The Key is Mutability

There are many works of theater and film that come embody the ideas set forth in Albert Camus' The Stranger. In a broader sense, these works demonstrate the complete absurdity of our lives. The fact that this absurdity is in the form of a play or a film helps the audience feel and understand what exactly absurdity looks like and feels like, therefore making it a much more tangible theory.

One such play is No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre. In this play, three characters, Cradeau, Inez and Estelle, are trapped in Hell. Essentially, the play represents how our lives are framed by death. Rather, in death we are complete, meaning we are no longer mutable, and no longer have the capacity to act as a radical self. In the play, the three characters attempt to reach this radical self, but, since they are dead, they cannot. They find that they are wholly dependent on each other to become anything other than what they are. 

The idea of changing ourselves and our identities is also present in the 1990's film, Trust. In this film, characters discover their lives changing rapidly and quite unexpectedly. The main character, Maria, is even preoccupied with the word "Vicissitude" and it definition. The idea of how certain people can change another person is even brought up in a discussion between Maria and a doctor from an abortion clinic. While talking, Maria mentions how she feels she has changed her soon to be husband and his personality. He is no longer dangerous and spontaneous, now he has become dull and placated. The doctor then asks whether or not Maria thought he had changed her. Maria responds affirmatively. 

Although these two works mention discuss our lives and our identities in seemingly differing situations, they are essentially two sides of the same coin. In life, our surroundings and perceptions of others are constantly changing, and naturally we will change along with this tide. In fact, our duty in life is to take charge or our identity, our self, and assert ourselves, regardless of others. Maria's preoccupation with the vicissitudes of life in many ways exemplifies this struggle. On the other side of the coin, we see in death we no longer have the opportunity to assert ourselves and learn how important it truly is to become the strongest self you can become in life. Therefore, these two works exemplify how important it is to be able to change, mutate, transform and evolve so that we can grasp the ability to transcend and assert ourselves in the best way possible.