The idea of existentialism is used throughout The Stranger by Albert Camus. Camu exposes the true self and true nature of human beings. Meursault is the exact description of a existentialist. Later in the book he admits, “I probably did love Maman, but that didn’t mean anything.” Continually when Meursault hears that his appeal had been denied he says, "Well, so I'm going to die. But everybody knows life isn't worth living. Deep down I knew perfectly well that it doesn't much matter whether you die at thirty or seventy, since in either case other men and women will naturally go on living-and for thousands of years. In fact, nothing could be clearer." This attitude is the true definition of an existentialist. He does not seem to care that he is going to die rather he is more concerned with the "leap" from life to death.
Meursault then says, as he's accepted his death, “I felt that I had been happy and that I was happy again.” In class, we talked how death is the only concept that matters after life. Meursault exemplifies this idea and claims that there is no difference between life and death, everything is the same to him. Earlier in the book when Marie asked if he would marry her, he says, “...it didn’t make any difference to me and that we could if she wanted to." This shows that Meursault would not care what happened in the end. I think he cares about Marie to a extent, but doesn't care about love or marriage; he's just having a good time with her. He doesn't seem to need to change anything, or make things official to keep having fun.
Sisyphus is like Meursault. It is in the courtroom, while on trial, Meursault becomes conscious to the fact that he is a criminal as Sisyphus is consciousl of his won fate. When Meursault comes to accept the indifferences of the world, he finds peace with himself and with the society that persecutes him. Sisyphus finds his peace when he is coming down the mountain. Both eventually find happiness in each of their own fate.
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