I will first discuss how Meursault appears emotionless, than how Camus uses the motif of weather to express Meursault’s emotions for him and lastly what impact this makes. Meursault is not an emotional person. Meursault often seems not to react to major events that happen to him. For example when his mom dies, he says, “Really, nothing had changed”(24). There is an obvious emotional disconnect.
At the beginning of the novel, Meursault’s indifference generally only applies to him. However, When Meursault is sentences and meets the Chamberlin his ideology is broadened and Meursault gathers that the world is like him, in the the aspect that is it also indifferent to human life. He figures that there is no great meaning to people’s lives and their actions have no effects on the universe. This realization is the climax of the novel as it is a conclusion of all the events of the novel and allows Meursault to find peace within himself and with the world around him. Raymond can be seen as a cause for Meursault’s enlightenment because he is the main reason why Meursault got involved with the Arab and subsequently why he was put in
When writing the journal entries, which I intended to be more personal and insightful into Meursault’s character than the novel. I wanted to demonstrate how the actions from the past, such as having to quit school, affected him and turned him into the character readers see in the novel by taking away his meaning to life, getting an education. I did this by creating a shift in Meursault’s speech. In the first journal entry, Meursault is introspective focusing more on his dreams and ambitions. When having to quit school, Meursault’s speech becomes more like in the novel, monotone, simplistic, and focusing on the world around him and how he feels at the present.
For Meursault he does not feel remorse for any of his actions or antics because there is no purpose to life; There will be no judgement or ‘Hell’ for Meursault after death. Normally people of faith abide by certain commandments that would thus grant them acceptance to ‘Heaven’. Meursault finds such beliefs as silly and pointless, much like everything else. Meursault holds a pessimistic and absurd outlook on life; Camus made it apparent to infuse his atheistic and existentialistic values into the form of
In The Stranger, Camus explores man’s perception of the absurd through his protagonist Meursault, a French Algier, who ‘unwittingly gets drawn into a senseless murder’ on an Algerian beach. Meursault’s indifference to his mother’s death and the crime he has committed, among others, isolates him from society and leads to his incrimination. Throughout The Stranger, Meursault’s intensive focus on the natural world such as the sea and especially the sun, in contrast to his indifference to human relationships, highlights their importance. Light, a product of the sun, proves especially significant. Camus description of light in relation to Meursault shows Meursault’s individuality throughout the story and his reaction to death.
Most of the questions were left unanswered by Meursault, but the magistrate continued to attempt to obtain answers from the criminal. All of a sudden, topic of religion emerges and the magistrate asks Meursault if he believes in God, to which Meursault responds with a curt answer of a simply “no.” Meursault recollects, “That was unthinkable, he said; all men believe in God, even those who reject Him… ‘Do you wish,’ he asked indignantly, ‘my life to have no meaning?’” (Camus 42). The connotation of the magistrate’s question presents his exasperated reaction to Meursault’s shocking disbelief in God. By questioning Meursault about his own life’s meaning, the examining magistrate is implying that God is the source of rationality and meaning, so without God, one’s existence is meaningless. The word ‘unthinkable’ shows that it is unheard of and quite offensive for one to reject the existence of God, for rejecting God is like rejecting one’s own existence.
It serves as a pinnacle for the entire story, and grants readers a look into the main characters state of mind. In this passage, Meursault comes to a dramatic realization of who he is through an existential epiphany, and with thorough analysis the overall significance of the passage to the story is revealed. In the passage the chaplain visits Meursault much to Meursault’s displeasure. He asks Meursault why he did not want to see him, and Meursault then solidifies his denial of the existence of God. This doesn’t deter the chaplain
No matter the strong pull of love though, Meursault escapes its grasps though his lack of empathy and basic human connections. This ideology is shared by those around Meursault: such as how Salamano lost his wife and “He hadn’t been happy with his wife, but he’d pretty much gotten used to her (1.5.44).” Meursault knows that love is only temporary and knows that love means nothing in life and cannot change anything: “That evening Marie came by to see me and asked me if I wanted to marry her. I said it didn’t make any difference to me and that we could if she wanted to (1.5.44).” He does accept that love is something tangible but understands that there is no significance to it, how it has no reason, and is not required for living. So, therefore, why should he care about this emotion if it serves no evolutionary purpose to help us thrive and grow in the universe? Like Meursault, the Universe is unforgiving and ignores feeling to continue the circle of
Physical Attractions In The Stranger by Albert Camus, the main character Mersault is a very unique human being. Mersault does not exhibit emotion as normal humans would. Mersault has more of a connection to and concern for the physical world rather than the emotional one. Throughout the novel, Mersault’s actions in society strongly affect the final outcome of the novel. Because he is a stranger to the rest of the society, Mersault is personally attacked because of his differences, eventually leading him to death by the guillotine.
When new friend-the pimp- asks for his help to embarrass his ex-girlfriend, Meursault again with any consideration agrees to something that would have normally been thought of as insane, and does not contemplate that there may be consequences for this agreement. Without the presence of God, there is no real need to be morally correct and there is no way of knowing what truly is righteous in terms of ethics, as there is no other creed that dictates such. The first traces of the characters existentialist ideals soon become apparent though short-lived for the time being. Despite Meursault’s entire neglect for social consistencies and the invisible mans momentary protest against whites, they still remain ignorant when it comes to the matter of making decisions-the invisible man can have a mind of his own, Meursault can choose to take