Existentialism in The Stranger The Stranger is a famous novel by French author Albert Camus. In this novel, the main character is Meursault and he gets notified that his mother has passed away. He doesn’t get upset but later in the book he’s strolling through the beach and he shoots an Arab multiple time. Meursault Throughout The Stranger, there are multiple times that we see these circumstances The theme and position of the novel are used as examples of Camus's philosophy of the absurd and existentialism
When The Stranger was published in 1942, World War II was at its peak, and the Nazi regime had occupied France. Camus strongly opposed the war, as his father was killed in World War I, and did not want the senseless horrors of the war to be repeated. The reason the book was so successful was because of the many radical ideas that were being introduced to the public, such as existentialism, nihilism, and absurdism, a belief founded by Camus himself. The idea of existentialism is reflected throughout
Albert Camus’ book, The Stranger, tells the story of a man whose apathetic personality brings him alienation from society. Throughout the entirety of the story, Meursault is unfazed by everything. Even when his mother passed away, Meursault’s main concern was his discomfort and desire to go home. He never shed a tear, let alone showing any ounce of mournfulness for his loss. Though Meursault isn't a really good guy, he isn't necessarily a bad guy either. This is demonstrated throughout the book,
Indifference, Detachment, and Passivity in The Stranger Meursault is an unemotional, and unambitious man who cares only for his own physical needs. He is indifferent towards everyone around him, even his own mother and the woman who loves him the most. Meursault has a sense of detachment and that is why he has superficial relationships. His indifference and detachment contribute to his general passivity and to his alienation from the society. The themes of indifference, detachment, and passivity
“The Stranger” by Albert Camus follows the story of an apathetic and withdrawn man, Meursault, as he easily cruises through life with the belief that he is indifferent to the universe. The novel begins with Meursault receiving news that his mother had passed away. Immediately after traveling to the funeral, and not showing an ounce of emotion, Meursault engages in an unemotional relationship with a woman named Marie. His moral bankruptcy and emotionally detached demeanor stays constant throughout
The novel, The Stranger revolves around Meursault who does not conform to societal expectations; he is often misunderstood because he expresses himself as emotionless. Meursault emotionless demeanor often leads him to be disconnected in emotional relationships as he cannot fully comprehend human connection. Throughout the novel, Meursault fights a constant battle against himself. The novel places a heavy emphasis on Meursault's displacement with his emotions and the author tries to express how his
Absurdism is a philosophy based on the belief that the universe is irrational and meaningless and that the search for order brings the individual into conflict with the universe (Merriam-Webster). In the novel The Stranger Albert Camus uses Meursault to illustrate the philosophy of absurdism, specifically the absurdist principles of indifference to society and the irrationality of society. One principle of absurdism that is illustrated within the novel is the principle of indifference to society
The Stranger is not like most typical short stories. Albert Camus, who is the author of The Stranger, created Meursault as this sociopathic character who is honest about his feelings and is detached from society. He can be perceived as nonchalant, passive, dispassionate, and robotic throughout majority of the story. He is not aware of the actions he make, his moods are dictated by powers of Nature, he does not see the difference between being in love and being in lust, he is very attentive to the
In Albert Camus' "The Stranger", the incongruity of life from Camus' eyes are made obvious through the main character Meursault. The feeling that the importance of life is what we encounter as humans and that things shouldn't be addressed in the premise of who Meursault is as a person. These qualities uncover that Meursault is a case of an existentialist. From Meursault's entirely physical method for portraying the occasions he comes into contact with, to his absence of feeling and general withdrawal
Many visions and aspects of existentialism are clearly displayed throughout the book “ The stranger”. Author albert camus uses examples of existentialism throughout the book in order to show just what state of mind the main character is in. he continually uses moments from his own life to paint an even better picture for the reader to visualize. The main character meursault is clearly emotionally detached from the world. Mersalt is affected by the death of his mother-the author used his own real