Existentialism in The Stranger
Existentialism is a concept that is often explored in works of literature as a way of displaying a character’s interaction with society. One underlying idea of this concept is that one must accept the risks and responsibilities associated with the choices that he or she makes. Once a decision is made, there is no going back. Existentialism tries to illustrate one’s “desire to make rational decisions despite existing in an apparently irrational universe” (Wyatt 1). In the existentialist point of view, many things are absurd or irrational without explanation. Often, one feels a “suffocating sense of being enclosed by events which are irrational or absurd but also inexorable” (Bigelow 175). In The Stranger, Albert Camus uses Mersault and his experiences to convey the philosophy that man is full of anxiety and despair with no meaning in his life except for simple existence. The concept of existentialism is reflected through Mersault’s experiences with his mother’s death, his relationship with Marie, his murder of the Arab, and his own trial and execution. Camus uses the death of Mersault’s mother to convey his existentialistic philosophy. When his mother dies, Mersault receives a telegram that notifies him of h
er death. However, he seems more concerned about the time of death, and not the fact that he has just lost a loved one. for his mother’s death. It also conveys the existentialist idea that reason is powerless to the idea with the depths of human life. Furthermore, Mersault shows no compassion at his mother’s funeral either. He does not cry or behave the way that society expects him to. Instead of being mournful and depressed, Mersault drinks coffee and smokes in a relaxed manner. This leaves the impression that Mersault is insensitive, or that he did not love his mother. As an existentialist, he accepts life and death without seeking a deeper meaning. Mersault’s murder of the Arab is another example of existentialism in The Stranger. The absurdity of the murder is what makes it a good portrayal of the concept of existentialism. The Arab draws his knife and holds it up to Mersault, but this is not what seems to truly bothers him. Instead, it is the intense heat and the light from the sun that shoots off the Arab’s knife that irritates him. As this sensual feeling overwhelms him, Mersault says, “My whole being tensed and I squeezed my hand around the revolver” (59). This part of the novel shows how Mersault is not only a stranger to his experiences in life, but also to nature. For the first time, the sun and his sensual pleasures begin to act against him, and cause him to lose control. Most of Mersault’s actions have no true conscious motives. 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. When he is taken into police custody and is asked if he would need an attorney, Mersault is genuinely confused. It is simple to him: he murdered a man and is now ready to face the consequences. Within existential
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Approximate Word count = 1242
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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