The Stranger Existentialism has many components and one of them is the idea of the absurd. In the novel, The Stranger by Albert Camus, the philosophy of absurdism is explored thoroughly through the protagonist’s thoughts and actions. Throughout the book, Camus argues his belief of the “absurd world”. Camus’s definition of the absurd world is that the world is filled with people who are anxious over small aspects of their lives despite the world being meaningless and irrational. Camus’s absurd world
A lot of people have tried to decide on a meaning of life, one approach is absurdism. Absurdism acknowledges that the meaning of life is too complex for people to understand, so the solution presented is to stop trying to find it. The book "The Stranger" by Albert Camus is one example. It is about a man named Meursault. Following his mother's death--which isn't affected by, he gets into a fight on the beach and kills his coworker's brother for no apparent reason. He is then taken to jail and eventually
When analyzing Albert Camus’ The Stranger, it is suggested by the author that Meursault is driven by the priority and importance of a physical world. Throughout the novel, Meursault faces the challenges of death, love, and the outcomes of societal actions. His reaction to these items is what fuels not only his emotions, but the way in which he reacts to the events, as well as the world around him. These physical urges compel him to do things that are not accepted by society, and ultimately lead to
As Meursault detachedly stated in The Stranger, “Then I fired four more times at the motionless body where the bullets lodged without leaving a trace. And it was like knocking four quick times on the door of unhappiness.” In The Stranger, Albert Camus uses the theme of frivolousness of human life and the lionization of the physical world to demonstrate the certainty of death, the importance of ‘matter over mind’, and the absurdity of the Universe. One major element of Camus’s inane philosophy is
“Don’t get me wrong, I like reading. But some books should come with warning label: Caution: contains characters and plots guaranteed to induce sleepiness.” Because of Albert Camus’s writing style the book seem to lack depth as well as a lack of connection to the protagonist. Camus's writing style was meant to force the reader to look "make the complexities of a man's life appear simple," (Camus, v) but it falls short of this goal and makes not only the book appear simple but Meursault as well
The theme of hostility and suffering in The Stranger is evident the language of this passage with Meursault and the Arab on the beach. The language in the passage uses the sun to express the the suffering of mankind and to question the difference between reality and fiction. The important factor to pay attention to is Camus does not explicitly declaring the heat of the sun. The use of the word “And this time”, this indicates the Meursault has dealt with the Arab before. However, when saying those
To what extent does Meursault's recollection of death and loss throughout the novel explain his attitude towards his mother's death? As The Stranger is predominantly written as a reflection of the past, the narrator recalls many instances and vividly describes his environment in ways that draw parallels to his mother’s death and funeral. Meursault’s lack of emotional distress is not due to a lack of interest, but rather a deeper understanding of a life’s last days, just as his mother experienced
Albert Camus portrayed Meursault as a hero severally in ‘The Stranger’ but readers of this book will think otherwise because he didn’t react to death or complications like other people would do. Meursault was a different person but the attitude he had depictes would be seen by readers who don’t really look into the type of man he is as nonchalant and apathetic. Truth be told Meursault does come off like that in the book, for instance when he is at the nursing home for his Maman’s funeral and his
the dictionary are defined as principles of right and wrong behavior and wrong is defined as a harmful, unfair, or illegal act. Meursault obvious commits an immoral act when he shoots the Arab. Several people would argue that Meursault from the stranger is a reflection of ourselves, nevertheless it seems clear that from a lack of emotion that Camus in reality distances the reader from the protagonist, Meursault. One example from the book is when Meursault discovers that Maman has passed away. He
Albert Camus’ Portrayal of War and Humanity in The Plague In The Plague, Albert Camus uses the imagery of war as a comparison to the German occupation of France during World War Two. The war imagery in the novel is used to deteriorate the humanity of the population of Oran. This erosion of humanity can be seen in the citizens of France during the German occupation due to the atrocities that the Nazis committed against them. Camus introduces the motif of war imagery when Doctor Rieux found “something