Nikki Yuen COLWRIT R1A Prof. JDQ 09/27/2021 Beneath the Surface of Absurdity What is Absurdism? This term is widely debated by literary critics. The Stranger, by Albert Camus, begins to define and explore absurdity through a psychological aspect. Camus’ novel follows a man named Meursault through his adult life. Meursault is a “stranger” to society. He feels indifferent about his surroundings and refuses to lie. Meursault’s experiences with his mother’s death, his girlfriend Marie, and being sentenced to execution after being convicted of murder all paint an absurd and, in some cases, a hysterical image of Meursault. His apathetic behavior is what makes readers think he is so peculiar to society. Meursault’s failure in solidarity with societal norms also causes him to question the morality of his actions, creating a disjunction between himself and the world around him. Although his odd lifestyle and personal values depict him as a “stranger,” I believe that behind that absurdity lies Camus’ philosophical belief of the meaning of life. The ridiculousness of Meursault begins to arise after the death of his mother. We begin to unravel his cold and emotionless demeanor when he describes how he is unable to remember the exact date of his mother’s death, “Mother died today. Or, maybe, yesterday; I can’t be sure” (Camus, 1). The discreet indifference to the passing of what society deems to be the most significant person in our life, the one who gave us life, establishes his strange character. When Meursault goes to his mother’s funeral, not only does he refuse to see the body, but he also smokes with the keeper. “But I wasn’t sure if I should smoke, under the circumstances—in Mother’s presence. I thought it over; really, it didn’t seem to matter, so I offered the keeper a cigarette, and we both smoked.” (Camus, 7) His disrespectful and casual attitude reflects the abnormality that makes people view him differently. How could someone with basic human decency feel the need to smoke during their mother’s funeral? When it came time to bury his mother, Meursault went outside into the heat. Surprisingly, this is where his genuine emotions emerge. The sun, an indifferent and intangible object to humanity, is what causes Meursault to show feeling. He describes it in great detail. “When I went out, the sun was up and the sky mottled red above the hills between Marengo and the sea… I was surprised to see how quickly the sun was climbing up the sky” (Camus, 3). By using imagery and personification, it was apparent to sense the distress inflicted upon him. But, how could Meursault express so much annoyance and emotion for the heat but yet, not shed a tear during his mother’s funeral? This absurdity is not because he’s a “bad” person and doesn’t love his mother, but because he believes there’s no meaning contained in her death. He valued his mother while she was alive but felt as though mourning was unnecessary. Meursault has a natural tendency to notice the details of his surroundings and the natural world. He never tries to interpret the thoughts of others; he only describes what they do. This unique attitude and disconnection from humankind spark an inner conflict in which Meursault doubts his nature. For example, during the funeral, Meursault said, “I was rather surprised, as I didn’t know who she was. I wanted her to stop crying, but dared not speak to her” (Camus, 8). Meursault’s indifference to the world around him makes him confused about how others react. He questions why people try to put an explanation to death, something that’s inevitable. This contrast between Meursault’s sense of life’s meaninglessness and humanity’s efforts to impose meaning demonstrates Camus’ philosophy of Absurdism. He uses Meursault as a symbol to show that looking for order or purpose of any kind is futile. We must accept the indifference of the world. Meursault’s absurd behavior is also seen through his relationship with Marie. When Marie asks Meursault whether he wants to marry her, she expects him to take the request of marriage seriously, just like how society has positioned marriage to be the most cherished commitment. “Marie came that evening and asked me if I’d marry her. I said I didn’t mind; if she was keen on it, we’d get married.” (Camus, 28). Meursault is indifferent about getting married, not because he refuses to, but because he doesn’t assign any significance to be classified as “married.” In his perspective, marriage is another ideology created by society that contains negligible value. Although Meursault enjoys time with Marie, he doesn’t develop any emotional attachment more meaningful than attraction. Meursault rejects the idea of conventional love and believes that love is based on physical connection and sexual desires. Meursault’s nonchalance about marriage comes from his belief that sometimes meaning does not exist, and therefore there’s no reason to value anything that happens in it. Another ludicrous instant of Meursault is when he shoots the Arab man. As he faces the Arab holding a knife, he acts on impulse and compulsion rather than what society considers as morally correct. “I shook off my sweat and the clinging veil of light... But I fired four shots more into the inert body, on which they left no visible trace. And each successive shot was another loud, fateful rap on the door of my undoing.” (Camus, 39). Meursault shoots him not because he is threatened, but because he urges to in the moment. He denies any active intention and associates the first shot to some unknown power, some “it” within him. He does not regret the murder. Instead, he is upset that the gunshots interrupted the serenity of the beach. Failing to recognize the consequences of his actions, Meursault does not acknowledge right from wrong. He doesn’t look for any meaning in his own doings or the other man’s death. To society, Meursault is a heartless murderer whose actions are deranged and immoral. Meursault, however, doesn’t view it the same way. He thinks of it as coincidental and uncontrolled, which makes him so absurd because “normal” human ethics would tell us that murder is rarely justified. This constant disjunction between Meursault’s absurd behavior and societal values creates a continuous cycle where his beliefs are challenged. For example, when stating that he didn’t believe God existed, the chaplain tried to convince him that his doubts about God were too certain and were wrong. However, it is through Meursault’s trial where he realizes he no longer needs to doubt. He is in the right and has always been in the right. As he faces his death, he recognizes that any relationships he had, any accomplishments he has achieved, and any religion he might have believed in no longer mattered. He will die, and the world will remain unchanged. Thus, there’s no need to conform to these societal expectations of marriage and God. But, rather, stay indifferent about the world around us. It is beneath all this absurdity that lies Camus’ main message: that life itself is absurd. He uses Meursault to demonstrate his philosophical belief that the world operates without order, reason, or meaning. Society puts too much emphasis on rationalizing life. We try to classify everything based on logic, reason, and this objective concept of cause and effect. Yet, these explanations are incapable of answering all the unknowns and indefinable things that happen in life. In reality, these formulaic justifications are just humans trying to defuse the idea that the universe is irrational. All these absurd examples listed in this essay are just some of many instances of humankind’s attempt to impose reason on an irrational natural world. The Stranger intends to shed light on Absurdism and other unconventional philosophies. Murder, love, and death are all events and characteristics that we can’t explain. Thus, there is no point in forcing reason into a world where there isn’t one.
