Existentialism in The Stranger (The Outsider)

549 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The outsider by albert camus

Existentialism in The Stranger

Existentialism is a philosophy that emphasizes a few main points,

such as the freedom to choose and the choices you make should be made

without the assistance of another person or standard. From the

existentialist point of view you must accept the risk and responsibility of

your choices and follow the commitment to wherever it leads. Someone that

is put in a particular situation understands it far more than someone

looking in on that same situation, one commonly used situation that appears

often in existentialist writing is that of death. The existentialist

should learn to accept death when the time has to come and should know that

the most important questions in life are not accessible to reason or

science. Acting on your own experiences is essential in arriving at the

truth and "man is condemned to be free. (Sartre)"

There were two parts in The Stranger that helped me better

understand existentialism the most. One part of the novel that helped me

to understand existentialism better was when Meursault shot the Arab on the

beach and how he handled the situation afterwards. The Arab had drawn his

knife and held it up to Meursault, but this wasn't what bothered him, it

was the light from the sun that shot off the Arabs knife, and the intense

heat along with the salt from his sweat in his eyes that was bothering him.

Meursault shot the Arab mainly because he was uncomfortable and not because

he felt threatened, but in any case he made the decision to shoot him. In

the next chapter Meursault can't understand why he would need an attorney

for his case because it's simple to him, he had murdered a man and was now

ready to pay the consequences. He had made a choice that might not have

been the right one but he accepted it and was ready to go through with his

decision to wherever it would lead.

The other part in The Stranger that helped me to understand

existentialism better was at the end of the novel when Meursault is

sentenced to death. I don't think Meursault was an existentialist but I do

think that he faced death the way an existentialist would have.

Show More
Related

  • The Grapes Of Wrath: Description Al Joad And The Setting

    440 Words  | 1 Pages

    matter is that Tom was only acting in self defense. After a man came after Tom

    Read More

  • Pudd'nhead Wilson as a Hero

    347 Words  | 1 Pages

    of killing him he tried to find some way of saying that he was not guilty. He

    Read More

  • Madness and Insanity in Shakespeare's Hamlet - Has Hamlet Gone Mad?

    691 Words  | 2 Pages

    to avenge the foul murder, but to leave his mother out of it as her guilt would

    Read More

  • Essay on Camus’ The Stranger (The Outsider): Parallels Within

    945 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Stranger by Albert Camus is a story of a sequence of events in one man's life that cause him to question the nature of the universe and his position in it. The book is written in two parts and each part seems to reflect in large degree the actions occurring in the other. There are curious parallels throughout the two parts that seem to indicate the emotional state of Meursault, the protagonist, and his view of the world.

    Read More

  • Self-Concept In The Outsiders

    1490 Words  | 3 Pages

    ”Because most people identify as separate from other people, they have what we call some "concept" of themselves. Self-concept refers to how people “think about, evaluate, or perceive” themselves.” Self-concept can be split into categories that make people who they are. Throughout “The Outsiders”, Ponyboy the protagonist, describes his brother and his friends in relation to him, giving insight on what makes each of them who they are. After reading an article on this topic “Self-Concept “by Saul McLeod (1), and reading chapters 1-3 of the novel “The Outsiders” (2). One can see the major reasons that make people who they are: self-image and self-esteem/self-worth.

    Read More

  • Being An Outsider Essay

    1017 Words  | 3 Pages

    How do you label someone as an outsider? Some might say that an outsider is when a person encounters an external conflict, such as not meeting worldly standards or some who face internal conflicts by feeling like they don’t fit in or belong. The argument on whether the experience of being an outsider in universal is a very controversial topic. Some may state that outsiders are not a universal experience, and others may strongly disagree. In the stories we learned; “Sonnet, With Bird”, a poem by Sherman Alexie, “The Revenge of the Geeks”, an argumentative essay by Alexandra Robbins, and “The Doll House”, a short story by Katherine Mansfield are all stories that portrayed examples of being an outsider. In other words, the experience of being

    Read More

  • Tybalt Is To Blame In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

    845 Words  | 2 Pages

    The first reason is that Tybalt indeed murdered before. Guilty does not begin to describe Tybalt, he is a

    Read More

  • Absurdism, The Stranger, and Life

    587 Words  | 2 Pages

    Absurdism, The Stranger, and life “Absurdism” (coined by Albert Camus) is a philosophy based upon the concept that the life and the world are meaningless, irrational, without sense or reason. And any effort we make to try to find meaning in them will ultimately fail. Albert Camus considers absurdity to be a fight, a force pushing between our mind’s desire to have meaning and understanding and the blank, empty world beyond. In an argument with Nagel, Camus stated “I said that the world is absurd, but I was too hasty. This world in itself is not reasonable, that is all that can be said.

    Read More

  • Existentialism in Unknown Places

    1404 Words  | 3 Pages

    Existentialism is the epitome of the unknown. There is no straightforward explanation of what exactly it is, there is only certain characteristics and behaviors that describe existentialist views. Throughout today’s world, there are examples of it everywhere, it’s found in movies, books, songs, and just people in general. Existentialists are known to think and do for themselves only. They believe that to understand what it means to be human requires understanding of themselves first. Some very well known pieces of entertainment existentialism is found in are: Hamlet by William Shakespeare, The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Stranger by Albert Camus, and The Breakfast Club by John Hughes. The Stranger is a book written about a young man whose mother dies, which soon leads him to becoming acquainted with the feeling of not caring about what his actions do to others or himself. The main character Meursault starts helping his friend Raymond, carry out ways to torment his mistress. Out of nowhere while at the beach, Meursault shoots Raymond’s mistress’s brother. He is thrown into jail and tried, but he seems to not be affected as much as he should about his actions. He first finds it hard to live without cigarettes, women, and nature, but he soon finds out he doesn’t need any of those. After being sentenced to death, he is suggested to turn away from his atheism but later realizes that human existence has no greater meaning. This realization and acceptance is what truly makes him happy (Camus). Next, The Breakfast Club is a very relatable movie about high school students suffering the consequences of their actions in detention. The kids are all of ...

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Death And Dying

    1008 Words  | 3 Pages

    Death is the one great certainty in life. Some of us will die in ways out of our control, and most of us will be unaware of the moment of death itself. Still, death and dying well can be approached in a healthy way. Understanding that people differ in how they think about death and dying, and respecting those differences, can promote a peaceful death and a healthy manner of dying.

    Read More

  • The Idea of Existentialism in The Stranger

    965 Words  | 2 Pages

    Existentialism is defined as "a philosophical theory or approach that emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free and responsible agent determining his or her own development through acts of the will”. In other words, existentialism it emphasizes individual freedom. Throughout The Stranger, the amount of existentialism views is abundant. The use of Mersault’s experiences covey the idea that human life has no meaning except for simple existence. 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.

    Read More

  • Albert Camus' The Outsider

    866 Words  | 2 Pages

    Albert Camus’s novel The Outsider is a fictional narrative that presents strong philosophical themes such as the irrationality of the universe and meaningless of human life. Throughout the novel it is clear that the narrator and protagonist – a young man named Meursault – is the only character that is able to understand and appreciate these ideas or philosophical truths. It is for this reason that he is an outsider. Accordingly, other social groups, including women, are represented as shallow as they constantly attempt to identify or create rational structure and meaning in their lives – Camus’s notion of absurdity. Women are a social group that show attributes of attachment, hope and ambition all of which in the novel are a futile attempt to impose rationality when none exists. Thus, Camus implies that women are shallow — lacking the deeper understanding of the universe.

    Read More

  • Culture, Power & Politics in the Workplace

    1484 Words  | 3 Pages

    As far back as history can be told mankind has struggled between balancing culture, power and politics. Many wars have been fought and many people have placed their lives on the line in order to stand up for what they believe in. The combinations of culture, power and politics have spilled over into the workplace. In today’s business environment individuals have much more to worry about than just completing their assigned tasks. Organizational culture, power and office politics influence day to day operations as well as govern the atmosphere within the organization. The amount of impact that power and politics have in the workplace, directly reflect the organization’s culture formally as well as informally.

    Read More

  • Essay On Organizational Structure

    1108 Words  | 3 Pages

    Understanding the structure of an organization plays a vital role in laying the blueprint for how a company will be managed and organized. It provides a well-defined framework that outlines the roles and responsibilities of each employee in a particular company. It shows how each employee interacts and works one another in achieving the goals of a company. In other words, organizational structure is a reflection of the working relationships that govern the workflow of the company. It has a profound effect on a company’s structural dimensions, which includes formalization, specialization, hierarchy and centralization.

    Read More

  • Absurdity: An Essay On The Stranger

    663 Words  | 2 Pages

    An Essay on. The Stranger; The Absurd One Ring to rule them all. One Ring to find them. One Ring to bring them all.

    Read More

More about Existentialism in The Stranger (The Outsider)

Open Document