The Stranger Response Essay

Response to: The Stranger The essay: “The Myth of Sisyphus” and the novel: The Stranger, both by Albert Camus, are conjoined with the similar theme of exploring existentialism, or finding the meaning/purpose of one’s life. The essay’s relevance to the novel is well established by Camus’ explanation of the concept of “the absurd” and how this philosophy governs the actions of all human action. Camus describes Sisyphus as the “absurd hero” in the essay, however this title seems transcendent to Meursault, the protagonist in The Stranger, as both characters constantly struggle against the philosophy of “the absurd”. The aforementioned relationship between “the absurd” and human action in Camus’ two works are further validated by remarks throughout both. Throughout the essay, Camus refers to the philosophy of “the absurd”; described as the “teach[ing] [of]
It is clear that Meursault is attempting to glean the meaning of his existence from the physical world around him rather than asking such questions to a “higher being” or “god”; this assertion being upheld by the numerous occasions, in which, Meursault sloughs off others’ faith in “God” as “irrational” and “unnecessary”. After murdering the Arab man, Meursault is sentenced to death and awaited his end in prison. However, while in prison Meursault ultimately finds the truth to his “new existence”; this “new existence” being the acceptance of his court sentenced death. The entirety of Meursault’s beliefs are illustrated when he describes the priest as “living like a dead man” because he believed his purpose in life was to prepare a place for himself for a spiritual “second coming”. Meursault raged against the priest’s “wasted life”, and in this rage Meursault came to an accord with his existence. Meursault realized the “gentle indifference of the world” and saw how that indifference paralleled his