Absurdism is a philosophical belief that a human’s life is purposeless because the world is irrational, and the search for the meaning of life would only result in personal chaos. In Albert Camus’s The Stranger, absurdism seems to be the central motif of the novel because it is shown through the symbolism of the heat and the sun and through Meursault’s inability to expressed emotions . The audience finds Meursault acting indifferently towards his mom’s death, being an accomplice to domestic abuse by writing a letter to Raymond’s mistress, agreeing to Marie’s marriage proposal nonchalantly, and murdering a man because of the heat and the sun. All of which exemplifies his lack of concern towards the social norms. Not only is Meursault “the stranger”
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He finds himself being controlled by the sun because he is a natural man. Meursault is an element of nature for he changes his moods according to the sun. Sometimes the heat or the sun caused him to be annoyed, while sometimes it also caused him joy. Antonio Caruso argues in his essay that, “Meursault’s experiences with the natural world [like the heat and the sun] draw out elements of Camus’s philosophy of the absurd” (Caruso). His personality is connected to nature because of the idea of absurdism. By letting the heat or the sun control his actions, Meursault is solidifying the argument that there is no point in taking control of a person’s will because the world is irrational and death is inevitable. There is no use of putting meaning into life, and that is why Meursault lets nature take its course by allowing it to influence him. At his mother’s funeral, Meursault was becoming more irritable as the sun radiated more heat. He describes the sun’s effect on him as “inhuman and oppressive” (Camus 15). It was as if the sun had done something to Meursault to make him think these words. As a man who does not believe in the order of the world or the meaning of life, an absurdist like Meursault lets his emotion be controlled by nature. Like what Caruso argued, Meursault shows Camus’s philosophy of the absurd by acting indifferently towards others and letting nature …show more content…
Spending time with Marie at the beach was described Meursault as nice, just laughing and lounging around the beach. Then Meursault said that he saw the “whole sky in [his] eyes and it was blue and gold” (Camus 20). At this time, Meursault is feeling happy and relaxed as the sun was shining down on them. This is an example of how the sun affects the mood of the main character. Instead of feeling irritated, the perfect weather made Meursault happy and almost carefree. Like a natural man, he allows nature to control his emotions which shows the absurdity of his character. Meursault is apathetic to the events that affect him, but he is easily influenced by the heat or the sun. He is more attached to nature compared to humans. Perhaps because he sees that there is no relevance in having personal relationships with humans for it would only create personal chaos, and that is why he does not prioritize it. But nature, on the other hand, is more constant and it would always affect him and that is why he allowed the sun and the heat to control his mood. In Sartre’s “An Explication of the Stranger”, the author clarifies how Meursault exemplifies this absurd nature. “The absurd resides neither in man nor in the world...but since man’s dominant characteristic is ‘being-in-the-world’, the absurd is, in the end, an inseparable part of the human condition” (Sartre). In
He finds himself being controlled by the sun because he is a natural man. Meursault is an element of nature for he changes his moods according to the sun. Sometimes the heat or the sun caused him to be annoyed, while sometimes it also caused him joy. Antonio Caruso argues in his essay that, “Meursault’s experiences with the natural world [like the heat and the sun] draw out elements of Camus’s philosophy of the absurd” (Caruso). His personality is connected to nature because of the idea of absurdism. By letting the heat or the sun control his actions, Meursault is solidifying the argument that there is no point in taking control of a person’s will because the world is irrational and death is inevitable. There is no use of putting meaning into life, and that is why Meursault lets nature take its course by allowing it to influence him. At his mother’s funeral, Meursault was becoming more irritable as the sun radiated more heat. He describes the sun’s effect on him as “inhuman and oppressive” (Camus 15). It was as if the sun had done something to Meursault to make him think these words. As a man who does not believe in the order of the world or the meaning of life, an absurdist like Meursault lets his emotion be controlled by nature. Like what Caruso argued, Meursault shows Camus’s philosophy of the absurd by acting indifferently towards others and letting nature …show more content…
Spending time with Marie at the beach was described Meursault as nice, just laughing and lounging around the beach. Then Meursault said that he saw the “whole sky in [his] eyes and it was blue and gold” (Camus 20). At this time, Meursault is feeling happy and relaxed as the sun was shining down on them. This is an example of how the sun affects the mood of the main character. Instead of feeling irritated, the perfect weather made Meursault happy and almost carefree. Like a natural man, he allows nature to control his emotions which shows the absurdity of his character. Meursault is apathetic to the events that affect him, but he is easily influenced by the heat or the sun. He is more attached to nature compared to humans. Perhaps because he sees that there is no relevance in having personal relationships with humans for it would only create personal chaos, and that is why he does not prioritize it. But nature, on the other hand, is more constant and it would always affect him and that is why he allowed the sun and the heat to control his mood. In Sartre’s “An Explication of the Stranger”, the author clarifies how Meursault exemplifies this absurd nature. “The absurd resides neither in man nor in the world...but since man’s dominant characteristic is ‘being-in-the-world’, the absurd is, in the end, an inseparable part of the human condition” (Sartre). In