The Outsider by Albert Camus Analysis of Themes

The Stranger by Albert Camus focuses largely on the concept of absurdism. Camus uses family and personal relationships, or the lack of it thereof, to show the isolation that the main character, Meursault, undergoes in the novel and it’s effect on him overall. Camus utilizes the protagonists’ character development as a tool to further his plot of the novel. The absence of family and personal relationships tied in with the particular recurring topics of the novel are crucial in both the development of the protagonists’ characters as well as the plot as it affects the portrayal of the main character.

The core idea of Albert Camus’ philosophy of absurdity centralizes upon the idea that humans exist in a meaningless universe, and follows that humans must simply accept this fact to live life to the fullest. In addition to this absurdist notion, Albert Camus also uses The Stranger to show how humans still strive to create superficial meaning to fulfill their own personal needs. Through the experiences and interactions in Meursault’s life, Camus illustrates that in spite of how events in life follow no rational order, society attempts to futilely create meaning to explain human existence.

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.

The uprise of the questioning of life emerged when Meursault mother had died. He began to

The emotionless actions of Meursault make him commit a murder at the Algerian beach. He remembers the discomfort that he had to go through during his mother’s funeral as he shoots the arab. The pain (vulnerability) that Meursault experiences at the beach led him to commit a murder because he became angry thinking about his mother’s death and so he gets all his anger out by killing the arab. When Meursault come to the courtroom he speaks the truth, which show that he is very honest, but the people in the courtroom view him as being a very cold-hearted human being. This could make the reader look at Meursault in two way, we could see him as a hero or a killer for his honesty .

Within the context of The Stranger, the character Meursault, makes an interesting statement as a man who thinks that life is pointless. Under theorization, Meursault states, "I realized then that a man who had lived only one day could easily for a hundred years in prison." (Meursault 79)With this quote, there are many various topics to elaborate on, such as, how Meursault reached this conclusion, the meaning of the quote, and what the realization means for a man who thinks life is meaningless. Meursault wanders about his cell looking to kill time when he begins to use his imagination , mentally noticing every small detail that was in his old room. "I would remember every piece of furniture; and on every piece of furniture, every object;

The theme of absurdity can be seen through three different lenses in The Stranger, by Albert Camus: life, decisions, and reflection. The first lens in which the reader can see absurdity in the novel is when the protagonist lives for the sensual pleasures of the present moment. The second lens in which the reader can see absurdity in the novel is when the protagonist absurdity of the protagonists decisions on how he does or doesn’t decide to kill the Arab. The third lens in which the reader can see absurdity in the novel is when the protagonist how he reflects back on his decisions and life and concludes that life means nothing between birth and death. The changes in the lenses of Meursault ‘s absurdum are projected through the author’s choice of different language.

In The Stranger, the positive of finding happiness and purpose is contrasted with the negative exploration of societal judgment as Meursault is critically stricken with. Albert Camus explores the more undesirable parts of society to inspire the reader to take action against such traits and to not despair when facing them; in this way the novel acts as a training ground for readers to explore these issues and truly understand them, and better equipping readers on how to face these challenges in the real world. In The Stranger, Camus writes, “Mostly, I could tell, I made him feel uncomfortable. He didn't understand me, and he was sort of holding it against me. I felt the urge to reassure him that I was like everybody else, just like everybody else.

Albert Camus is crafting a character that fits the narrative of the term “Stranger” very well. In his story the main character Meursault sees the world in a much different light than those around him. However, Meursault does not believe that his thinking is different

An Insider of the Absurd World Routine and common expectations compromise the daily lives of humanity. One’s day often begins with a specific morning routine, followed by an afternoon routine, and, of course, a nightly routine. These patterns of actions are inescapable, and are often relied on to ensure a successful and efficient world. David Seamon suggests that it is through participating in daily routines and habits that someone appears to be an “insider” or “outsider” in a place. Albert Camus explores this idea within his novel The Stranger.

Joseph Campbell once said that, “Life has no meaning…It is a waste to be asking the question when you are the answer.” The character of Meursault embodies this idea as he believes, and shows through his actions, that life is utterly meaningless;

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 the absurd, even before he has any awareness of the fact. Since Meursault is embodied absurdism, it is not necessary that he be hyperaware of his thoughts and intentions. His truth has already been built into his character by the

Life is often interpreted by many as having meaning or purpose. For people 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 the reader the idea that the world is fundamentally absurd, but that people will react to absurdity by attaching meaning to it in vain, despite the fact that the world, like

Absurdism is a philosophy based on the belief that the universe is irrational and meaningless and that the search for order brings the individual into conflict with the universe (Merriam-Webster). In the novel The Stranger Albert Camus uses Meursault to illustrate the philosophy of absurdism, specifically the absurdist principles of indifference to society and the irrationality of society. One principle of absurdism that is illustrated within the novel is the principle of indifference to society. Camus shows this indifference to society or lack of care for society through Meursault.

Albert Camus, born in colonized Algeria, a father to absurdism, and author of The Stranger confronts the philosophical themes of purpose, integrity, and passivity. The Stranger’s main character, Meursault, is a laconic man whose passive actions and brutal honesty lend to connections in his court trial. Those of which condemn him to execution. Meursault falls victim to his complete honesty, complete passivity, and disregard for the purpose of action. He is straightforward, and his actions usually follow his thoughts. Actions and decisions that most average people regard as serious, Meursault regards as arbitrary. Meursault’s exemplification of absurdism proves to not only lend to his characterization, but as a comfort in his death as well.