Character Analysis of Meursault in the Stranger, a Novel by Albert Camus
In the novel The Stranger, author Albert Camus gives expression to the absurdist philosophy. The novel is a first-hand account of the protagonist Meursault’s life from the time of his mother’s death to right before his execution for the murder of the Arab. The central idea of this novel is that the only instance human existence and its hints of beauty could be understood is in the face of death. By using Meursault as a vehicle for evolving awareness, Camus illustrates the growth of Meursault‘s perception through the core beliefs of absurdism. The novel opens by introducing Meursault's mother‘s death. Although he attends the funeral, he does not request to see the body, but he finds it interesting to think about the effects of heat and humidity on the rate of a body's decay.
It is evident that he is almost totally unaffected by his mother’s death, Meursault is rather immature and incapable of truly understanding the significance of his mother‘s death Brought out later in the novel, displaying his naivete', Meursault overhears his neighbor, Salamano, weeping over his lost dog, which is evidently dead. These auditory cues evoke thoughts of his mother, but Meursault is unable to recognize the association between the dog’s death and his mother’s death that his mind has made. Meursault is incapable of generating any thoughts or emotions beyond that of his five senses-is lack of awareness to emotional and spiritual meaning in his world leads him to continue to interact with only the purely physical aspects of his world.
It is not until Meursault, Raymond, and Masson confront two Arabs on the beach, one of whom gave Raymond a hard time, that Meursault begins to deviate from a purely physical mindset and contemplate the significance of any human action; these thoughts of human action grow into thoughts of human existence. With a gun in his jacket, it occurs to Meursault that whether or not he shoots the Arabs that the outcome would be the same; the universe’s chaos would not change. The loss of life has no significance on Meursault’s life nor the indifferent universe’s course of action. It is at this point that he denies the existence of God, consequently denying morality.
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In a state of confusion and overwhelming physical sunlight, Meursault kills one of the Arabs Despite this fact, Meursault does not find remorse in his actions Meursault is so involved with his present self that he never finds an opportunity to reflect upon the consequences that lie in his future This becomes a flaw for Meursault because he is so ingrained with the consequences that those around him face presently that he is unable to see the consequences he will face in the future. After the murder of the Arab, Meursault is arrested and incarcerated, As he awaits trial, he passes time by sleeping, reading an old newspaper about the murder of a Czech man, and reminiscing his past daily routines.
At trial, Meursault is confronted by an unwavering court. Though being tried for murder, Meursault is berated for his emotionless presence at his mother‘s wedding. Meursault finds it difficult to verbalize his thoughts into words that can be heard by the court. This failure of language leaves Meursault or his attorney incapable of defending him Consequently, he accepts his fate and assumes the court’s verdict, capital punishment, With the inevitability of death in his mind, Meursault eludes to the final days of his life. It is not until these few days does Meursault appreciate the subtle beauties of life; he values every moment of life more than he has ever in the entire course of his life.
The beauty of life was never apparent to Meursault because it was constantly harbored by his denial of his own death Perhaps the reason why Meursault proceeds to his death is that he realizes that the chaos of the universe and his existence becomes more meaningful by the immediacy of his death, Camus depicts how the core beliefs of absurdisrn alter the manner in which Meursault perceives his world for the better. Before Meursault is able to appreciate the nuances of life, he must face the imminent possibility of death. His once purely physical world matured into one of meaning and importance It’s not until the acceptance of mortality could one feel free to live. In essence, the universe and humanly actions are absurd, but real freedom is evoked from the self-actualization of its beauties and pains.
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Character Analysis of Meursault in the Stranger, a Novel by Albert Camus. (2023, Apr 25). Retrieved from https://phdessay.com/character-analysis-of-meursault-in-the-stranger-a-novel-by-albert-camus/
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