The Stranger

Many people go through life claiming to live by completely different Morals yet are able to coexist and interact with them . However the main character Meursault in the stranger lives with the opinions that no one in his community share. Meursault lives to make decisions when he feels it is necessary. Yet the story educates the reader about what it is like to live an existential life. In Albert camus’s The Stranger themes of existentialism were most clearly shown through the expression of free-will, alienation and the value of choice.

The idea of one’s entitlement to free will is the first theme that distinctly exemplifies existentialism. For example , in the book, Meursault and his lover Marie are walking home and they see a woman that
In response to this Marie says in shock “Wasn’t it horrible! I didn't answer anything .Then she asked me to go and fetch a policeman, but I told her I didn’t like policemen”(25). On the outside of this quote one could say that because of Meursault’s lack of human compassion he blatantly disregards the bloody woman. This reaction convey existentialism because Meursault is simply expressing what he believes is entitled by nature to react to situations that he believes are significant and are worthy of reaction. When Meursault says ‘I didn’t react to anything’ it serves as his way to claim that he does not have the desire to do anything about the situation nor did he he believed that he had to. The shock that most readers express when reading this passage is mainly due to openness that Meursault shows when he also says ‘I told her’ because this
Towards the end of the book Meursault reflects on his life once being sentenced to death by guillotine for the murder of the Arab on the beach. He is visited by a priest thus leading to his proclamation that “All the ideas that people tried to foist on me in the equally inreal years I then was living through . what difference could they make me ,the deaths of others,or mother's love, or his God; or the way a man decides to live” (75). Throughout the whole book this was the first official proclamation of not living to the standards of society. He is also providing explanation for his expression of emotion. When Meursault says, “equally unreal years I was Living through” Meursault is saying that the emotions that he was suppose to feel according to society prevented him from forming authentic emotions thus leading to his moment when he sees the meaninglessness of life. Although one could say that he should have at least been internalizing his feeling and emotions, the constant pressure from society prevented Meursault from experiencing certain emotions therefore making them no longer being present. This quote shows that Meursault believes that the evidence that was used against him in the trial were all due to others morals therefore his sentence depends on others beliefs.Through this text Camus communicate that the meaning and purpose of you life