Frankl's Parallels Between Meursault And Lear

As many of the other blog posts have discussed tonight, Viktor Frankl's "Experiences in a Concentration Camp" opens similarities between what the class has previously read, The Stranger and "King Lear". Although I agree with Miles' post that Lear is more relevant to Frankl than Meursault is, I find parallels between them both.

While it is difficult and perhaps inaccurate to compare Meursault and Frankl based on what appears to be their lack of emotion, I find their setting's comparable, although Frankl's is definitely more extreme. On page 50, Frankl's description of escaping into his "inner life" as a refuge from the brutality of the concentration camp reminded me of Meursault. Both are confined to their surroundings, Meursault in jail and Frankl in the concentration camp. As a coping method, Frankl tries to remember the common tasks that he did in his apartment, such as locking the door, answering the phone, and switching on the lights. Despite the fact that the situation is less severe in Meursault's case, he does the exact same thing, attempting to remember every detail of his apartment to pass the time. In both cases, their memory provides them with a way to enjoy and put meaning to their lives.

As for Lear, the situations of their mental states were strikingly alike. Frankl describes a time when he was mending a railway track in a snowstorm. As a guard throws a stone at him, he is reminded that the worst pain is not the physical aspect, but the implication of his sub-human status. Lear, too, in the midst of a rainstorm, struggles to keep his strength as he is aware of that he has nothing left. Nonetheless, in the end, both Frankl and Lear are able to find parts of life that they find meaningful even when they have nothing.