Meursault's View Of Society Essay

In Camus' The Stranger, the author exposes a tension between society and the protagonist's perspective of society. The reader comes to understand the pointlessness of existence through the protagonist's lens. Although society defines people by actions, Meursault rejects ideas of categorization and embraces a nihilistic view of life. This judgment passed on individuals is based on an individual's actions. Meursault realizes that everything that lives must die, therefore no matter what one does in life, one is still doomed to the same fate that everyone else is. Meursault makes all of his decisions based on his notion that his actions are unimportant because no matter how society classifies him, he will still die. It is Meursault's utter rejection of all things irrational that separate him from his fellow man and make him a "stranger".

The fact
He does not question what things would make his life worthwhile, but he questions why he should even question the things that would benefit his life. "As far as I could see, it didn't have anything to do with me"(69). This emphasizes the point that Meursault is strongly disjointed from society and his and other peoples' happiness. All Meursault knows is that it is not worth his time to worry about classifying things as good or bad because he will die regardless of his classification. Meursault is asked about emotions and feelings he doesn't have or care to have. Meursault is annoyed because this is all a worthless examination into something that will seemingly bring no real conclusion to anything, because life is absurd. Meursault was sure about one thing--death. He was sure he would die, just like everyone else. "But I was sure about me, about everything, surer than he could ever be, sure of my life and sure of the death I had waiting for me" (120). In his death, Meursault finally becomes part of the mainstream society, along with everyone