29/04/2023
Oh what memories of teaching Camus' The Stranger!
“I may not have been sure about what really did interest me, but I was absolutely sure about what didn't.”
Albert Camus,The Stranger
It is a classic philosophical novel published in 1942. It is one of the most famous novels in French literature of the 20th century and has been translated into 60 languages.
The story is set in Algiers, Algeria, and follows the main character, Meursault, an office worker who leads a boring and lonely life. The story begins with the death of his mother, and instead of feeling sadness, Meursault seems rather indifferent to the situation. He doesn't show much emotion during the funeral, and he implicitly challenges society’s accepted moral standards, which believes that one should grieve over death. This indifference confuses the reader.
The main character, Meursault, approaches the world with moral indifference and believes that there is no true meaning to life. Meursault lacks emotion and empathy; and this makes him an unlikeable and generally unrelatable character.
Throughout the book, Meursault acts differently than society would expect, invoking a feeling of absurdity and confusion in others. He does not believe in following society’s traditions or expectations and lives like an outlandish.
Meursault's life takes a dramatic turn when he kills an Arab for no apparent reason on a beach. He is arrested, tried and sentenced to death. Throughout the trial and his detention, Meursault remains calm and detached, refusing to play along and show remorse.
However, his thinking begins to broaden once he is sentenced to death. After his encounter with the chaplain, Meursault concludes that the universe is, like him, totally indifferent to human life. This is a key feature of Absurdism, a literary trend led by Camus.
When Meursault accepts “the gentle indifference of the world,” he finds peace with himself and with the society around him, and his development as a character is complete.
Death is a dominant theme in The Stranger: it is inevitable and the only truth in the existence.
"The Stranger" deals with themes such as the absurdity of life, the human condition and the notion of free will. The character of Meursault is often interpreted as a symbol of existentialism, a philosophy that emphasizes freedom of choice and the absurdity of life.
Camus' writing style is simple and direct, with few descriptions and long sentences. This gives the novel a cold and detached atmosphere that reflects Meursault's state of mind.
Ultimately, "The Stranger" is a dense and complex novel that has generated much debate and interpretation over the years. It remains an important work of French literature and essential reading for those interested in philosophy, existentialism and the human condition.
What personal moral lesson we can deduce from Meursault ?
Perhaps one of the answers could be not to follow the protagonist without any reservation, and instead try constantly to develop authentic human empathy, claim more just and fair laws, and look beyond the materialistic world, seeking altruism and harmony between individuals’ own point of view about life, and their status as a member of a society.
Paula B.
