The Stranger Juxtaposition Essay

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

He has no initial reaction to the news of her death, and at her funeral service he did not bother to even see her before she was buried. His lack of emotion is evident in the very first lines of the book, “Mother died today. Or maybe it was yesterday, I don’t know.” This shows that Meursault is hardly caring for his mother. Society’s standards would result in him to be in absolute mourning and wanting to go as fast as possible to her body. This is not the only example of Meursault’s lack of emotion and care for factors in his life. He does not care for love and marriage after having intercourse with someone; the society standard at this time was to get married if two partners had intercourse. He does not care for promotion and career advancement when his boss offers him a better job opportunity; the standard at that time and right now is to pursue the best career possible. In these scenarios Meursault is living free from the chains, and does whatever he thinks is right to do. Eventually, society rejects him and his ways, and he gets in trouble with the law. He is judged by society and his ways are ridiculed, making Meursault appear to be a monster.

The prosecutor often refers to Meursault's behavior at his mother’s funeral. Since Meursault showed no sign of remorse at her funeral, it was used against him repeatedly in the case that would determine his fate. This court case put Meursault in such a difficult and lonely situation, “Everything was happening without my participation. My fate was being decided without anyone so much as asking my opinion...whatever interest you can get people to take in you doesn’t last long”(Camus 98). Prison is where Meursault begins and finds his enlightenment, he spends his time there mainly thinking about the life one can experience as a free man, in prison it's where Meursault's real character shows in the entire book. Due to this, it feels like Meursault is reborn to the readers. Prison and the court case bring out a side to Meursault that was never really shown in the book, he begins to defend himself against all, “What did other people’s deaths...What would it matter if he were accused of murder and then executed because he didn’t cry at his mother’s funeral”(Camus 121)? Both Siddhartha and Meursault go through solitude in different ways but end up revealing something about their character as if they are reborn, another step toward each of their enlightenments.

The dictionary defines a hero as “a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.” In comparing The Stranger to Anthem, both protagonists go against societal norms, and it is up to the reader to determine if that brave opposition is heroic. In The Stranger, by Albert Camus, the main character, Meursault, is emotionally inept. Every thing he does appears empty, there is never a passion or excitement or even a real reason behind it.

In part two of The Stranger written by Albert Camus, the society’s actions regarding Meursault’s trial symbolizes the irrationality of the universe. Earlier in the novel it was established that Meursault remained emotionless and he had a sense of detachment to the society. Because the killing of the Arabs had no meaning or explanation, the trial in part two of the novel represented the societies attempt to reveal the absurdity. The purpose of this essay is to prove that through the usage of symbolism, Albert Camus rationalizes how the society was influential in how Meursault reformed as a person.

The Stranger by Albert Camus follows Meursault after his mother’s demise to his lack of remorse upon murdering an Arab. During the trial, Meursault is convicted for his indifference at his mother’s funeral rather than on the act of murder. The Stranger allows me to understand how life contains no meaning, and through Meursault’s subsequent rejection of morality, how death defines my perception on life.

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.

A frequent theme in literature is commentary on the pursuit of justice, and in Albert Camus’ The Stranger, he examines the theme of justice through the eyes of Meursault, a shipping clerk living in 1940s Algiers. Meursault, the protagonist, is a character who places no value in religion and the importance on right and wrong; as a result, his amoral nature influences Meursault to do things such as behave cold and distant at his mother’s funeral and help his neighbor, Raymond Sintes, in beating his ex-mistress and attack Arabs. These actions makes Meursault a stranger to the society that later in the novel condemns him for the murder of an Arab. When Meursault embarks on his search for justice, he comes to understand that he is unfairly sentenced

Meursault has no reasons for his actions, such as his decision to marry Marie and his decision to kill the Arab. For example Meursault stated, “That evening Marie came by to see me and asked 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 love her. I answer the same way I had the last time that it didn't mean anything but that probably didn't love her.” (Camus, 1946, p.41)Meursault believes in the idea that things sometimes happen for no reason, and that events sometimes have no meaning. In Part Two of the novel the trial sequence represents society’s attempt to building rational order. The prosecutor and Meursault’s lawyer both offer explanations for Meursault’s crime that are based on logic, reason, and cause and effect. These explanations although, have no facts and serve only as attempts to defuse the frightening idea that the universe is unreasonable. The entire trial is therefore an example of ridiculousness of humankind’s pointless attempt to impose rationality on an irrational

He feels no type of remorse for the crime he commits and accepts the consequences without any questioning. As he goes through the process to determine his fate, Meursault begins to analyze what he has experienced throughout his lifetime due to his time in prison. He begins to gain motivation mentally, thinking more about the gray areas of his surroundings instead of only the black and white. However, he loses motivation physically due to his inability to do the things that he enjoys, including going to the beach and smoking. He is stuck in his cell and sleeps a majority of the time. When he discovers that he will be executed, he starts to think about life and death and his relationship with society. Meursault’s meeting with the chaplain causes him to state his opinions on life and death and how he is indifferent towards both ideas. Because he has no concern or issues with his upcoming execution, the chaplain reacts to Meursault’s mindset by insisting on the idea of God in order to repent for his crime. The chaplain pesters Meursault about Christianity and insists that all condemned men turn to God for relief. Because of the chaplain’s beleaguering, Meursault is motivated to stand up for his own belief that God does not exist and begins to attack the chaplain. Meursault’s actions, thoughts, and beliefs were all based on his own experiences and mindset; he did not have any particular

Throughout the novel, Meursault repeatedly denies believing in any sort of religion, a belief that ultimately earns him the nickname “Monsieur Antichrist” (Camus 71). This secularist focus is most keenly emphasized to the reader when the chaplain visits Meursault in his cell prior to his appeal. During this visit, Meursault denies God to the face of the chaplain, who asks “And do you really live with the thought that when you die, you die, and nothing remains?” Meursault replies with, “Yes,” demonstrating that Meursault views religion as a societal triviality (Camus 117). This is because after his conviction, Meursault sees death as an escape from the societal standards and moral codes that led to his condemnation.

   The Stranger by Albert Camus was published in 1942. The setting of the novel is Algiers where Camus spent his youth in poverty. In many ways the main character, Meursault, is a typical Algerian youth. Like them, and like Camus himself, Meursault was in love with the sun and the sea. His life is devoted to appreciating physical sensations. He seems so devoid of emotion. Something in Meursault's character has appealed primarily to readers since the book's publication. Is he an absurd anti-hero? Is he a moral monster? Is he a rebel against a conventional morality? Critics and readers alike have disputed a variety of approaches to Meursault. I believe he is the embryo

Name: Kyle Yu Period: A3 Mr. McDonald IBHL English Year 1 Word Count: 1,297 Prompt: How is the importance to live life based on values that are self-defined reflected through the actions of Meursault in The Stranger? Work: The Stranger by Albert Camus Title: Living Life Based on Self-Defined Values The importance of values, according to Meursault’s view, will only be significant if they are self-defined. A person must be committed to himself; they must act in alignment to the principles set by themselves, rather than bask in the restrictions set by value judgments of others. For Meursault, it is important to be a physical and sensual feeling man.

After killing a man, he is sent to prison where he waits and talks continuously to attorneys. In this large section of the novel, little to no movement occurs. This increases the character's feeling of being self-aware and actually going against his pre-established existentialist ideas. Traveling is something most see as a glorious luxury and wish to do so continuously throughout their lives. However, Meursault thinks otherwise initially. He rather waste away in prison as he sees everything in life as extra, unnecessary and a waste of time. He has no ambition in life, he isn’t curious about others and their stories. When offered to travel due to a new job position opening up, he turns it down as he sees no need for it. He kills the man and feels no remorse nor does he try to get out of it. This is the kind of mindset we slowly see to develop as the lack of movement slowly begins to influence him and his thoughts. The time of trial provides a showcase of Meursault true feelings, he states “One thing bothered me throughout. Despite everything that was on my mind, I felt like intervening every now and then, but my lawyer kept telling me just keep quiet- it won’t do your case any good. In a way, they seemed to be arguing the case as if it had nothing to do with me. Everything was happening without any participation. My fate was being decided without anyone so much asking my opinion.”

The Stranger by Albert Camus is a novel told through the eyes of a man named Meursault, living in French occupied Algeria during the height of colonial rule. Meursault, the main character who is detached from the world around him, is ruled by his base instincts rather than sentimental feelings. This novel explores the theme of absurdity and the actions of a seemingly absurd man perceiving his world as dysfunctional. An example “Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know. I got a telegram from the home: "Mother deceased. Funeral tomorrow. Faithfully yours." The opening sentences of the novel shows Meursault’s absurdist outlook on life, his detachment to people, and quiet alienation from the rest of society. It’s also a big flashing clue that he is also unaware. He doesn’t even know which day his mother died because to him it meant nothing. Meursault’s casual and nonchalant attitude throughout his mother’s funeral creates an emotional wedge between him and the reader insofar as their inability to justify his behavior. Meursault is amoral; he doesn’t seem to have any issues testifying to the "character" of a completely questionable dude. If there’s "no good reason not to," you could get Meursault to do anything.The fact that the structure of the book portrays Meursault’s indifferent attitude makes it so that reader is at odds with him in the beginning of the book. The first thing I do is to begin to search for a reason why Meursault is acting this way and causes them