The Stranger Word Lit Essay

The Stranger, published by Albert Camus in 1942, originally was written in French but soon got translated into English. Absurdism is a philosophy closely looked at in the novel and the readers can greatly explore this philosophy through evaluating the actions of the narrator, Meursault. Albert Camus writes in specific focus to this philosophy in The Myth of Sisyphus, which consists of a story about a man named Sisyphus who was sentenced to push a rock uphill again and again only to watch it roll down again. He writes his novel purely subjective to the narrator’s point of view. This is important because we the readers are able to see his reasons for his actions and opinions on situations. In The Stranger, Albert Camus cleverly shapes Meursault’s character so that he portrays the philosophy of the Absurd and also shows how a more rational society might view his choices and actions.

Absurdism is a philosophical thought which states that efforts made to find meaning in life will eventually fail. This story serves to explain this philosophy of the absurd, that there is no meaning to life and that finding an answer to it has no purpose. Meursault embodies this philosophical thought. Meursault’s character is portrayed as someone with no ambitions and emotions. He lives for the moment and doesn’t live to satisfy the values of the society, but to instead satisfy himself. The readers are introduced to Meursault’s absurd behavior at the very start of the novel. The first lines read, “Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday, I don’t know”(Camus 3). Meursault’s attitude when he speaks these words seem rather indifferent as if to say his mother’s death was of no importance to him. Meursault later on in the novel is at his mother’s funeral and ...

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...ge for the unfaithfulness of his past mistress so by asking for forgiveness he can then invite her back then get revenge. Meursault agrees by saying, “I tried my best to please Raymond because I didn’t have any reason not to” (Camus 32). He was aware of Raymond’s motives but that meant nothing to him. He doesn’t have a sense of what’s right or wrong and wrote the letter simply because he could. These situations give readers insight of Meursault’s character and reasons for his actions, all of which embody the philosophy of the absurd.

Meursault’s character seems rather odd and peculiar. He behaves in such a way that those with morals and belief in reason for living see his actions as unacceptable. Meursault’s character portrays the philosophy of the absurd and the way he is viewed during his trial shows how the society in The Stranger respond to the way he behaves.