Standing on the Edge of a Cliff

"Then I remembered what the nurse at Maman's funeral said. No, there was no way out, and no one can imagine what nights in prison are like" (81).

Throughout The Stranger, Meursault constantly reiterates the idea of being suspended between two motions, actions, or states of being, offering what seems like an ultimatum. This is first seen at Maman's funeral, when the Nurse notes that whatever course of action you take, the sun will take its toll on you. This idea of suspended being is again seen shortly before Meursault shoots the Arab on the beach. He says to himself, "It was then that I realized that you could either shoot or not shoot" (56). Again, in prison, Mersualt invokes this idea of being stuck or suspended.

These moments, first and foremost, demonstrate times during which Meursault is acutely aware of the absurdity of life, that is, fixed positions and facts of the world that render many things meaningless. However, there is also another important process that occurs in these moments. This is essentially a transcendence that works to go beyond these fixed positions and facts. This awareness and then movement beyond these facts leads to a complete freedom for ourselves, something that is indeterminate. What governs Meursault in these moments is a sharp consciousness, or and idea about how he is able to conceive the world.

Imagine standing on the edge of a towering cliff with the ocean below. You have, on one hand, and urge to take one more step and see just a little farther. On the other hand, however, you have a fear that pushes you back. In this moment, you are in anguish, you are stuck just like Meursault. However, you should take full responsibility and assert your consciousness in order to peer over the edge to see what is on the other side.