Thursday, May 14, 2020

Absurd Actions of Meursault in The Stranger by Albert Camus

In â€Å"The Stranger† by Camus, Meursault’s actions throughout the story can be summed up in one word, absurd. From the start of the story Meursault showed no regard to human life. Life to him was meaningless. His action toward his mother’s death was the 1st encounter into how emotionless, cold, untouched unmoved Meursault was. Although he attended her funeral he was only there in the physical. Natures’ element and the environment around him was more of concern to him than the death of his mother. He was basking in how bright the sky was, and then got frustrated because the sun was so hot he was sweating, stating â€Å"The sweat was pouring down my face†. (Camus, 1988, pg. 16) He also couldn’t remember anything about the funeral except for one thing, stating, â€Å"everything seemed to happen so fast, so deliberately, so naturally that I don’t remember any of it anymore, except for one thing, the nurse spoke to me, she said â€Å"if you go slowly, you risk getting sunstroke, but if you go too fast, you work up a sweat†. (Camus, 1988, pg. 17) Another disregard to human life showed up in his relationship with Marie, it was all about the physical, he was without emotion. â€Å"That evening Marie came by to see me and asked me if I wanted to marry her. I said it didn’t make any difference to me and that we could if she wanted to. Then she wanted to know if I loved her. I answered the same way I had the last time, that it didn’t mean anything but that I probably didn’t love her.†(Camus, 1988, pg.Show MoreRelatedEssay Theory of the Absurd1667 Words   |  7 PagesAccording to critic Mark Esslin, the concept of â€Å"Theatre of the Absurd† relates to the â€Å"playwrights loosely grouped under the label of the absurd attempt to convey their sense of bewilderment, anxiety, and wonder in the face of an inexplicable universe† (â€Å"The Theatre†). Esslin stressed the fact that plays and stories belonging to the â€Å"Theatre of the Absurd† were composed of situations dealin g with the way a human reacts to an event, without any form of importance, thus only stressing over insignificantRead MoreIsolationism Of The Stranger And The Thief1397 Words   |  6 PagesIsolationism in The Stranger and The Thief Though there are multiple elements in both Albert Camus’ The Stranger, and Fuminori Nakamura’s The Thief that allow each author to develop their novels, none is more important that the deployment of isolationism. Though both Camus and Nakamura give their protagonists isolated states at an award winning level, Camus does so in a better way through the addition of how Meursault copes with elements of the absurd. One of the first things readers notice aboutRead More Absurdity in Albert Camus’ The Stranger Essay2431 Words   |  10 PagesThe word absurd or absurdity is very peculiar in that there is no clear definition for the term. Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary gave its definition of absurd as having no rational or orderly relationship to human life: meaningless, also: lacking order or value. Many existential philosophers have defined it in their own manner. Soren Kierkegarrd, a pre-World War II German philosopher, defined absurd as that quality of Christian faith which runs counter to all reasonable human expectationRead MoreThe Stranger By Albert Camus1495 Words   |  6 Pages Albert Camus said, â€Å"Basically, at the very bottom of life, which seduces us all, there is only absurdity, and more absurdity. And maybe that s what gives us our joy for living, because the only thing that can defeat absurdity is lucidity.† In other terms, Camus is indicating that abs urdity affects us all even if it’s hidden all the way on the bottom, but it’s the joy that comes from absurdity that makes us take risks and live freely without any thought or focus. Camus also specifies that the onlyRead MoreEssay on The Caracter of Meursault in The Stranger (The Outsider)1136 Words   |  5 PagesThe Caracter of Meursault in The Stranger      Ã‚   Albert Camus The Stranger is a startling novel at worst and a haunting classic at best. Camus presents a thrilling story of a man devoid of emotion, even regarding the most sensitive, personal matters. The main character, Meursault shows no feelings after the death of his mother, during his romantic relationship with Marie, or during his trial for the murder of an Arab. Meursault never shows feelings of love, regret, remorse, or sadnessRead MoreLiterary Analysis: How Meursault Is Indifferent in the Stranger, by Albert Camus874 Words   |  4 Pagesanalysis: How Meursault is indifferent in The Stranger, by Albert Camus Although Meursault is the title character and narrator of Albert Camus’ short novel The Stranger, he is also a somewhat flat character. His apparent indifferent demeanor may be a convenience to Camus, who mainly wanted to display his ideas of absurdism. And as a flat character, Meursault is not fully delineated: he lacks deep thought and significant change. His purpose is that of a first-person narrator whose actions embody theRead MoreMeursault - The Anti-Hero Protagonist Essay1730 Words   |  7 Pagespeople who are like Meursault, the anti-hero protagonist of Albert Camus The Stranger, written in 1942, the world is completely without either. Camus story explores the world through the eyes of Meursault, who is quite literally a stranger to society in his indifference to meaning, values, and morals. In this novel, this protagonist lives on through life with this indifference, and is prosecuted and sentenced to die for it. Through Meursault and his ventures in The Stranger , Camus expresses to theRead MoreAlberts Aimless Absurdity898 Words   |  4 PagesIn Albert Camus’ novella, The Stranger, he exposes his beliefs on absurdism through the narration of Meursault. Camus’ definition of absurdism is a philosophy based on the belief that the universe is illogical and meaningless. Camus, founder of absurdism and French Nobel Prize winning author, sends the reader his underlying theme that life is meaningless and has no ulti-mate significance. This underlying theme of life’s absurdity is extremely personal to Camus through his own individual experiencesRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Stranger 1905 Words   |  8 PagesTaisha Pacheco 8/14/2015 Mrs. Bauman AP lit Block F The Stranger The major theme in the Stranger is â€Å"absurdism†. In the Stranger, the main settings are: Meursault’s home, the beach where the Arab was murdered, the courthouse, and eventually jail. The Stranger is taken place in Algeria in the 1940’s. The prosecutor characterizes Meursault as a murderer, as a monster. In page one hundred and two, the prosecutor states: â€Å" For if in the course of what has been a long career I have strongly as todayRead MoreAnalysis Of Meursault A Stranger To Society1026 Words   |  5 PagesMeursault, a man living in Algiers, takes a bus to Marengo to attend his mother’s funeral after receiving a telegram. After the funeral, he seems unaffected by her death and he briefly describes his outing with Marie, his co-worker. Later on, he meets Raymond, an abuser of women, and agrees to go with him to his friend’s beach house. There, he gets entangled in a ruthless murder, and is ultimately sentenced to death. During his l ast hours, Meursault realizes how meaningless and pointless life is

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.