“Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe‚ I don’t know.” (Camus‚ 3). These opening lines of The Stranger by Albert Camus gives a feeling for how the rest of the novel will continue to go. The reader’s initial reaction may be shocked. How does someone not know when their mother died and why do they not care? Albert Camus was an existentialist and wrote in such a way. Existentialism is a philosophy that focuses on the ideas of existence and not believing in a God‚ the freedom of choice and responsibility
Premium Existentialism Albert Camus The Stranger
When Albert Camus wrote The Stranger in 1942‚ his intention was to present absurdism and existentialism to the world. The absurdity of life from Camus’s eyes come to life through the main character‚ Meursault. Throughout the novel‚ Meursault doesn’t wish he could live another life nor does he attempt to change his final judgement. Meursault’s inability to feel emotions and express them to others is a primary example of existentialism throughout the novel. From Meursault’s physical descriptions of
Premium Absurdism Albert Camus Existentialism
Is Life Meaningful? The Stranger‚ written by Albert Camus‚ is a novel full of existentialism. This nonfiction story begins with the main character‚ Meursault‚ attending his mother’s funeral. As the story proceeds‚ Meursault befriends a man and becomes involved in something that will cost him his life. Camus portrays the meaninglessness of human life through the attitudes and lifestyle of Meursault. Camus uses a number of different elements of style to convey his message. Three elements of style
Premium Existentialism The Stranger Albert Camus
In Albert Camus’ novel‚ The Stranger‚ Meursault represents an existentialist character. Most may believe him to be immoral‚ and in some cases they are almost correct. Contrary to that belief‚ just because Meursault is an emotionless silhouette of a man doesn’t mean he is immoral or evil. One cannot condemn him for being this way because he is simply misunderstood. Meursault does not make moral or immoral decisions‚ he is just completely indifferent to the matter. Readers are able to sympathize with
Premium Albert Camus The Stranger Existentialism
When you are having a conversation with someone what do you do? Do you listen to them or do you take notes on the dark purple flowers planted in the background? Attention to detail is a main theme in The Stranger. Camus uses this to display how Meursault choses to put off the real world and study the small things. Meursault notices the nature around him‚ colors‚ and temperature. You see he is more fascinated in the physicality of the world around him rather than the emotional and social elements
Premium Albert Camus Existentialism The Stranger
Albert Camus’ The Stranger revolves around an ordinary man‚ Mersault‚ living in French Algiers in the 1940s. Narrated in first person point of view through Mersault’s eyes‚ the novel is about his life and his physical and emotional relationships around him. Beginning with the death of Mersault’s mother‚ the novel offers an existential point of view on life and is an exemplar of Camus’ philosophy of the absurd. Mersault’s character is initially nihilist and this novel is a narrative of how Mersault
Premium Albert Camus Existentialism The Stranger
thoughts include: “will I be liked? Am I good enough? How will it be without my parents?” And so on. I won’t bore you with the details. Although I do not have answers to those questions‚ one thing is certain. I will be referred to as a stranger. In “The Stranger” by Alfred Schuetz‚ he writes an articulate piece of writing about joining a group in an unfamiliar environment. Alfred Schuetz mentions a concept called “recipes‚” which are tools that help people solve problems in daily life. “Recipes”
Premium Albert Camus Existentialism The Stranger
Themes‚ Motifs & Symbols Themes Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. The Irrationality of the Universe Though The Stranger is a work of fiction‚ it contains a strong resonance of Camus’s philosophical notion of absurdity. In his essays‚ Camus asserts that individual lives and human existence in general have no rational meaning or order. However‚ because people have difficulty accepting this notion‚ they constantly attempt to identify or create
Premium Absurdism Universe Albert Camus
| World Literature Essay | Role of Women in The Stranger and Metamorphosis | | Maria Fernanda Contreras | 6/17/2010 | | “The woman kept on crying” (10) – this ability to experience and express emotions is shown as something both the protagonists in both novels - The Metamorphosis written by Franz Kafka and The Stranger by Albert Camus – lack. Women are usually portrayed as the element of society who are more likely to show this ability which connects them to the world surrounding them
Premium Albert Camus The Stranger The Metamorphosis
The Stranger The Stranger written by Albert Camus‚ a Nobel Prize winner‚ tells the tale of a young man named Monsieur Meursault. In the beginning‚ Monsieur Meursault’s mother‚ Maman‚ has died. After getting a telegram containing news of Maman’s death‚ Monsieur Meursault heads to Marengo where his mother had been taken care of in a home. He is greeted by the director of the home who leads him to the mortuary to see Maman. Meursault attends her vigil that night and attends the funeral procession the
Premium Albert Camus The Stranger Existentialism