Analysis Of Albert CamusThe Stranger - 1017 Words

The opening line of Albert Camus’ The Stranger is â€Å"Maman died today. Or maybe, yesterday; I dont know† (3). Meursault is introduced in a state of indifference about his own mother’s passing. The attitude Meursault has about his mother’s death will be present throughout the novel, an attitude of passivity. External feelings are what he lives for, he spends no time examining his internal feelings. Meursault begins as an uncaring man who is unconscious to the world around him and his own self. He commits murder and through his trial, time in jail, and eventual death sentence he sees the meaningless of life and is content with it. Part 1 of The Stranger begins with the death of Meursaults mother and leads up to the murder of the Arab.†¦show more content†¦Meursault doesnt care if they get married he just wants sex, so he says they can get married if it makes her happy. It makes no difference to him. The most mindless decision Meursault makes occu rs on the beach the day of murder. At the beach where Meursault is most happy because of the sun and the water becomes the spot where his life of freedom will end. Raymond has an altercation with an Arab man and is hurt. The man is the brother of the woman Raymond abused. Meursault fueled this attack through the letter he wrote, this is his passive attitude coming back to affect his life for the first time of many. Meursault take Raymond’s gun and finds the Arab. He murders him without a second thought and throughout the scene he speaks of the sun beating down on him. His once warm friend has become his hellish enemy. Five times he shoots the man, four into his lifeless body. Meursault is the stranger as he commits murder paying no mind to the consequences. This is the first event that will truly begin to open his eyes to the worlds true meaning. The worlds true meaning begins to be revealed to Meursault through his time in jail and it confuses him. At times and forgets that he has committed a murder and he wonders why he is in jail and being interrogated. After many interrogations he says that it feels like he is one of the family between him, his lawyer, and the interrogator. Meursault lacks a sense of self otherwise he would realize he is not thereShow MoreRelatedAn Analysis Of Albert CamusThe Stranger765 Words   |  4 PagesMisa Arima Period5 The Stranger Essay In the novel The Stranger, author Albert Camus uses the character Meursault to argue that happiness can only be achieved through ones ability to sufficiently react to what Heidegger calls Thrown-ness, and, if conscious with the exercise of the free will, only then life will be worthwhile. First of all, knowing that life occurs randomly that have no control of, leads to the happier life. In The Myth of Sisyphus written by Albert Camus, the protagonist Sisyphus