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Analysis Of ' The ' Meursault '

Decent Essays

Amanda Glassman
English 12
10/20/15
Meursault Portrays a Teenager As I stood overlooking the edge of a steep, mountainous cliff, I noticed the waves gradually growing taller. In Hawaii, on this particular day, the waves seemed choppier than normal. Out of fear, I automatically associated the bottom of the cliff with death. On the other hand, my friend had a different mentality. Her eyes glistened as she gazed down. I could see her eagerness to dive straight into the ocean. Without even holding her breath, she was gone. However, her decision was not surprising to me. Like my friend, many teenagers live a day-to-day basis by sayings such as, “life’s too short” and “you can never get second chance.” These mottos often cling to juveniles, causing them to make rash and careless decisions. In today’s day and age, teenagers are the one group of people that portray this reckless behavior. Although frowned upon in society, existentialism is commonly found in many pieces of literature. This theory usually highlights man’s existence with society and the world. Like teenagers, the characters in these books and stories are usually displayed as emotionless and disconnected to the world. In The Stranger, by Albert Camus, the protagonist, Meursault, perfectly fits the image of an existentialist. In this book, Camus creates realistic scenarios that Meursault undergoes, however, wants each reader to react differently to Meursault’s actions. The language of the novel is abrupt

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