Othering In The Stranger

In the short story “Coyote and the Enemy Alien” by Thomas King, there is a common theme of othering that is demonstarted in the story. Othering is defined as to “view or treat (a person or group of people) as intrinsically different from and alien to oneself” (idk how to cite this). The idea of othering is expressed through the Coyote’s words and actions. Othering has been a significant part of the Canadian society with the inauguration of the Indian Act and unethical treatment of the Indigenous people of Canada due to the introduction of the new legislation.

Simmel defines the stranger as one that is both close and far; that is physically close, but socially distant. He disassociates his concept from the understanding of the stranger as one who comes and goes. Rather, the stranger he speaks of in this case is one who comes and stays, but has not been socialized under the same conditions as mainstream society. Despite this, the stranger is not a person who is withdrawn from society and is unaware of social norms. Rather, someone is inorganically appended to the society, but still an organic member of the group (ibid, 149). The stranger is seen as and valuable member of society because it is, in no way connected to any one individual. The stranger holds a certain objectivity, and can be confessed to without the threat of judgment on the confessor (ibid, 145).

In Ryszard Kapuscinski’s lecture, “Encountering the Other: The Challenge for the 21st Century”, Kapuscinski argues that everyone is part of another group that is deemed the ‘Other’. Kapuscinski states that “Others are indeed Others, but for those Others, I am the one who is Other” (Kapuscinski, 22). Thus, being an outsider is a universal condition since we are all the Other to someone else. However, some might argue that being an outsider is not a universal condition as humans are by nature social animals so being an outsider is a rare occurence. To this, Kapuscinski also states that being an outsider is universal as “...the Other is a mirror into which you peer...a mirror that unmasks and denudes, which we would prefer to avoid” (Kapuscinski, 28). In other words, being an outsider is a universal condition even though humans are social animals because the Other is a reflection of qualities that define a person and humanity in general. The quality of being in outsider is universal as everyone is an outsider to someone else and outsiders are simply reflections of who humanity

According to the theory, a person may be close to others in proximity yet does not conform completely to the system and maintains their own customs and norms. As a result, a division arises in society between “the stranger” and other of different social groups who view this nonconformity as dangerous, threatening, and suspicious. The stranger may also have different expectations placed upon them than other groups in society. This divide that separates the stranger and society is compared to a veil, like that of Du Bois. Both theories discuss a “sense of otherness” that Individuals may experience in Society (Appelrouth & Edles, 2016, p. 289). The sense of otherness produces a strain in how members may act and view the world around them.

Albert Camus’s novel, The Stranger is regarded to the philosophical ideas of Existentialism, yet seems to also incorporate Absurdist tenets throughout the book that show ideals of being a unique type of individual with different actions that society disagrees with.

It is common knowledge throughout the different civilizations in our world that outsiders exist in society. These outsiders could be people who have different opinions in politics, different religion, or even just different clothing. Outsiders are often exposed to different way of thinking due to their isolation and unrestricted creative environment, even though they aren’t exposed to the heart of society and their acceptance. Whether the attributes that make someone an outsider are major or minor, the point stays the same, being an outsider provides strength to those who experience it in today’s society.

“Being an outsider means not being heard, not having a voice. It means being treated as a second-class citizen, being diminished in the eyes of others. We have all felt this way at one time or another, but some feel it more consistently.” This quote said by the American novelist, Chris Crutcher. Just as most of society agrees, the experience of being an outsider is universal. Numerous short stories and other works demonstrate the act of being an outsider. Works such as The Doll’s House by Katherine Mansfield, shows the knowledge of actually being an outsider in reality, The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, shows the know-how of merely feeling like an outsider, and Fences by Pat Mora shows how parents can influence if you are or are not an outsider.

Outsiders are everywhere on this earth. In the story “The Other” they describe how we all others. The term “Other” portrays how we are different from other people. When they use another term, it may categorize which means not everyone can relate. The author shows this by saying, “All of us inhabitants of our planet are other of others” (The Other page 236). When they say “other of others” it means one person is an outsider to another. They are showing we are all similar yet different. We’re alike because we are another persons other. Yet we’re diverse because we are the only individual like ourselves.

Throughout history, Georg Simmel and W.E.B. Du Bois have had a substantial influence on imperative theories and concepts developed in the area of social sciences. Two of the most significant and distinguished concepts fostered by both of these theorists are the concepts of “double consciousness” and “the stranger”. In this essay, I will be analyzing each of these works to draw upon differences and similarities concerning the two. The resemblances I will be expanding on are the usage of the paradoxical figure, which both theorists discuss in their theories, and the coexisting sensation of division from conventional society. The contrast between the two theories in which I will be exploring is the perception that conventional society

To be an “Other,” the first must be the “One.” A simple way to describe otherness, is to describe it as being different. The “One” would be whoever the “Other” differs from. For example, in Plaskow’s article, she describes Jewish women as others in comparison to Jewish men. Plaskow

Albert Camus creates a series of characters in The Stranger whose personality traits and motivations mirror those that are overlooked by the average man. Camus develops various characters and scenarios that are considered rude and unpleasant, but because it has become common, society accepts it as norms. Camus incorporates atrocious personality traits of the characters, variety, consistency, and everyone’s fate through the creation of the characters.

What is equally absurd is that Meursault remains passive and detached over the course of a year of interrogations, and despite the pessimistic nature of his situation, he is able to feel a sense of comfort and belonging within the system trying to condemn him. Ironically, those witness testimonies that sought to free him prove to be the most damaging, and the religious people who surround him and purport to love all men unconditionally persecute him for his lack of belief. Everyone is astonished that Meursault has no emotions about the murder --no sense of remorse or desire to repent. Most men in his position find

In 1945 Fanon moved to France and settled in Lyon. Fanon studied medicine as well as philosophy, literature and psychology. He became a doctor in a psychiatric hospital in France and then in Algeria, where he moved in 1953. With the outbreak of the Algerian Revolution in 1954 he started studying the Algerian situation and joined the National Liberation Front, in favour for the Algerian Independence. In 1957, he was expelled by the colonial authorities and joined the provisional government of the Algerian Republic in Tunis. Fanon wrote about colonialism and he praised the use of violence against colonists in his book The Wretched of the Earth, which was published the same year he died of leukaemia, in 1961, and two years before the independence of Algeria (Alice Cherki, 2000). So Fanon’s life has been quite short but rather rich in events. Although he was mixed-race, Fanon has experienced racism when he arrived in France. Thus it is not surprising that he identified to the Algerian people who were colonized by the French, and more generally to all colonized and oppressed populations. But the paradox, as Henri Louis Gates underlines it, is that Algerian people themselves considered him as “a European Interloper” and did not recognised his

Nohemi Perea Task2/LCT1 8/01/2012 An individual labeled as the Other is different and does not fit in. The Other is “perceived as lacking essential characteristics possessed by the group, the Other is almost always seen as lesser or inferior being and is treated accordingly” (The Other, 2009). A group sets guidelines and if a person does not meet them they will not be accepted as “normal”. Otherness to a group represents awkwardness. Although each person does have its own unique characteristics to prevent from being labeled as the Other you must possess common characteristics within a group. I read “This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix, Arizona” written by Sherman Alexie. It is about a boy named Victor who lives on an Indian Reservation

“The outsider” also commonly known as “The Stranger” is written by Albert Camus. It is a book that explores the many concepts, understandings and overall idea of human life. As my group and I take time to break down the varies aspects of the book, please take time to reflect, and understand your own meaning of human life.