Meursault Justifies Murder

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The emotionless anti-hero, Monsieur Meursault, embarks on a distinct philosophical journey through The Stranger. Confident in his ideas about the world, Meursault is an unemotional protagonist who survives without expectations or even aspirations. Because of his constant indifference and lack of opinions about the world, it can be denoted that he undergoes a psychological detachment from the world and society. It is through these characteristics that exist in Meursault that Camus expresses the absurd. Starting from the very first sentence of the book, “Maman died today. Or maybe yesterday, I don’t know.” (Camus 1) The indifferent tone from these short sentences convey a rather apathetic attitude from Meursault’s part. Not only does he not feel any sorrow, he also “felt like having a smoke.” (Camus 4) Communicating perfectly Meursault’s disinterest, “[he] hesitate, [he] didn’t know if [he] could do it with Maman right there. [He] thought it over; it really didn’t matter.” (Camus 4) The death of his mother prompts an absurdist philosophy in which he experiences a psychological awakening and begins to place no real emphasis on emotions, but rather on the physical aspect of life.
There was a very notable instance in The Stranger where Meursault chose to stay out and walk back to the spring to cool off, albeit the fight earlier with the “two Arabs in blue dungarees.” (Camus 35) The heat was nearly unbearable for Meursault and had worn him out. When Meursault reached the spring, he encountered the Arab again, particularly the brother of Raymond’s mistress. The Arab approached Meursault and “drew his knife and held it up to [him] in the sun.” (Camus 38) Meursault’s uncomfortableness grew and “[his] whole being tensed and [he] squeezed [...

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...ck sheep in society.
While coming to terms with the absurd was a gradual process for Meursault, his final days and his heated conversation with the chaplain, and his desire for a hateful crowd of spectators show that he was able to accept the absurdity, and revel in it, finding satisfaction in spite of those around him and justifying his murder. His ego had reached an all-time high as he neared his execution, and his satisfaction left him prepared for the nothingness awaiting him. This process was a natural psychological response to his mortality, for his peace of mind. Therefore, Meursault is not the Stranger, an alien to society, but a troubled man seeking meaning and satisfaction in a life and a world that was overwhelming unsatisfactory and absurd.

Works Cited

Camus, Albert. The Stranger. Trans. Matthew Ward. New York: Vintage International,
1989. Print.

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