English Preliminary Speech : My Name Is Tom Hanaee

At the end of the novel, Meursault is able to understand the meaning of life. He was able to do so because he was approaching death, which is an existentialist principle, death is the one certainty of life. Before, when his mother died or when he killed the Arab, he did not have any feelings. When he thought about his own life and that he was about to die, he accepted it. He realizes that one can truly enjoy their lives when they approach and accept death. The understanding of this allowed Meursault to be at peace with himself. With this being said, this novel was an unusually good book, which made me think. A majority of the book made me feel like the rest of society, which was not accepting Meursault's behavior although analyzing gave me

Meursault’s view of life was impassive; he felt no concern towards any matter in his life, from his mother’s death to his marriage to even his imminent execution: “Throughout the whole absurd life I'd lived, a dark wind had […] leveled whatever was offered to me at the time, in years no more real than the ones I was living” (Camus 121). Camus explains what happens to those who respond impassively to the circumstances and situations society puts them in. By being emotionless and aloof, Meursault is not sent to the guillotine for murder, as his prosecutor states, but because he “had no place in a society whose most fundamental rules [he] ignored” (Camus 102). Along with his indifference towards society, Meursault also understands in the end about the irrationality of the universe and how he and the universe are almost

Rubin’s dissection of Meursault in The Stranger details that he “is a man condemned to death not so much for a criminal act as for his attitude.” In regard to this statement, the reader is presented with the idea that he is being put to death as a result of his “attitude,” which is that of an outsider, or someone “removed” from society, and his motives were based on an absurdist mentality that leads one to think of death as “just another thing” because of the pointlessness of life, as there is no hope. We are lead to believe that Meursault is some “sick and twisted” person without realizing his indifference to the emotional expectations of society. The murkiness of his conscience is like a black and white film over his eyes that open to the

What is the meaning of life? What gives life meaning? Philosophers have asked these questions for decades, and there still is not a solid answer to the question. This paper will analyze one modern philosopher’s take on the question: What gives life meaning? Susan Wolf is a modern moral philosopher and philosopher of action and mind. She attended two Ivy League institutions for her undergraduate and graduate careers. Wolf received a Bachelor’s of Arts in Philosophy and Math from Yale University, and she received a PhD in Philosophy from Princeton University. Wolf taught at various prestigious institutions such as Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University, and University of Maryland. She is currently a professor at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill where she teaches philosophy. Susan Wolf has written many works such as “Meaning in Life and Why It Matters,” “Freedom Within Reason.” This paper will focus on the article “Meaning in Life” from the journal “Happiness and Meaning: Two Aspects of the Good Life.”

Meursault often acts without any real reason, yet society, represented by the judge, jury, and prosecution, attempt to come up with rational explanations to behaviors that are ultimately irrational. The theme of the meaninglessness of human life is a concept that Meursault wrestles with throughout the novel and finally comes to terms with after his last conversation with the chaplain. Eventually everyone will die and the lives of everyone on Earth will go on just as they had before; therefore, our lives are essentially meaningless. This is a story of indifference in a world where any misstep outside of society’s moral standards is

Meursault is psychologically detached from the world around him. Things that would seem to be very significant for most people, such as a marriage or a parent’s death, do not matter to him. He shot a guy 4 times even though the guy had died after one shot. Even though he killed a guy for no reason, I do not think Meursault deserved to be executed. Instead I believe he needs help with his thinking and emotions because his mindset thinks that killing someone doesn't matter due to the fact that everyone dies.

The focus developed to be more personal rather than the crime he had committed. The trial was meant for Meursault to reflect his life of guiltiness but Meursault denied all his actions, and it was later that the prosecutor had come to a consensus to sentence Meursault to death. That was when I believed Meursault realized the idea that death was the one inevitable face of human life. He was for once afraid of death, and that death symbolized the society’s punishment for what he has done. Furthermore, the prosecution in the form of guillotine brought fear to Meursault’s life.

Meursault manager told him that he lacked ambition (41). He was caught up in the monotony of life, and before he knew it all he had taken for granted was soon taken from him. Meursault's imprisonment is physical as it is metaphoric. It's in prison that he accepts death and wishes through his execution that those that watch him will in turn learn that regardless of how one lives their life death comes for everyone. Meursault comes to the conclusion that it is only through an execution that life can truly be valued.

Meursault’s indifference to his mother’s death and in the killing of the Arab label him as immoral. During his mother’s funeral, Meursault did not mourn her but remains unaffected since “nothing had really changed” (Camus, 24). Death is rather insignificant to Meursault as is to me; Death is a subject to which I allow myself to hold no emotional value because it makes it harder to overcome (obtain low-empathy for). His

In the novel, The Stranger by Albert Camus, Meursault the protagonist, becomes drawn into a “senseless” murder that has to face the absurdity of life and because of his actions, Meursault is presented as a danger due to his lack of “morality” to society. Meursault who is not able to take control of his life but respond to what life offers him believes in the simplicity of life. He tries to understand the living through logic and objectivity, which ultimately turns futile, as he himself cannot maintain proper control over his thoughts and emotions. From the interactions between Marie, to the murder of the Arab, and the meeting with the Chaplain, Meursault overcomes his indifferent views to form an opinion about what life really means. The central theme presented by Camus is how the threat of mortality becomes a catalyst for understanding the significance of life.

Confronted through the matters of lack of morality in an irrational society, random acts of violence, and absurdism in the human condition, Camus’s idea of happiness is something so simplistic that not even his own characters believe it to be true, except Monsieur Mersault. However, before analyzing his work, it is crucial to understand who Albert Camus was as a person, especially with how his upbringing

Meursault was introduced as a young man whom recently found out his mother, Maman, died. He was not the most emotional person, but he dealt with his feelings the best he knew how. Meursault lived his life on the verge of truth and honesty. He was honest within every aspect of life, from women to freedom. He was never certain about anything in life ,but one thing he was sure of, death was inevitable. After murdering an Arab, he was on trial in front of many people being interrogated with many questions about why he did what he did, but also to evaluate his psyche about the situation. Unlike others, Meursault did not hide from the truth and that is what others could not cope with. Living his life the way others were afraid to, Meursault was the outcast in his society.

Although Meursault, who is portrayed as a stoic individual, is not attuned to the expectancies of society. The events following his mother's funeral, exemplify an existential outlook on Meursault’s character that Camus is trying to convey. To others his actions is viewed as an emotionless individual detached from the structures of society. As Meursault is awaiting his trial for killing an Arab, he has an epiphany on what it means to live life rather than how it should be lived. He states “Well, so I’m going to die.”

This easy-going, pleasant hedonism is interrupted permanently by Meursault's murder of the Arab on the beach. Not only is he incarcerated, but also he must examine the reality behind the illusion of his trial and, ultimately, of his life. Introspection has not been his metier. It takes him a while to realize that the judge, the jury, the journalists, even his own lawyer, do not wish him well. Meursault finally realizes that he is going to be convicted, not because he killed an Arab but because he did not mourn his mother's death.

The world is indifferent toward individuals (Camus 122). Everyone will eventually die and are therefore equally unimportant. Through Meursault Camus demonstrates how a person can only be free and happy if he/she acknowledges this. At the end of the novel, Meursault is able to accept his sentence and be free and happy because he acknowledges these ideas (Camus 121-123). Throughout the novel Camus also emphasizes Meursault’s concentration on the physical, attainable aspects of the world rather than the social or emotional aspects in order to illustrate the nonexistence of higher order, meaning, or purpose in life.