Existentialism in The Stranger by Albert Camus

Existentialism in "The Stranger" by Albert Camus

The central themes of existentialism identified in philosophical works and in literature as well are: stress on the significance of the individual, stress on importance of passion, irrational aspects of life are valued, human freedom is searched for and valued.

All of these themes and more appear in Camus' novel, The Stranger (1940). As theorist of the absurd, Camus introduces this theme in The Stranger as well. The plot of the novel in itself is quite simple as it involves the shooting of an Arab and a subsequent trial by a character called Meursault. But however, the sensibility and atmosphere is pervasive, creating a sense of unreal by favoring up to a certain point irrationality and the sense of absurdity of human life. For instance, Meursault makes certain decisions that have no rational support, at least for the readers; we, as readers are unable to perceive the real substrate for his actions. No reasons are obvious as to why he marries Marie or decide to murder an Arab. Camus wants to reinforce in this way the fact that Meursault is a stranger within a clear-cut society. The fact is obvious in the novel, especially in the second half of The Stranger, where Camus depicts society's attempt to manufacture meaning behind Meursault's actions. (http://www.camus-society.com/the-stranger-albert-camus.htm).The trial is absurd in that the judge, prosecutors, lawyers and jury try to find meaning where none is to be found. This is another great illustration of the absurd in this novel. Absurdity is a philosophical perspective which may appear as a result of a very repetitive existence (in Camus' opinion). However, as an existentialist theme in The Stranger, is connected with the search of meaning. Meursault is a human who found himself "thrown" (Heidegger) into a world with no clear logical, ontological, or moral structure (Irvine, A. 1998). This is the context that favors ultimate questions by the very nature of our lives. Meaning can be constructed by making a choice in such absurd situation. Meursault's act of murder can be interpreted as an act of courage, a provocation he addressed to death and to uncertainty. Furthermore, extreme situations make hiding impossible and are considered a way of clarifying motives and drives. The existentialist theme of anxiety regarding life, death, contingencies, and extreme situations is obvious in this context and is related to the theme of absurd. For instance, Meursault, while imprisoned, in his cell he realized that he does not an appropriate way of escaping, also because he was never interested in ways of escaping before. However, it should be noticed that Camus' particular form of existentialism is also characterized by observation, detachment and a certain irony towards existence. Moreover, he does not seem to be concerned about penalty, about a punishment for his act. And that is because the search for meaning of his existence has an inherent morality. It seems that it is moral to find a sense of existence and the means are meant only to support this purpose. This is also the case of Meursault. His observing, and detachment ability are very strong, he is always looking beyond reality. For instance, I noticed in the novel a heightened perception for things appealing to senses: Meursault is the receptacle of all the moves, smells, shades of the world. This also supports in a certain way another existentialist dimension: individualism, as Meursault is the atypical human inside his society, and he seems to notice all the