We've received widespread press coverage since 2003, Your UKEssays purchase is secure and we're rated 4.4/5 on reviews.co.uk. Finding Joy in Albert Camus’ The Stranger: A Different Perspective Existentialism is often defined as a philosophical movement that emphasizes individual existence, freedom and choice. Printed in Studies in Critical Philosophy. We emphasized mainly on Meursault’s detached […], Is there truly any justice in the novel The Stranger, written by Albert Camus? This source was useful because it gave a brief overview of absurdist thought, Absurdism is the key component in the story, The Stranger, and is the belief that human existence is purposeless and that is evident by the way the protagonist behaves throughout the novel. “I felt that I had been happy and that I was happy again.” (Camus, 123) There was no difference between life and death, everything was the same to him such as when Marie asked if he would marry her and he said “I said it didn’t make any difference to me and that we could if she wanted to” (Camus, 41) Meursault would not care what happened in the end. A commonly used situation that appears often in existentialist writing is death. The Stranger was an unusually good book, which made me think. All work is written to order. In 1940 he wrote an essay on the state of Muslims in Algeria causing him to lose his job and move to Paris. Existentialism, what it represents, the results of its embodiment in a person, and the validity of the doctrine altogether are all important aspects explored in The Stranger by Albert Camus. Existentalism, Absurdism, and The Stranger "A greater life for him cannot mean another life." The answer from The Stranger to these questions is a categorical "No." Under the larger umbrella of existentialism, Absurdism is a concept that stresses individual freedom, happiness and the essential meaninglessness of the world . The novel, The Stranger, written by French author Albert Camus, is a philosophical fiction piece published in 1942. Meursault’s speech, thought, and actions are what Camus believed a person who innately possessed the tenets of existentialism would have. The Stranger is, above all else, an absurdist novel. From simple essay plans, through to full dissertations, you can guarantee we have a service perfectly matched to your needs. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of UKEssays.com. In conclusion Meursault portrays many existentialist characteristics and actions throughout the literary work and it can be inferred that The Stranger was an existentialist novel … “I felt as I understood why at the end of her life she had taken a ‘fiancé.’ ” (Camus, 122), All of these examples demonstrate that The Stranger could be a novel with the theme of existentialism but Albert Camus was an absurdist writer and the novel’s intended theme was the philosophy of the absurd. Camus just takes Mers. The apparent absurdity in life is represented by Meursault’s life-changing events, which expose the … After the chaplain leaves, Meursault has a small revelation “And I felt ready to live it all again too. Abstract : Albert Camus’s present novel The Stranger widely considered as the true representation of his philosophical movement Existentialism and Absurdity. In his story “The Things They Carried”, Tim O’Brien, enlightens the reader with the many faces and emotions of men. “I probably did love Maman, but that didn’t mean anything. We're here to answer any questions you have about our services. 4.Sartre, Jean P. Existentialism is a Humanism. In 1934 he Married Simone Hié, but divorced her two years later. Existentialism makes the point that there is no purpose or meaning in the universe. Is there a logical meaning to life? Meursault has no discernable reason for his actions, such as his decision to marry Marie and his decision to kill the Arab. Though Camus does not refer to this notion or absurdity, the beliefs are performed throughout the novel. London: NLB, 1972. p. 1613.Camus, Albert. Meursault exhibits a complete and utter indifference to life manifested by a profound lack of emotion. This is a question that naturally protrudes throughout the novel, as it is not abundantly clear […], Existentialism is a philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual experience in a hostile or indifferent universe, regards human existence as unexplainable, and stresses freedom of choice […]. However, the two are, in fact, significantly different in thought. The philosophy that encompasses the absurd is referred to as absurdism. Disclaimer: This is an example of a student written essay.Click here for sample essays written by our professional writers. Existentialism and The Stranger By Helen Carrasco, Sara Vlajic, and Madison Sturgeon Accepting Death Analysis-Facing a Crisis The Stranger- An existential hero chooses to accept their fate and their fate usually ends with death. This book used both Existentialism and Absurdism to promote Meursault 's problem throughout the book. Camus uses his novel, The Stranger, to show his theory of absurdism. In any instanceThe Strangerprice reductions both the value of any workss and the hope of internal felicity based on a belief of divinity. "Maman died today or yesterday maybe, I don't know". stories, and plays, the French-Algerian writer Albert Camus relates to his philosophical beliefs: specifically existentialism and the absurd, as well as his connecting idea of rebellion. Web. The Outsider, by Albert Camus, is such a study of absurdism. I admitted I hadn’t and inquired whether it was really necessary to have one.” (Camus, 63) Meursault didn’t understand why he would need an attorney for his case because it was simple to him, he had murdered a man and was now ready to pay his action. For the first time in the entire novel he realized what his mother felt before she died, “So close to death , Maman must have felt free then ready to live it all again” (Camus, 122) throughout the entire book his mother’s death had absolutely no meaning to him at all but now when he is put in the same situation, facing death, he finally realized what it must have been like for her. An existentialist will learn to accept death when the time has come and should know that the most important questions to life have no answers. Is there some higher order or law governing it? Similarly, is the stranger absurdist or existentialist? Likewise, the war has a similar effect, but a much more powerful impact. If one were to truly take a look at the universe, it would seem purposeless. If we take a look at the life of Albert Camus himself, it’s hard to deny the fact that there is a connection between the existentialism’s inception and personal tragedy. Both of these are related to Modernism, which was the aftermath of the industrial revolution. Existentialism thus becomes part of the very ideology which it attacks, and its radicalism is illusory” What Marcuse is saying here is that existentialism makes the mistake of thinking that just because human conditions are tragic and seem to lack a purpose, that they in fact do. as a way to relay his theory as a story. But the philosophy of existentialism is not free of criticism. Existentialism, what it represents, the results of its embodiment in a person, and the validity of the doctrine altogether are all important aspects explored in The Stranger by Albert Camus. Translated by Joris De Bres. In conclusion Meursault portrays many existentialist characteristics and actions throughout the literary work and it can be inferred that The Stranger was an existentialist novel when his writing style was one of an Absurdist. One philosophical system that is studied by many philosophers if called existentialism. and stresses freedom of pick and duty for the effects of one’s Acts of the Apostless. “Sartre’s Existentialism”. No plagiarism, guaranteed! This philosophy is essentially the crux of the novel The Stranger as Meursault, the indifferent and apathetic main character, embodies the tenets of existentialism intrinsically. Absurdism holds that the world is absurd and that looking for order or meaning of any kind is a futile endeavor. 6.White, Ray. This corporal representation of existentialism is what makes The Stranger the unique book it is. “Maman died today or yesterday maybe, I don’t know”. While Absurdist might seem like a synonym for Existentialism, the two are slightly different. Essay on Albert Camus The Stranger: Existentialism and Absurdism Existentialism is a philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual experience in a hostile or indifferent universe, regards human existence as unexplainable, and stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequences of one's acts. Albert Camus once stated that a novel “is never anything but a philosophy expressed in images” (Kellman). But what made this theory come about in the 19th century when it could have been realized centuries before? While Absurdism might seem like a synonym for Existentialism, the two are slightly different. Absurdism says that the universe is chaotic and unpredictable; therefore, the individual has ultimate freedom. Rather than focusing on what is important-his mother’s death-Meursault is focused on when exactly she died; whether it was yesterday or today, since the telegraph only stated the funeral would be tomorrow. shoots an Arab. The idea of existentialism is used throughout the literary work The Stranger by Albert Camus to expose the true self and cold nature of human beings, contrary of Camus’ original writing style of absurdism to show Mersault’s realization of the meaningless of human life. This philosophy is essentially the crux of the novel The Stranger and not only serves as one of the themes but probably the main reason Albert Camus wrote the book altogether. Looking for a flexible role? Registered Data Controller No: Z1821391. And humans do in fact possess the innate desire, or rather compulsion, to explain things and have things figured out-thus explaining their need to associate a purpose with the universe, even when it doesn’t necessarily exist. “Then he wanted to know if I had hired an attorney (the magistrate). You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings. Whether or not there is purpose to the universe is an ontological and metaphysical subject, not one that can be realized through historical events. A significant event from the novel would be when the magistrate in the story brings out his crucifix and revealed it to the protagonist, Meursault. Existentialism, what it represents, the results of its embodiment in a person, and the validity of the doctrine altogether are all important aspects explored in The Stranger by Albert Camus. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. It is easy to highlight the absurdity of the human quest for purpose. Works Cited "Absurdism." Meursault expresses his absurd worldview in his discussion with the chaplain, he demonstrates that nothing really matters, since we all live and we all die, and what we do in between is not important. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. To export a reference to this article please select a referencing stye below: If you are the original writer of this essay and no longer wish to have your work published on UKEssays.com then please: Our academic writing and marking services can help you! He uses Mers. Existentialists accept the perils and consequences of their choices and actions then keep their commitment to wherever it leads. 2007. http://www.answers.com/topic/existentialism2.Marcuse, Herbert. *You can also browse our support articles here >. Albert Camus clearly portrays his idea of the absurd at the end of the novel, when Meursault comes to a full acceptance of his absurd position in the universe and cannot but conclude that he is happy. Albert Camus, being the polarized man that he was, held more firmly to the belief of Absurdism than existentialism. Figuratively he is condemned to death and awaiting execution, is a metaphor for the human condition. Albert Camus The Stranger: Existentialism and Absurdism June 17, 2020 by Essay Writer Existentialism is a philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual experience in a hostile or indifferent universe, regards human existence as unexplainable, and stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequences of one’s acts. The five kinds of self-knowledge, according to Ulric Neisser, are: the […], The passage taken from “The Comfort of Strangers “by Ian McEwan essentially describes the want of two sisters Eva and Maria to look beautiful and furthermore the denial of their […], During the interactive oral, we discussed the main theme of the meaninglessness of human life that is present in The Stranger by Albert Camus. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. Camus affirms that “the only order in a disordered world is the one we create for ourselves”(Moser 2). If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. On a literal level, he exemplifies the absurd characteristics of revolt, freedom, and passion outlined by Camus in “The Myth of Sisyphus.” Meursault prefers to be different than the rest of the world, and demonstrates his freedom by doing what feels appropriate to him at any given moment. Company Registration No: 4964706. The idea of existentialism is used throughout the literary work The Stranger by Albert Camus to expose the true self and cold nature of human beings, contrary of Camus’ original writing style of absurdism to show Mersault’s realization of the meaningless of human life. Reference this. In other words, existentialism it emphasizes individual freedom. This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Some rational explanation to the chaos and nonsense? During the second beach fight when Meursault shoots the Arab with Raymond’s gun one of the Arabs draws his knife and holds it up to Meursault, Meursault isn’t bothered by the Arab’s threatening action, it was the light from the sun that reflected into his eyes along with the intense heat that was bothering him “The scorching blade slashed at my eyelashes and stabbed at my stinging eyes.” (Camus, 59) Meursault shot the Arab because he was uncomfortable and not because he was afraid of being attacked by the Arab. In 1939 he volunteered for service in WWII, but was rejected due to illness. Existentialism is a philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual experience in a hostile or indifferent universe, regards human existence as unexplainable, and stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequences of one’s acts. Albert Camus was a French-Algerian author and philosopher whose work was very prevalent in the mid-twentieth century. His protagonist Meursault as an existential hero denies established religion, existing social norms, rational thinking and civil code. As if that blind rage had washed me clean, rid me of hope; for the first time, in that night alive with signs and stars, I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world. In the realist novel, The Stranger, contains powerful fullness of the idea of existentialism and absurdist philosophy. Neither the external world in which Meursault lives nor the internal world of his thoughts and attitudes possesses any rational order. The Idea of Existentialism in The Stranger 965 Words4 Pages Existentialism is defined as "a philosophical theory or approach that emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free and responsible agent determining his or her own development through acts of the will”. VAT Registration No: 842417633. It is, in fact, the process of creating value through rebellion that Camus believed we could create value for all …
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