Symbolism In The Stranger, By Albert Camus
In Albert Camus’s novel The Stranger, Camus shows his inherent absurdist perspective of life through commentary and actions Meursault displays as a result of symbolic use through the heat, sun, and dreams. These symbols dominate Meursaults consciousness controlling him through torment from the inescapable presence the sun and heat governs, causing him to act in ways deemed iniquitous to society. Each symbol opposes its usual description of warmth, comfort, or beauty and instead reflects upon Meursaults awareness of the sensate world to avoid the emotional and social constructs that present him.
During Meursault’s trial, the sun comes in as an attempt to circumvent societal rule that Meursault fails to understand. For instance, Meursault states,
"I was aware of was how hot a morning it was” (Camus 101). The heat is used to reflect Meursault’s unsubstantiated discomfort in society, as he complains throughout the trial about the “thudding in [his] my head” to excuse and avoid the consequences for his actions (Camus 102). Although Meursault is being put on trial for his life, the matter that concerns him most is the sun, as it made his “head was spin with heat and astonishment" (Camus 101). These perpetual instances with the sun are what causes Meursault’s fluctuation between imagination and reality, similar to Samuel Beckett’s assumption of a “search for reality which hides behind pure conceptual judgements”. In addition, the court reaches a decision on Meursault's morally ambiguous persona, because of Meursault’s obvious outsider perception he is seen as danger which the court seeks to eradicate, from his lack of focus from the trial and outburst caused from the sun. The judge rules that, "[Meursault] has no place in a society whose most fundamental rules [he] ignored” (Camus 102).
During Meursault’s trial, the sun comes in as an attempt to circumvent societal rule that Meursault fails to understand. For instance, Meursault states,
"I was aware of was how hot a morning it was” (Camus 101). The heat is used to reflect Meursault’s unsubstantiated discomfort in society, as he complains throughout the trial about the “thudding in [his] my head” to excuse and avoid the consequences for his actions (Camus 102). Although Meursault is being put on trial for his life, the matter that concerns him most is the sun, as it made his “head was spin with heat and astonishment" (Camus 101). These perpetual instances with the sun are what causes Meursault’s fluctuation between imagination and reality, similar to Samuel Beckett’s assumption of a “search for reality which hides behind pure conceptual judgements”. In addition, the court reaches a decision on Meursault's morally ambiguous persona, because of Meursault’s obvious outsider perception he is seen as danger which the court seeks to eradicate, from his lack of focus from the trial and outburst caused from the sun. The judge rules that, "[Meursault] has no place in a society whose most fundamental rules [he] ignored” (Camus 102).