Am I a Stranger?

In the novel, The Stranger the antagonist, Meursault, is referred to as “the” stranger. Meursault is considered a stranger to society. The author, Albert Camus, does not give Meursault the persona of regular and reasonable man. Meursault is a emotionless, nonchalant, and insensitive being who does not have any goals are ambition. Are these characteristics what make Meursault a stranger?

Even though I do not possess the same characteristics as Meursault, I sometimes feel that I am a stranger to society. I sometimes feel left out and  ignorant about subjects that most people understand. I have been an introvert most of life and I have come to accept that. Most of friends know I am an introvert and they accepted it as well. Being to yourself does not make you a stranger.

Is Change Good or Bad

“People never change their lives, that in any case one life was as good as another and that I wasn’t I wasn’t dissatisfied with mine here at all.”

This was Meursault’s response when his boss offered him a change life.

I do agree with this statement made by Meursault. I believe that people would like a change in life, if their current life does not meet their satisfaction. But, some people would are comfortable with their current and they are not looking for a change.

Some people are afraid of change and like to stay comfortable where they are currently at. That is normal in people, but if one always fears change they won’t see the benefits of change.

My mother always tells me, “You have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.” She is always trying to get me to step out my comfort zone and try new things. Personally, I do not have big comfort zone and I often question trying something I’m not accustomed to doing. However, when I do step out my comfort zone, I come across things that I end up liking and that interest me, that before I thought I would never end up doing.

A change of life is not bad, if it is a change for the better.

Does the judicial system fail Meursault?

Society has a judicial system in place to find justice in the misdoings of others. In The Stranger, Meursault finds himself subject to societies expectations of being a moral person.

During the process of Meursault's trial, the question of right versus wrong is used to base the judgement against him. He is asked more thoroughly on his actions at his mother's funeral, rather than the events that took place at the beach. Meursault is very confused as to why they are not questioning him on the actions that he took, but on the morals behind his actions.

The prosecutor attempts to demonstrate to the jury that Meursault had no emotion at his mother's funeral, so that means that he could not possibly care about murdering the Arab. In society, there is a notion that everyone should act with the same morals, and that anyone outside of these parameters is to be considered the worst of a criminal.

Meursault has a different perspective in life compared to the rest of society. He does not view his actions as right or wrong, but rather as did I do them or not. He bases his actions on nothing. When he feels as though something needs to be done, he does it without mention of the backlash that could occur. While on trial for killing the Arab, he wonders why the case is not straight forward, as he admits to killing him, but does not understand why the court mentions his actions during and after the funeral of his mother.

The court system is looking for Meursault to get the death sentence. During the entire trial, Meursault realizes that he is not able to have a voice for himself, as it is seen that it will only prove to be detrimental to his case.

The prosecutor brings up his date with Marie after the funeral to try and prove that Meursault showed a lack of care towards his mother, and that will translate to every one of his actions yet to take place. The courts derive their verdict from the mere fact that Meursault has a different perspective on life. Because his realization of right versus wrong is different than society, he is sentenced to be put to death. The entire trial mentions nothing of Meursault's stance on what happened, as the judicial system already had the outcome waiting for him, which was to sentence him to death, so that there will no longer be any indifference to societies expectations of a person.

Don't Invalidate My Feelings

If we simply live to exist with no essence, then what's the point of life?

I take issue with the invalidation of emotions and "meanings" that we discussed in class, such as warped definitions of love, happiness, success, and justice. In existentialism, social constructs are just mirages that we use to hide our fears. I am fully aware that these constructs exist; the multitude of messages about love through media portrayals is enough evidence of its existence. Look at any of the older Disney movies and you'll find misguided and sexist definitions of love and happiness.

However, just because social constructs exist, that doesn't mean that we as humans don't experience emotions or opinions. My definition of love may be different than yours, but that doesn't alter the fact that there is an emotional response and meaning behind the word.

For example, a classmate mentioned how there is a genuine feeling of love when he's surrounded by his friends. Is his definition of love tainted or defined by external influences such as the media? Most likely. As humans, we are shaped by our experiences and environment. But, that doesn't mean that just because social constructs exist, we don't have emotion. For example, consider science. Our bodies release endorphins and oxytocin. Guess what? That makes us feel, and that makes us human. 

Maman the True Existentialist Hero

The opening of The Stranger begins with the death of Meursault's mother. We do not learn her name, her age, or even see her alive. Her existence as a character is almost solely as a distracted afterthought in Meursault's preoccupied mind. In spite of her portrayal as such, Maman and her death clearly represent what I believe to be the essential question of the story:

Is an existential philosophy inherently compatible with humanity?

Existentialism firstly challenges us to reject the norm of such constructs as God, family, and love, and embrace the absurdity of a life that is as random and inexplicable as we fear it to be. When discussing what it means to be human, such constructs as these are often top of the list. In rejecting these it would then stand to follow that in doing so we reject the principles of our own human nature.

In The Stranger when Meursault is arrested after murdering the Arab (murder often considered the gravest offense to humanity that exists) his lawyer asks him if he was sad about Maman's death, to which Meursault replies 'no'. In doing so he dismisses Meursault's humanity, in this case Meursault's ability to be repentant of and redeemed from his crime, due to his nonconformity to the socially normative version of grief the lawyer expects. What the lawyer fails to conceive of is that Meursault not grieving as he 'should' does not equate a lack of love for his mother, nor a lack of humanity.

This addresses a second (and more often forgotten) aspect of existentialism. That God, family, and love should be dismissed as constructs but not necessarily as concepts. These things exist and are true in face of the absurdist universe painted by existentialism. But they are not true because that is the order of the universe, as societal norms would have us believe. They are true because we choose to create them and recognize them despite our consciousness of the random universe. In this existential allows us not only more freedom, but a greater capacity for humanity.

How is Meursault a stranger?

I think that Meursault is "the stranger" in this book because he is so isolated from other people. He is isolates himself from the norm mentally, emotionally, spirtually, and physically.

Meursault is mentally and emotionally a stranger because he doesn't mourn the death of his mother. At her funeral, he is around several people that are crying over her, but he feels like her death doesn't really matter. He thinks that he life hasn't really changed because of her death, so he doesn't feel an emotional connection to the other people at the funeral.

He is spiritually a stranger because he told the magistrate that he didn't believe in God. The magistrate says, "it was impossible; all men believe in God, even those who turn their backs on him. That was his belief, and if he were ever to doubt it, his life would become meaningless"(69). The magistrate's life is meaningful because of God, but Meursault feels like his life doesn't have anything to do with religion.

And, he eventually physically becomes a stranger when he is isolated from other people in prison.

Meursault is a stranger because he is so detached from the ideals of the world he lives in. He doesn't value friends, family, relationships, God, or justice. But he lives in a world where those values are the only things that matter and if you don't value them, you are thought of as detached from society.

Different Responses to Loss

In the beginning of Stranger, the main character, Meursault, looses his mother and doesn't have a big reaction about it. It could be because of shock, the missing closeness between the two, or doubt. Looking back on my own personal experiences with losses of my loves ones, I cried a lot with the deaths close to home, where I saw the person or animal at or after the time of death. When I lost my aunt in Germany, it did not set in until the funeral and I realized that she had actually passed. I wanted to doubt it and the shock of that the person or animal is actually gone. I miss my aunt, my dog, my cat, and other loved ones all the same but my mourning wasn't the same. Each person reacts to mourning differently, which also depends on their past. Though there is the whole "men don't cry because they have to be tough" facade, it is his mother. We would hope that there would at least be a tear or a feeling of loss shown in the main characters actions. Instead, Meursault lack of empathy for his mother's death results in him being labeled as abnormal. This causes the main character to become ostracized from his peers. This unexpected reaction to his mother's death also leaves the audience with a sense of disbelief as the reader attempts to understand the main character's apathy.