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Commentary Essay on ‘The Stranger’
Meursault, the protagonist of the novel, discovers that his mother died in an old home. The death of his mother seems to have little effect on him due to his detached emotions and self centered belief of living which makes him look ‘The Stranger’ to the society. Meursault gets into relationship with his former coworker while celebrating life merry go round way right after the funeral of his mother. Meursault helps his friend Raymond writing a letter to trap Raymond’s ex girlfriend which he believes is an infidel and should be punished. Meursault doesn’t repent insulting and spitting on her face because he believes that people are either annoying or provoking for no good reason. Meursault even testifies against Raymond’s girlfriend in the court accusing her of serious crimes which result in Raymond’s acquittal. Raymond invites Meursault and Marie to a friend’s beach house to celebrate their victory. The girlfriend’s brother attacks them while they are taking a stroll and fatally injures Raymond with a knife. Meursault acts out after being hospitalized taking the gun from Raymond and looking for the person who assaulted them. His manhunt brings him to the target who again flashes a knife at him. Meursault shoots him delivering a fatal blow while he still stands there to deliver four more shots making sure that the person never gets up again. After being arrested, he stands a trial for a murder he committed for no explicable reason. He is considered guilty by his own defense lawyer due to his passive nature and inability to repent on his crimes but the lawyer still tries to make sense of his actions by maintaining that Meursault’s actions had some logic as the universe isn’t meaningless. However the prosecution dissects Meursault’s personality pointing out his inability to feel any remorse for his actions while denouncing him as a soulless monster with no right to life. The verdict of the court sentences him to be guillotined publicly. Meursault rejects Church’s offer of salvation saying that life is meaningless. The idea of universe’s indifference and meaningless existence helps him create his own happiness which he enjoys during his final days in the captivity.
The Stranger is a strong advocate of Camus’s Existentialism; a philosophy that refers to the experience of individuals as free and responsible agents through their acts of will and very few actions are void of negative consequences due to indifference of the universe. Existentialists argue that existence does not have an aim, above or below God, and institutions like the State and the Church, honor and religion are diversions which make people delude themselves. This concept is reflected in the Stranger – a pointless existence and senseless assassination and an insignificant death.
In the book, Camus doesn’t talk tactfully about absurdity, but without reasoning, all Meursault’s acts or ideas are being shaped by his free will. He says to the judge that he murdered the Arab because the Sun was in his eyes. Meursault has no justification for his acts in life. The second section of the book is about society and how they attempt to discover behind its acts a purpose or justification. They concluded that because he did not cry at the burial of his mother and showed no regret or culpability for what he did, he must eventually have some reason. They argue that an absence of a cause is disruptive and damaging to society in turn.
In an unusual but comprehensible way, Meursault reacts to the news of his mother’s death which sets the tone of perception of the reader. Death certainly is a terrible event, but it is more essential for him at the moment to know the precise day and how insignificant it seems. We may all have poor judgement. The initial reaction, for example, is not usually to provide condolences immediately to someone in our family, but to inquire ‘when.’ Perhaps we know that it’s a destiny that no sorrow or tears can alter. The deeds of the protagonist during the funeral of his mother were unfortunately the reason for his own death.
The court trial of Meursault may be regarded as an attempt by humans to rationalize the reality around them. Whenever anything illogical occurs, they discourage it as impossible and strive to streamline it. Throughout the text, the evident notion of human existence being fundamentally worthless to Meursault is at play. But Meursault is facing the certainty of death towards the end of the book. He ends up thinking about the fantasies of escaping from execution by reversing a judicial decree. It is around this period that he escapes the false optimism that he clings to and enjoys the suffering of life with moments to cherish that he had lived.
The narrative of Meursault is not about universal meaningless existence, it’s about triumph of human beings in according meaning to their lives. When Meursault comes into jail, awaiting execution and worrying about a loophole, the turning point of the book takes place. What if he could avoid the guillotine in any manner, he wonders? His appeal might be successful? Can he get out of jail? In the center of these reflections, a priest who tries to persuade him to become a Christian and to repent of his crimes, visits Meursault. Meursault, though, is unimpressed. He believes it is like a renunciation of the worth of a life he lived believing in. Meursault believes that meaning is found in living, and he won’t give up on his life’s purpose only because he fears death. After the priest leaves, Meursault understands he is happy. He notes that living is an honor with a sublime feeling, that he would enjoy the memories of the life he has lived no matter when he dies.
The absurdity of life and search for meaning that Camus argues is created with one’s own approach and attitude to life is pivotal to the text. Camus’ idea of absurdity invited readers to accept the meaninglessness of existence and to resist by gladdening themselves with what life is. Meursault can perceive elements of his philosophy because he refuses to act as if there is no meaning or, as Camus phrased it himself in The Stranger’s preface, Meursault ‘does not play the game.’ Thus, society feels threatened and Meursault’s head is chopped off.
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