What Gives Meaning to Mersault's Life?

In The Stranger by Albert Camus, Mersault goes through a lot internally and externally that shapes his mindset on life and how it actually plays out. In life, we think about and discover what gives our life meaning. The essence of life. What variables are involved that change us as a human. How we respond to life and its complicated structure. Mersault is a character that represents this complex life experience as a whole. He experiences a plethora of emotions throughout the book, ranging from stability to suffering. These shifts in a character allow a reader to understand the significance in not only Mersault's life journey, but also their own and how their life works.

Thinking about the meaning of life and what gives life significance is essential while reading this book because the main character struggles with life. Mersault is very removed from society and the things in life that usually contribute to its importance don't matter to him. Whether it's marriage, death, success, relationships, or morals, these aspects don't seem to affect Mersault. Sometimes I think he chooses not to be aware or care, but I also think he doesn't know better at times. He pours his emotions into things that wouldn't normally matter as much as something like death. When his mother died, he didn't seem to care, and he is blamed for this throughout the book. Moreover, after killing a man, he wasn't deeply impacted.

The interesting part of the book and the paradox of his character is shown while he is in jail and on trial. He's honest yet seen as a threat to society. He goes from calm at one moment to restless and anxious to get out of jail. His recognition of freedom while in jail allows him to realize that he's not free. His understanding of life is inconsistent because he doesn't really have a sense of good or bad. Mersault is a unique individual because he reacts to something based on how he feels, not what the world will think or what's right. Most characters aren't like him in books, therefore it's interesting to watch his life play out and the choices he makes. Mersault gives life meaning by the way he lives. In a way, he ignores the values and details that shape one's life and instead feels a certain way because of his mindset. It's confusing and complex yet fascinating. Figuring out the essence of life isn't easy.