Every novel displays characters with great conflicts with society. However, Mersault’s conflict with society in Albert Camus’ The Stranger is the greatest example of a hypothetical war on society. Mersault fights not only the construction of love, but also the expectation of grief at a funeral. Armed with absurd existentialism, he also battles religion in a fiery argument with the priest. Nonetheless, Mersault’s fight ends with his death at the hands of the system and must accept his fate. Mersault is generally apathetic towards concept of love. Near the beginning of the novel, he begins a physical relationship with Marie Cardona, a former employee at his firm. Although he agrees to the societal invention of marriage, he doesn’t do it for the reasons one would expect. Mersault agrees to marry Marie not because of love, emotions, or
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The most emotion he displays is when he fiercely argues the concept of God with the chaplain. During his last moments, he emphatically declares that he does not want to waste his final hours on God during the argument, “He wanted to talk to me about God again, but I went up to and made one last attempt to explain to him that I had only a little time left and I didn’t want to waste it on God” (Camus 119, 120). The chaplain can’t understand Mersault’s behavior, as every man in his situation has turned themselves over to God. His absence of faith also disturbs the incredibly religious magistrate who originally interviews him. The magistrate even holds a crucifix over Mersault’s head like he is some sort of demon. Even the judge, when leading him to his office would, “slap me (Mersault) on the shoulder, and say to me cordially, ‘That’s all for today, Monsieur Antichrist.’ I would then be handed back over to the police” (Camus 71) Society tries twice to convert Mersault, but he never falters in this fight, refusing both the magistrate and the
The most emotion he displays is when he fiercely argues the concept of God with the chaplain. During his last moments, he emphatically declares that he does not want to waste his final hours on God during the argument, “He wanted to talk to me about God again, but I went up to and made one last attempt to explain to him that I had only a little time left and I didn’t want to waste it on God” (Camus 119, 120). The chaplain can’t understand Mersault’s behavior, as every man in his situation has turned themselves over to God. His absence of faith also disturbs the incredibly religious magistrate who originally interviews him. The magistrate even holds a crucifix over Mersault’s head like he is some sort of demon. Even the judge, when leading him to his office would, “slap me (Mersault) on the shoulder, and say to me cordially, ‘That’s all for today, Monsieur Antichrist.’ I would then be handed back over to the police” (Camus 71) Society tries twice to convert Mersault, but he never falters in this fight, refusing both the magistrate and the