English Essay
Meursault is much a victim of his own attitude to life and society as he is of the judicial system
Meursault is the protagonist of the novel The Outsider by Albert Camus. To begin with Meursault is not an ordinary man in the street. The title of the novel is aptly named, referring to Meursault. The title of the novel literally means The Stranger in French. Meursault behaves as an outsider and a stranger in a sense that he does not conform to societies values and beliefs. Meursault is detached from the society and he does not play the game. He does not follow the rules and regulations of the society and does not take part in the activities around him. He is merely being a passive observer and critic. As we read the novel, we get the impression that he is sleepwalking through his life. He can blot out the living moments of his existence and remember what he wishes. He experiences everything with very little emotions, which does not last very long. His attention can quickly jump from one topic to another. He possesses a number of antisocial qualities, which makes him difficult to fit in his society.
Meursault is psychologically removed from the rest of the society. He does not live by the norms and traditions of the society. Events that would be very important to most people like marriage and mothers funeral. Do not matter to him in an emotional manner, such as Maries love and his mothers death.
The novel is basically a character study of Meursault. After shooting an Arab he is sentenced to death. This conflict depicts the wide gulf between the morals of society and Meursault apparent deficiency of them. He is condemned to death mainly because of his refusal to conform to the standards of the society than his murder of the Arab. Meursault is simplistic and detached, and he relates his mothers death without rue for the loss. He only says Mother died today. He cannot follow by the same moral restrictions as the rest of the world because he does not comprehend them. He is mostly indifferent to event happening around him. He indulges in eating and drinking, smoking and observing passersby from his balcony, washing his hands frequently, and sleeping with Marie. He tries to absorb the salty smell of Maries hair from her pillow. Meursault obtains a sense of satisfaction and pleasure from doing the aforementioned things, without any sentiments attached.
His own attitude to life and society is exactly opposite to that of the general society, whose strict principles and rules emphasizing on right and wrong rely on the individuals interpretation of these ideals. Meursault has the ability to analyze any situation, but cannot react in the way society deems fit. Life of death, and anything in the middle of them, does not make any difference to him. Meursault believes in destiny or fate that cannot be changed. During the funeral procession, the nurse cautioned him that if he proceeded too slowly, he might suffer heatstroke. On the other hand, if he travels too fast, the church might petrify him. Whatever he does Meursault assumes that the consequence is fated and predestined. He cannot understand the morals or the right or wrong in killing the Arab. The murder of the Arab was not caused by Meursaults deep-rooted hatred of the man, but as Meursault states in the trial, because of the sun.
The sun at the shore and the sun at his mothers funeral are no different since both are oppressing him. He perspired profusely and his vision became hazy. The sun personifies to Meursault his feelings, which he cannot overcome and was overwhelm him. The sun was glaring him through the Arabs knife, which he could not tolerate and his anger got better of him. Meursaults sensitive emotions are compromised, and the only way to face the predicament is to stop it, and so he pulled the trigger and ended the Arabs life.
The expiration of the Arab by itself is not the key to Meursaults fate. During the setting of the novel, the French ruled Algiers and the native Arabs treated as second-class citizens. Meursaults true crime comes from his deficiency of emotions. At his trial, he observes the people, and a court journalist whose eyes he sees vividly. The mans eyes are the only attribute he notices. And they appear to be examining him without giving away any specific emotions. Meursault knows that the public do not understand him or his behaviour. They are afraid of him and perceives him as an anomaly or an outsider.
Meursault is an absurdist protagonist, illustrating the philosophy of existentialism. There is no permanent meaning in life, and its entire worth lies in living once life. Meursaults same behaviour is used by the prosecutor to prove Meursaults guilt in killing the Arab. The prosecutor twist Maries testimony about her relationship with Meursault, in such a way that proves that Meursault is capable of premeditated murder. Meursault refuses his lawyers suggestions that he should play the game of the society and doing so the jury may consider him in a favourable light. The prosecution used the writing of the letter as a character assassination. Meursaults passivity and his lack of initiative seal his fate. He was given a lifeline but he refused to take it because he is not prepared to play the game as society has dictated. Meursault faces death defined but satisfied and fully aware of the absurdity of existence. Therefore the judicial system and Meursaults own attitude to life and society condemned him as a criminal and was convicted.
Word count- 923
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