Existentialism In The Stranger, By Albert Camus

The E Word: Existentialism Remember, do not call out the philosophy-that-shall-not-be-named. This taboo shames the Roman stories about heroes and insults life as it is. What is life without a purpose, determined before birth? What will the world be with wandering inhabitants, nonchalantly wasting air because there are no set paths for these poor souls? There has to be a predestined purpose for these devastated creatures, so they can peacefully pass on,content that they accomplished a goal. This frowned upon ideology called existentialism led to these assumptions that are prevalent not only in certain literature, but in the world today. Not only with religion, but media and communication pressure people to have predetermined destinies, to believe in the afterlife and follow certain actions set by standards and stereotypes. When Existentialist Albert Camus published The Stranger,it describes not just the principles of this theology, but how society perceives it. Meursault was viewed as unloving towards his girlfriend, cold and heartless when he did not cry in his mother’s funeral and hopeless when he does not believe in God. However, these horrors can be mediated through existentialism through self enlightenment and acceptance. In The Stranger, …show more content…
All it takes is self awareness and how much the person knows how much he or she accomplished. After Meursault awaits his execution, he contemplates his mother’s death. He gradually comes to an understanding to why she changes her lifestyle although she was nearing her end of her lifespan. This knowledge that his mother accepted death helped Meursault accept death even greater. He realizes, that “As if that blind rage had washed me clean, rid of hope...I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world” (122). He acknowledges his actions are not favorable, but he does not regret what he has done. Instead, he embraces his short- lived life and his forthcoming