Friday, October 7, 2016

Rage Against the Systems

Has Mersault acknowledged that the true essence of life (as defined by Mr. Heidkamp) as pain and suffering? Some would argue no, that he still seeks to appreciate the illusions of life when he becomes engaged to Marie, that entering matrimony lends meaning to his life. 

I would argue that Mersault has rejected the a fair amount of the systems that society enforces by observing them in an impersonal fashion. He takes note of the way the world functions around him, as well as that structure's effect on his life. To accept a system, your mind has to be limited by it, you have to believe that it is simply the way life was meant to be lived. Mersault does not do that. He illustrates this most clearly in his interactions with his lawyer. He has removed himself from the idea that interpersonal relationships are valuable for a emotional reason. He doesn't try to connect with him as a human, and sees the lawyer as merely a means to an end.

1 comment:

  1. I agree with your analysis. By having an understanding of the systems of society taking place around him, Meursault is not limited. Rather he does have a greater perspective of life than many of his peers in the novel. While I do not think there has been enough evidence presented to indicate he has such a wide perspective as that of Mr. Heidkamp where the only certainty is death. He is still very analytical of his environment and is not consumed by the system to which he exists.

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