Internal Conflicts Of Ethical Reasoning In The Stranger By Albert Camus

Internal Conflicts of Ethical Reasoning Over the course of human history, civilizations have evolved using analogous ethical codes and social principles. Although these societies have succeeded for many centuries, people often lacked the ability to see their faults. The fault in every society is the inability to have complete conformity to a single idea. While few deem these guidelines breakable, the majority express that breaking these ethical codes will ultimately result in the downfall of an individual or on a larger scale an entire society. In The Stranger, absurdist and existentialist author Albert Camus promotes this concept using first person narrative in order to reveal the internal and external conflicts of an individual whose life lacks social conformity. Using the first person point of view allows the reader to only see the story from the perspective of the protagonist, Meursault, and later on leads to the complete revelation of the novel’s genre.
Camus’ use of first person point of view throughout the novel demonstrated the importance of the physical world to Meursault and the secular beliefs he let control his life. Naturally, humans are made up of a web of …show more content…
The protagonist, Meursault, continually is tested by his internal and external conflicts that reprimand him for his absurdist thinking. His social ineptitude forces him into ethical mistakes, which ultimately lead to his death. Throughout history, societies have evolved using similar ethical codes and social standards. Although these societies have succeeded for many centuries, people often lacked the ability to see their faults. The fault in every society is the inability to have complete conformity to a single