The Stranger by Camus - 1492 Words

Christine Walsh Mr. Adams Period 7 AP Language Composition September 17, 2012 â€Å"Everything is true and nothing is true!†: Meursault’s Plague with Human Absurdity in Camus’s The Stranger In accordance with natural human behavior, we feel as though for every action there is a reaction, as well as a reason. We vie to inject logic inside our world because to accept the idea that there is not rationale for anything, including our own existence, is unthinkable. This idea that we unawarely manufacture reason to the world because in actuality, there is none, jeopardizes the very balance in our society. Our quest is not noble, rather fueled by our fear of uncertainty. Since the logic of our world is derived solely from the knowledge of†¦show more content†¦The asyndeton just adds to the theory of â€Å"absurdity† for even though we as readers may see how irrelevant these â€Å"facts† are, to the prosecutor it seems completely logical, because a completely absurd idea is easier to process and accept, then the thought of no reason whatsoever. In Salamano’s testimony, he also attempts to help Meursault, and states how Meursault had always been so good to his dog. He was shortly dismissed, and began the quote, â€Å"You must understand,’ Salamano kept saying, ‘You must understand’ But no one seemed to understand† (95). Camus used an antimetabole within this quote, with Meursault’s thoughts voicing the second part of it. This antimetabole while seemingly simple, highlights one of the major concepts behind human absurdity. While reading through, one may think it just refers to Salamano trying to make the jury see that Meursault is indeed a good man, it also alludes to the thought that no one understood, because no one can actually understand, well anything. No one can understand the fact that there was no reason at all behind Meursault’s actions, and this device helps to solidify this as well. Within the last defendant Raymond’s testimony, who was Meu rsault’s friend that all this was ultimately caused from, we can see the how exactly the prosecutor fully intends to rationalize Meursault. Raymond wasShow MoreRelatedThe Stranger By Albert Camus1391 Words   |  6 PagesThe Stranger â€Å"The Stranger,† written by the Algerian writer Albert Camus, is a novel about Meursault, a character who’s different and even threatening views on life take him to pay the highest price a person can pay: his life. This was Camus’ first novel written in the early 1940’s, in France, and it reflects the authors belief that there is no meaning in life and it is absurd for humans to try to find it places like religion. The main themes of the novel are irrationality of the universe and theRead MoreThe Stranger By Albert Camus Essay1591 Words   |  7 PagesThe Stranger was written by the French author Albert Camus, and was first published in 1942 in its indigenous French. It’s described as being the most widely-read French novel of the twentieth century, and has sold millions of copies in Britain and the United States alone. It’s known by two titles; the other being The Outsider. 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The use of symbolism and irony presented throughout this novel is comparable with the quest for such that death itself would be nonetheless happy. Camus’ irrational concept is based off the exclusion of any logical reasoning behind the events in the text. Meursault’s first impression given to the reader is that of ignorance and a nonchalant behavior to indifferenceRead MoreThe Stranger By John Camus1262 Words   |  6 PagesDeath, as an integral part of life, should be accepted and respected. However, in The Stranger, Meursault views death almost joyously, going through life without care or consideration, as death to him is nothing but inevitable. His opinion on death creates his identity, his own personality mirroring the carefree opinion of death that he holds. Throughout The Stranger, Camus employs symbolism of Meursault’s surroundings to convey the absurdity of life that is central to Meursault’s identity, causingRead MoreThe Stranger By Albert Camus1365 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout The Stranger, Albert Camus uses routinesituations to demonstrate how the protagonist, Meursault is not just another ordinary individual. Camus depicts Meursault as an independent being, disinterested in his surroundings, contr asting him with the majority of his peers. Meursault traverses the entire novel, exhibiting little to no emotion. Instead, he displayscharacteristics synonymous to someone suffering from psychopathy. Regardless of the situation, Meursault refrainsfrom assigning meaningRead MoreThe Stranger by Albert Camus1115 Words   |  4 PagesIn the novel, The Stranger, by Albert Camus, the pointlessness of life and existence is exposed through the illustration of Camus’s absurdist world view. The novel tells the story of an emotionally detached, amoral young man named Meursault. Meursault shows us how important it is to start thinking and analyzing the events that happen in our lives. He does this by developing the theme of conflicts within society. Albert Camus’s novel The Stranger portrays Meursault, the main character, as a static