Meursault as an Existential Character in The Stranger

Most individuals struggle to move past the death of a loved one, particularly when it is your child or a parent. When a dear one passes, the norm would be to grieve and show your emotions. It is an incalculable lasting blow. So when somebody demonstrates no affection or pain from a recent death, it is natural for others around to put their guard up and wonder what is going on. Brooke Richardson, secretly gave birth in her bathroom and buried her stillborn baby in her backyard, then carried on with her daily life as a highschool cheerleader. This would be an example of an existential character. Society was shocked that Richardson was capable of committing such a cold blooded murder after carrying the baby inside of her for nine months, and then during trial showed no regrets or emotions. In The Stranger by Albert Camus the main character shows similar actions of existentialism. Meursault shows no signs of grief when his mother passes, therefore leaving society astonished. It is evident that Meursault is an existential character due to his apathetic, free will and inscrutable outlook on life.

To begin Meursault seems to think he can brush all events under the rug and make them seem frivolous. Funerals allow us to say our goodbyes and acknowledge that someone we love has died. For society it tends to be an unforgettable day. In the novel Meursault says, “Maman died today. Or yesterday, I don’t know.” This quote shows us how it is indifferent to him whether his mom were deceased or still living. He views major events in life as meaningless. He tends to be dismissive towards the passing of his mother. For example, “Maman was buried now… I was going back to work… really nothing had changed.” Meursault is a numb person, by illustrating he has no feelings or emotions towards his mother’s demise. If he cared he would more than likely need a little more time to mourn and he would most definitely know when she passed.

To conclude, Albert Camus through his literary work of The Stranger, supports the idea that Meursault is an existential character. He does so by demonstrating the characters cold hearted, enigmatic and free willed traits. Although we know death is inevitable, nobody is ever actually prepared for it. In society the norm is to lament the loss of a loved one. Brooke Richardson and Meursault are comparable in the sense that they have no sentiment and regardless of how big or small an event is in life, they see it as illogical and absurd. Thus, society is left in shock and can not comprehend how other humans are capable of being so numb. When ones family member or friend passes away, it leaves you with gaping holes.  

Works Cited

1. American Life League. (n.d.). Abortion Facts. Retrieved from http://www.all.org/learn/abortion/
2. Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973).
3. Right to Life of Michigan. (n.d.). Abortion Statistics. Retrieved from https://rtl.org/about-abortion/abortion-facts/
4. The Week. (2016, November 9). 53% of white women voted for Donald Trump. Retrieved from https://theweek.com/articles/658044/53-white-women-voted-donald-trump
5. Kaiser Family Foundation. (n.d.). Abortion in the United States: Demographic Characteristics and Access to Care. Retrieved from https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/fact-sheet/abortion-in-the-united-states/
6. National Center for Lesbian Rights. (n.d.). Fact Sheet: Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Health. Retrieved from https://www.nclrights.org/publications/fact-sheet-lesbian-bisexual-and-transgender-health/
7. Bonilla-Silva, E. (2017). Racism without Racists: Color-Blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in the United States. Rowman & Littlefield.
8. Henslin, J. M. (2018). Essentials of Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach. Pearson.
9. Mead, G. H. (1934). Mind, Self, and Society. University of Chicago Press.
10. Goffman, E. (1967). Interaction Ritual: Essays on Face-to-Face Behavior. Anchor Books.