Existentialism In 'The Stranger By Albert Camus And The Tunnel'

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The Existential Hero Existentialism is a philosophical school of thought which contemplates the issues of meaning, life itself, the search for purpose, and how it applies to the humanity. Introduced by Søren Kierkegaard, the father of Existentialism, and coined by Gabriel Marcel in the 40’s, there has since been many philosophers, authors, works, plays, and debates over these principals. Two of the most renowned pieces of existentialist literature are The Stranger by Albert Camus, and The Tunnel by Ernesto Sábato. Both novels deal with two opposite men struggling to find meaning and a place in the world itself, and are widely considered prime examples of an existential hero. But what is an existential hero? How would one describe and determine …show more content…

However, the two men share very different views on death itself in their own personal lives.Meursault shows impartiality to death and accepts it as an everyday part of existence, as seen in the dismissal of his mother’s death and continuing on afterwards as if nothing had changed. Another example is when Meursault is faced with his own death sentence, Meursault considers and accepts his death saying, “That meant, of course, I was to die. Sooner than others, obviously. “But,” I reminded myself, “it’s common knowledge that life isn’t worth living, anyhow.” And, on a wide view, I could see that it makes little difference whether one dies at the age of thirty or threescore and ten—since, in either case, other men and women will continue living, the world will go on as before...Once you’re up against it, the precise manner of your death has obviously small importance.” (pgs 70-71) This is an example a man who is not afraid of death, instead, is accepting of it and liberated by it as a true existentialist would. Juan Pablo Castel however, is an example of an existentialist man who fears death and the uncertainty brought along by it. Though he killed Maria without much hesitation and remorse, in his own personal life death was a frightening prospect and he was kept alive out of fear of the unknown as stated by

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