Conformity In Albert Camus The Stranger

“I think the reward for conformity is that everyone likes you except yourself”. Rita Mae Brown displays the message of nonconformity and existential views throughout her writings. Brown supports the idea of individuality and originality through forms of isolation. Albert Camus displays his existential views through the motif of conformity and confinement in his novel The Stranger .This portrayal of the difference between society’s expectations and a character’s mentality of refusing to conform to society’s expectations through confinement reveals Camus philosophical belief of the benevolent indifference of the universe.
The image of the elderly people gathered around the caretaker nodding their heads causes Meursault to conjure up the sensation
When Meursault sits with the examining magistrate, he describes how “After a short silence, he stood up and told me that he wanted to help me, that I interested him, and that, with God’s help, he would do something for me” (Camus67). As they begin to talk, the magistrate pulls out a silver crucifix and shows it to Meursault. He begins to tell him how he believed in God as Meursault was about to tell the magistrate he did not believe in God he describes, “But he cut me off and urged me one last time, drawing himself up to his full height and asking me if I believed in God. I said no. He sat down indignantly. He said it was impossible; all men believe in God, even those who turned their backs on him” (69). The magistrate was shocked and angered by Meursault’s statement continues saying, “I have never seen a soul as hardened as yours” (69). The magistrate has dealt with tough criminals who become weak and ready to be cleared of their sins with God’s help. Meursault however, felt no emotion he rejected what society believed he should agree to as well as refusing to conform to ideals of the magistrate or those of society. Meursault also began to see how God was being used as a weapon and because of this, not only the magistrate but the community as well began to think he had no soul. Society began to perceive him as a stranger as he refused to believe in God or religion. The magistrate was shocked by how Meursault confessed he did not believe in God and this caused him to believe he had no