The Outsider What Does It Mean To Be Different

In the novel, The Stranger, by Albert Camus, Camus uses a variety of literary devices to force readers to self reflect. Camus expresses his critique through one major character, Meursault, and a few minor characters as well. Camus’s use of irony pushed readers to look beyond the surface, and conclude what these ironic moments mean. Camus also uses these moments to contrast the expectations of society, to how Meursault differs from that, all to gradually expose the hypocrisy of people. Camus uses this literary device in order make us test ourselves and more importantly to display that we as people can be happy, only if we accept our fate, instead of fighting it.

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

What is an outsider? An outsider is a person who is not excepted by or is isolated by society. Have you ever been an “outsider”? Everyone experiences a situation where they weren’t able to fit in. The feeling of not being able to fit it is universal. Not everyone is the same and in certain situations you may not be able to bond with everyone. Everyone is focused on being judged or being the person who is judging someone. If you are not like everyone in your society group, those people don’t except you. Nowadays our society feels that if you aren’t up to people’s expectations, you are known to be an “outsider”. Being an outsider is universal because not everyone is social, not everyone can afford nice things and not everyone is popular.

1. How does Camus set up Meursault's personality -- how does Meursault respond to others' conversation, to ordinary social situations, and to the death of his mother?

Ray Bradbury shows us that people with a difference are ostracised and hated with the example of how the children treat Margot differently for being different to them. He explains by using contrasting sensory imagery just how much just the way that a person acts can make them look different to everyone else and how much they stand out in a crowd. He is also implying to us that just because someone is different it doesn’t mean we have to exclude them just because that’s what normally happens because you might just cost them the joy for the next seven years to

In The Stranger, Camus portrays women as unnecessary beings created purely to serve materialistically and satisfy males through the lack of a deep, meaningful, relationship between Meursault and females. Throughout the text, the main character, Meursault, creates closer, more meaningful relationships with other minor characters in the story. However, in his interactions with females in this book, Meursault’s thoughts and actions center on himself and his physical desires, observations, and feelings, rather than devoting his attention to the actual female. Living in Algiers in the 1960s, Meursault originates from a post-modernist time of the decline in emotion. Meursault simply defies the social expectations and societal ‘rules’, as

For years we have been conditioned to think, feel and act a certain way based upon what society deems ‘correct or right’. If we disagree with this way of life or thinking we are often shunned and discriminated against for differentiating from societal norms.

In his novel, The Stranger by Albert Camus, translated by Matthew Ward, irony within the protagonist’s ( Meursault ) contrasting perception of the human condition is used to illustrate and invoke the reader to question the contradictory nature of societal expectations. His indifferent and unprecedented reactions to experiences - relative to the characters that Camus laid before him - aid in displaying the absurdity of a world constrained by the chains of conventional wisdom. The contrasting nature of Meursault's demeanor in defying conventional wisdom in experiences such as love and death not only reveals the underlying hypocrisy of the human condition but further illustrates the arbitrary essence of defining a human life.

In The Stranger, Camus portrays women as unnecessary beings created purely to serve materialistically and satisfy males through the lack of a deep, meaningful, relationship between Meursault and females. Throughout the text, the main character, Meursault, creates closer, more meaningful relationships with other minor characters in the story. However, in his interactions with females in this book, Meursault’s thoughts and actions center on himself and his physical desires, observations, and feelings, rather than devoting his attention to the actual female. Living in Algiers in the 1960s, Meursault originates from a post-modernist time of the decline in emotion. Meursault simply defies the social expectations and societal ‘rules’, as

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.

In Albert Camus’ The Stranger, Meursault is seen as a very unique character, but not in a good way. Throughout the novel, he continually fails to show normal human emotions to things like his mother’s death, Marie’s love, and the man he killed. Most people in his town, along with the reader at first, are not able to reason out his actions but as the final events of the novel unfold, the reader begins to see Meursault in a different light.

Throughout The Stranger, Albert Camus addresses the issue of conformity within society, as well as the consequences that arise from not following the moral guidelines imposed by it. From the beginning, the author presents Meursault as an outsider. Previously translated as The Estranged One, The Outsider, and The Foreigner, there is a sense of ambiguity when interpreting the title in relation to the character of Meursault, however with careful examination, Camus’ attempt at glorifying the seclusion felt by one who does not adhere to modern societal standards and exposing society’s superficial scope on individuality becomes apparent. Contrasting man’s natural desire for individuality against society’s restriction on such freedom in order to restrain

In “The Stranger” by Camus, Meursault’s actions throughout the story can be summed up in one word, absurd.

In The Stranger, Albert Camus allows the main character to tell the story in order to give the reader an experience of his own. Obviously, with a novel also comes language, which Camus incorporates cleverly as a way to indirectly illustrate Meursault’s thoughts about certain situations. Although the novel represents a postmodern setting, the author shifts the overall meaning. In The Stranger, Camus applies a unique literary style as a power that deflects blame from Meursault, the antiheroic character. In order to disclaim the fault of Meursault, Camus incorporates several instances in which he leaves a greater sense of authority to nonliving objects, while further drawing attention away from the main character. Based on the implication of

In The Stranger, Albert Camus suggests the question of whether Meursault’s peculiar behaviour is demeaning and dehumanizing in an Algerian society with many cultural and social expectations. Albert Camus portrays Meursault’s story with the lack of emotion. In doing so, Camus forces the reader and the judicial system to find Meursault peculiar and immoral. Meursault’s lack of emotion is perceived as a lack of humanity by the Algerian society. In this thought provoking novel, Albert Camus uses the recurring idea of versatility and indifference to elucidate the perplexing behaviour of the protagonist. Meursault’s emotional detachment from society ultimately results in his dehumanization, followed by his condemnation.