorporation of certain aspects of existentialism is witnessed in Albert Camus’s The Stranger. He lives a life that he controls and accepts all his actions that he does. He seemingly cares not for his own mother as is shown in his opening statements: “Maman died today. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. He is able to dissect himself and examine what his future will bring, and experiences several emotions often grouped with existentialism; the most outstanding being fear and anxiety. Meursault, the protagonist in “The Stranger… Question: What are examples of existentialism in The Stranger? This suddenly makes him happy and he accepts his death. Meursault is the major character in The Stranger. Albert Camus’s philosophy in the novel can be related to the philosophy of existentialism, which stresses that the individual is solely responsible for the choices they make, there is no predetermination and there is no supreme being who decides morality. The idea of existentialism in Albert Camus ' The Stranger reflects through Mersault's life experiences with his relationship with Marie, the death of his mother Maman, the murdering of the Arab, and Mersault's trial and execution, all these events show that Mersault’s life of no meaning. Existentialism is often defined as a philosophical movement or tendency, emphasizing individual existence, freedom and choice. Although not strictly an existentialist novel, "The Stranger" delves into the philosophies of life and meaning, concluding that there is no rhyme or reason or higher plan for human life. This just shows how Meursault is displaying his free will; he does not let the influence of his mother dying effect what he wants to do. The word existentialism means that there is no “higher” meaning to the universe or even man’s own existence (Howard). The Stranger is often referred to as an existential novel, but this description is not necessarily accurate. The decisions you make are whom you are, so decide accordingly. Camus’ The Stranger presents the character of Meursault who, after killing an Arab, is sentenced to death. Meursault’s absurd beliefs are that life is meaningless and without purpose. Society finds this unacceptable, and by refusing to conform to its face-value standards, Meursault must die. However, due to the existentialism, the character stands out in a way unique to the characters in that work. Meursault does this until he looks at a reflection of himself for the first time in prison. The Stranger was an unusually good book, which made me think. Amsterdam-Atlanta. The aforementioned actions are often unique due to the influence of existentialism. He cannot abide by the same moral confines as the rest of the world because he does not grasp them; he is largely indifferent to events occurring around him. This conflict portrays the stark contrast between the morals of society and Meursault’s evident lack of them; he is condemned to death, less for the Arab’s murder, than for refusing to conform to society’s standards. The climax of the book comes during Meursault’s trial for the murder of the Arab and yet another rendition of existentialism is divulged. He seemed unaffected by his mother’s death, the killing of the Arab, and his trial. He seems more concerned about the time of death, and not the fact that he just lost a loved one. We emphasized mainly on Meursault’s detached […], Is there truly any justice in the novel The Stranger, written by Albert Camus? “Camus tells the story of a man who, without any heroic pretensions, agrees to die for the truth” (Lazere, 68). Some things are irrational or absurd, without explanation. I was able to understand what Albert Camus was trying to say with his philosophy. When he must die, he wants a crowd to greet him “with cries of hate”; they are screaming because they want life and the world to have meaning; they need this because that is what their entire existence is built upon. We've received widespread press coverage since 2003, Your UKEssays purchase is secure and we're rated 4.4/5 on reviews.co.uk. As a result of the diversity of positions associated with this term it is […]. Maybe it was yesterday.” He is more concerned with the time of the death rather than the fact that he has just lost a loved one. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of UKEssays.com. The boss was upset at this turn of events and Meursault simply returned to work stating, “I would rather not have upset him, but I couldn’t see any reason to change my life.” He gives no rational explanation as to why he would want to change his life or not, only that it was not important and one life was just the same as another, showcasing another basic standard of existential belief. Meursault is the major character in The Stranger. He is emotionally indifferent to others and, as the prosecutor of his case words it, “a coolly calculating monster. He realizes that one can truly enjoy their lives when they approach and accept death. He goes through his daily events and is so absorbed in each moment that he never reflects on them. Free resources to assist you with your university studies! Nov. 21, 2020. The use of existentialism within his work assists in the development of his characters; it determines how they will act and respond to their surroundings. save. 53 [ 3 ] Camus. He realizes that life is meaningless and the world is irrational. As is evident through the root of the word, exist, there is a stress on definite individual existence and freedom of choice. This was used to prove that people who are different are judged by their character over their actions. Camus also addressed this in his other famous book, The Stranger, in which a man accepts the irrationality of life and lack of objective meaning by refraining from making any judgments, by accepting even the worst sorts of people as friends, and not even getting upset when his mother dies or when he kills someone. 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