Euphemism In The Stranger

The Stranger We All Are and Deny A human is not born with the comprehension of morals or “adequate” behaviour, they are programmed by their environment and social interaction on a more of a precise right and wrong. Nobel Prize winning author, Albert Camus brilliantly paints the definition of cold, logical indifference with the protagonist, Meursault, in “The Stranger”. Through the unravelling of events and Meursault's reactions towards them, the author succeeds into compelling the reader to question one’s own moral standing and actual impact in the world, which leaves the feeling of “meaninglessness” to the reader. Meursault is a man detached from sentiment, and often gets judged for his deathly honest and apathetic personality, which will
Meursault uses euphemism for his own advantage as he thinks about his execution in this line,“‘Well, so I’m going to die.’ Sooner than other people will, obviously. But everybody knows life isn’t worth living.” (Meursault, 114). This makes the audience have a sense of frightening insight and it compels for a regaining of life’s unimportance when it is measured at a large scale. Camus is constantly conveying the absurdity humanity holds toward themselves and others by using Meursault as a contrasting epitome of unbiased awareness. The days pass as his end closer and he is assured in himself; however a chaplain pays him a visit and causes Meursault to lose him cool indifferent attitude. Meursault snapped when the chaplain told him, “your heart is blind. I shall pray for you.”(Chaplain, 120). Meursault was intensely irritated and took hold of the man and he cried, “he (the chaplain) was living like a dead man. Whereas it looked as if I was coming empty handed. But I was sure about me, about everything, surer than he ever could be, sure of life and sure of death...at least I had as much of a hold on it (death) as it had on me.” (Meursault, 120). Meursault’s outburst reveals more of his rigorous comprehension on the world’s order. This scene emphasizes Camus’s ongoing theme of absurdity using the chaplain’s mistaken pity towards Meursault when in actuality Meursault is proven to be far more insightful into life and death than the chaplain. Meursault has a revelation of his own on the day of his execution; hence he “understands Maman's actions and feelings prior to her death. He thinks that maybe he could live another life. Regardless, he is excited about the day. He walks out to the guillotine hoping that everyone cheers loudly for his death.” (Bookrags,