Embracing Absurdism: Insights from “The Stranger” by Albert Camus
Embracing Absurdism: Insights from “The Stranger” by Albert Camus
About the Author:
Albert Camus, a French-Algerian writer, philosopher, and journalist, was born on November 7, 1913, in French Algeria. Tragically, he died in a car crash on January 4, 1960. Camus is renowned for his works such as “The Plague,” “The Fall,” “The Stranger,” and numerous essays. In 1942, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his essay, “The Myth of Sisyphus.” Through his novels, essays, reviews, and articles, Camus made significant contributions to the philosophy of absurdism.
About the Book:
“The Stranger,” published in 1942, marked the first novel of Albert Camus’s lifetime. The story revolves around Meursault, a laconic and detached hero. Meursault lacks the ability to find meaning in love, work, or friendship and, one day, inadvertently shoots and kills an Arab man, oblivious to his own motivation. Meursault’s character embodies the philosophical concept of absurdism, which suggests that humanity’s attempt to impose rationality and meaning upon an irrational and meaningless universe is futile. Meursault’s existence is governed by detached observations of his physical surroundings, finding solace only in the scent of flowers carried by a gentle breeze on warm evenings. Absurdism permeates the entire novel, as exemplified by Meursault’s opening line, “Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday, I don’t know.” He displays a lack of emotional attachment during his mother’s funeral, smoking cigarettes beside her coffin throughout the night. On the following day, during the funeral procession, he remains tearless, instead complaining about the scorching heat. Meursault’s mindset reflects a state of mind defined by sociologist Émile Durkheim as “anomie,” characterized by listlessness, emotional detachment, and alienation. Meursault struggles to connect with others, lacking conventional answers and rejecting societal explanations for education, work, and family. Hypocrisy and sentimentality repel him, leading to his support of his neighbor’s plan to humiliate women.
When Meursault is asked by his partner Marie to marry her, he explains that he doesn’t love Marie and that marriage has no importance. He suggests that if marriage gives her pleasure, they can get married. For him, marriage is a societal norm, Meursault expresses. This attitude creates hostility between Meursault and the orderly society he inhabits. He commits a random act of violence and states that the extreme heat of a sunny day caused him to shoot a man dead. After the arrest, when Meursault is brought to court, he is asked more about his personal life but less about the crime he committed. He is asked why he didn’t shed a single tear at his mother’s funeral, why he had sex with a girl on the beach the day after his mother’s funeral, and why he helped his friend humiliate women. But Meursault finds no rational answers to these questions asked by the judges at court. The meaninglessness of life is explored deeper after Meursault’s arrest. When he is in jail, he states that everyone shall die one day, now or after 20 years. These ideas liberate Meursault from fantasies of escaping execution and enable him to finally be content with life and make the most of his remaining days.
A philosophical question:
If life is meaningless, is committing suicide the only rational response?
No, no! There may not be any explanations for our unjust world. Choosing to live regardless is the deepest expression of our genuine freedom.
Albert Camus’ concept of absurdism has become a part of world literature, philosophy, and pop culture in the 20th century. Today, he remains a trusted guide for moments of uncertainty. Camus’ ideas defiantly imbue a senseless world with inspiration rather than defeat.