Theorists working in the fields of sociology focus on society as a whole. Georg Simmel differs from classic theorists such as Marx, Weber and Durkheim, stressing the importance of the individual as a separate society and the way they deal with the development of modern society. ‘The Stranger,’ as defined by Simmel is “an element of the group itself...whose membership within the group involves both being outside it and confronting it.” (Simmel, 1908, p.144). This essay will explore Georg Simmel’s writing on ‘Individuality and Social Forms (1908)’ by focusing on one of his social types, the notion of ‘The Stranger.’ Furthermore, it will attempt to identify the theoretical points of ‘the stranger,’ relating it to the concept of fashion and individuality …show more content…
‘The Stranger’ is a philosophical concept introduced by Simmel. The term can be applied to everyone because he believes that anyone can become ‘the stranger.’ ‘The stranger’ is an “element” of the group and we need it to help define ourselves, because constantly we try to distinguish ourselves from others. Coming from a Jewish background, Simmel surely would understand what it means to be a stranger. “A trace of strangeness…easily enters even the most intimate relationships” (Simmel, 1908, p.147). Simmel argues that this “strangeness” exists in all relationships even among closest friends and families. It also exists within our own identity because he believed that it is necessary to be different from the group. The qualities of being near and far demonstrated by ‘the stranger’ mean that he is not strongly part of the social group allowing him to look at things objectively without being bias. “Objectivity can also be defined as freedom,” (Simmel, 1908, p.146) in the case of ‘the stranger,’ means that he is outside the limits of social constraints and is not defined by the society. By being “the freer man” this allows the individual to become ‘the …show more content…
‘The stranger’ as Simmel may suggest, helps assist individuals to build their own identity within the group, they can do this through imitation by adopting certain styles. By imitating, the individual experiences the feeling of being part of the group, providing the individual with satisfaction of not “standing alone in his actions” (Simmel, 1908, p.295). The stranger and fashion operates similarly in terms of the desire to be different and wanting to fit in. For instance, the cherry headband would not become so popular if it was completely different to the mainstream style. The headband had to still carry an attractive quality, for example the cherry headband had a glittery effect (see fig. 2) that is quite appealing so it balances the product in terms of being unique but is still
The Stranger is a novel by Albert Camus. Albert Camus, a French, Noble prize winning author, journalist and philosopher, was born on the seventh of November 1913. He died on the fourth of January 1960. He was instrumental in bringing the philosophical views of absurdism to public attention. The Stranger was published in 1942 and is an example of the outlook and themes of Camus’s philosophy of the absurd.
In today’s world, we live in a society where we are subjected to follow rules, which are placed upon us by the society. Many people are faced with the dilemma of whether or not to follow the ideals of other people, or pursue their ideals and go against the prevailing conventions. In “Selections from Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer, the author talks about a man named McCandless who went into the Alaskan wilderness in order to find his true self. His journey was also to escape from the societal norms of society. A person who goes into the wilderness believes that they can live their life with brute simplicity. This gives them little to no time with the complicated problems of modern society. Likewise, in “Waiting for a Jew” by Jonathan Boyarin, the author talks about one’s aspiration to find their identity and purpose in the community. He conveys that religious places, like shul, allow an individual to develop a cross- cultural self. The desires and expectations placed upon us by the society shape our strategies of personal identity; therefore, instilling fears that cause us to identify in opposition to our prevailing conventions.
Whenever a stranger enters an unfamiliar society, a clash between the outsider’s practices and society’s guidelines undoubtedly occurs. Whether the resulting conflict minimally or powerfully affects the people involved depends on the situation, but usually the results are monumental. In the short stories “The Blue Hotel,” “The Displaced Person,” and “Bernice Bobs her Hair,” and the novel In Dubious Battle, society’s fear of the stranger has severe negative consequences for the newcomer, as the community’s rules prevail over the outsiders in the end.
By being forced to break off with his identity of being a stranger, he got a chance to live out what he always wanted, recognition. His experience of exile led him to be in alienating situations, where he verbally had to prove himself right. His exile was also enriching because it gave him the recognition he wanted. The “stranger” was able to unmask his
This face of the other, the stranger serves as an “indicative surface” to us. Lingis (1994) states “The face of another is a surface upon which one senses directions and directives that order me; w...
Albert Camus used The Stranger to develop the idea of a singular, solely physical life. This development was established through the protagonist, Meursault, and his thoughts. To some, Meursault’s philosophy may seem to some extent, a madness. Needless to say, Meursault is a sociopath, incapable of understanding the how and why of what he does. His mental defect contributed to the story’s plot as a whole and also encouraged the reader to reevaluate or reinforce their personal beliefs.
Style is something that comes from within. If there’s anything absolute about style it’s that it holds you accountable to yourself at every moment. People understand that what they put on in the morning is the first thing that people notice about them (Garcia 6). The clothing you wear affects how you feel about yourself throughout the whole day. In fact clothing is the most principal means for identifying oneself in a public space (Crane 9). Clothes are supposed to give us a sense of security in presenting ourselves to society. Our personal identities focus on our own beliefs, goals and value systems, and our fashion comes in all forms. This form of identity can be expressed when people wear whatever they like because it makes them feel good about themselves and makes them feel happy, confident, less self-conscious and free from social expectations and
‘Society makes and remakes people, but society is also made and remade by the multiple connections and disconnections between people, and between people, places and things’ (Havard, 2014, p.67).
Yet, Ewen’s trends, fashions and styles that could be appropriately deemed traditions, are not explored from the perspective of tradition. Upon comparing the issues of identity crises suggested in A Bugs Life with those in Stewart Ewen’s The Chosen People, the sources and characteristics of identity crises in Ewen’s essay are found incomplete. Ewen limits his exploration of the sources and characteristics of identity crises of the middle class to consumerism and materialism as well as the obsession with image, style and fashion. By restricting his analysis to these issues, Ewen overlooks the perspectives of identity crises in relationship to tradition, the positive aspects of conformity and gender roles.
French author and playwright Albert Camus once said, “He who despairs over an event is a coward, but he who holds hope for the human condition is a fool.” In the The Stranger and The Guest this philosophy is expanded on by demonstrating how those who do not conform to society are isolated, and portrayed as a threat to society because of their unique beliefs.
What is otherness? Otherness is defined as “the quality or fact of being different”. We see this term thrown around, but what does it really mean? In the world we live in today, being viewed as “other” is considered a negative aspect of a person's personality. Through the society that impacts how we see ourselves, the thought of otherness has been constructed based off of a person's social identity. In the essay “Between the Sexes, a Great Divide” author Anna Quindlen states that different genders should not define the social aspect of one another. Similarly, in Paul Theroux’s essay titled, “Being a Man” he acknowledges the fact that in the society we live in, “being a man” is a standard stereotype that men should not compare themselves to in order to be considered “manly”. Both authors identify the problem of gender expectations that results from otherness; however, while theroux makes the divide worse by generalizing with a bitter tone, Quindlen invites everyone to “do the dance” despite the discomfort and awkwardness that might occur between both genders.
In The Stranger, Albert Camus describes the life of the protagonist, Meursault, through life changing events. The passage chosen illustrates Meursault’s view during his time in prison for killing the Arab. In prison, one can see the shifts in Meursault’s character and the acceptance of this new lifestyle. Camus manipulates diction to indicate the changes in Meursault caused by time thinking of memories in prison and realization of his pointless life. Because Camus published this book at the beginning of World War II, people at this time period also questions life and death similar to how Meursault does.
The Stranger written by Albert Camus is an absurdist novel revolving around the protagonist, Meursault. A major motif in the novel is violence. There are various places where violence takes place and they lead to the major violent act, which relates directly to the theme of the book. The major violent act of killing an Arab committed by Meursault leads to the complete metamorphosis of his character and he realizes the absurdity of life.
... to accept the absurdist tenets and embraces the indifference, opening up to it and thinking that life itself lacks meaning and understanding. The absence of family and personal relationships in The Stranger by Albert Camus drive the protagonists’ character development. Camus begins showing the effect of the absence of family and personal relationships from the very beginning. He uses this as a way to utilize character development, as well as preparing the reader for the developing plot. The absence of family and personal relationships tied in with the isolation that takes place in each scenario are crucial in both the development of the protagonists’ characters as well as the plot, as this affects the portrayal of the main character in the novels.
He defined that stranger is someone you are not familiar with but it does not mean they do not have any connection at all. He believed that the distance can cause people have different association or interaction. For illustration, Cathy and Haley are the very close friend, so when they are hanging out together, they can share all the secret and what happened in their daily life. In opposite, Cathy and Regan only met each other on time in the class, so they never discuss they are private life together. In concluding, the interaction will effect by the distance of the