The StrangerEQ: How do we give meaning to

our lives?By Albert Camus

Some info from http://moodle.parkrose.k12.or.us/cour

se/view.php?id=10

Albert Camus

• Born in Algeria in 1913, occupied by France

• Father French soldier who died during WWI

• Member of anti-Nazi group in Paris & editor of their newspaper

• Married two times• Pacifist

Camus’ Beliefs

- Did not believe in God- Most of his main characters either

disbelieve or wrestle with the problems of belief

- Believes that man has no excuse for failure except himself

Historical Background

• Setting of The Stranger- Takes place in Algiers (Algeria), North Africa- Land of blistering African sun- Located by the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara Desert- Sea is visible at every corner- Considered the gateway to Africa

Algeria

• Algeria is colonized by France, Algiers = capital• People live side-by-side (the conquerors and

the conquered)

• The conquerors = the French who had all the privileges

• The conquered = Arab-Muslims who were discriminated against

• Algiers was a bi-racial city where racism existed

Existentialism

• Existentialism = man succeeds because of his strength, or lack of it, in himself

• Existentialists celebrate the human existence **Existence precedes essence--we first exist and then we must find our own unique vocation that will become our essence. We cannot be confined by other societal constructs of happiness, this would be our essence preceding our existence and limiting our own individual freedom to independently exist

Existentialism Continued

• Emphasis on present• It is not a matter of being right in the

eyes of a God, but of being right in [one’s] own eyes.

• The understanding of a situation by someone involved in that situation is superior to that of a detached, objective observer.

Absurdity

• According to Camus, existence is pointless, meaningless, and irrational because nobody knows when his or her life may be abruptly terminated

• Absurdity = man’s futile search for meaning in an indifferent, meaningless universe.

Absurdity Continued

• Basically, we must, at some time, confront nothingness and realize the impossibility of finding ultimate justification for the choices that we must make. So we fret and fumble about the choices we make by our feelings of dread and anxiety, but in all reality our existence is so infinitely small in the scope of the whole universe that it really doesn’t matter.

Disregarding Society’s Accepted Behaviors

• Society deems certain behaviors as normal/rational

• When people don’t follow these behaviors, others attempt to create rational reasons as to why

• Meursault disregards normal behaviors

Importance of Physical World

• Mersault is more interested in physical aspects and sensations than social or emotional aspects

• Physical descriptions in the novel are vivid and full of imagery

Sun and Heat Imagery

• Sun imagery and heat play an important role in The Stranger

• For Mersault, the sun makes him feel smothered and oppressed