Absurdity:

the fact of being extremely silly and not logical and sensible.

Absurdism

a philosophy based on the belief that the universe is irrational and meaningless
and that the search for order brings the individual into conflict with the universe

The Stranger also published in English as The Outsider, is a 1942 novella written by French
author Albert Camus. The first of Camus's novels published in his lifetime, the story follows
Meursault, an indifferent settler in French Algeria, who, weeks after his mother's funeral, kills
an unnamed Arab man in Algiers. The story is divided into two parts, presenting Meursault's
first-person narrative before and after the killing.

ABSURDITY IN STRANGER

Death of his mother

“The Outsider” aims to depict a complete absurd world and a well-rounded absurd
protagonist. The protagonist, Meursault, an office clerk in a company who seems like without
any ambition or affection, was informed that his mother died one day.

“Mother died today. Or, maybe, yesterday; I can’t be sure. The telegram from home says: Your
mother passed away. Funeral tomorrow. Deep sympathy”

Meursault is a self-described "absurdist" who only pays attention to the things that are
important to him and relevant to him. After the death of Meursault's mother, this philosophy
emerges. Just before Meursault's mother is going to be placed in her last resting place, the
funeral director asks him, "Would you want to see your mother one more time?" Meursault's
response to this is a simple "No". Although these sentences give the impression that
Meursault is unconcerned about his mother's death, this is not the case. A more rational
approach would be to accept that Meursault's mother's death has no significance and to
move on. Meursault mourns his mother's death, but he doesn't feel compelled to do so He
smokes during the funeral. When his mother’s friends decide to keep vigil for her, he cannot
stay awake, and falls asleep. Meursault’s behavior is considered inappropriate by his
mother’s friends, and he looks like a stranger to them. Then, he soon returns to Algiers to take
a long nap.

“sleep plays what seems a disproportionately large part in his life”.

 The next morning, he goes to the beach and meets Marie Cardona, a former typist at his
office. Even his mother’s death cannot lessen his strong physical sensations. Meursault seems
strange to Marie, too, when she sees his black tie and asks about it and gets to know that his
mother died the day before. It does not matter to him, so he even invites Marie to go to a
movie, a comic one, a day after his mother’s death, and right after that he invites her to his
flat and sleeps with her.

Meaningless Life
Meursault's interactions with Raymond show how strange and confusing life can be. Raymond is
a guy who's not very nice—he hurts his girlfriend and gets into fights. Meursault, the main
character, doesn't really care about right or wrong, so he goes along with Raymond's plans
without thinking much about them. This leads to trouble, and eventually, Meursault ends up in a
violent situation that changes his life forever.
Meursault's lack of emotional engagement leads him to participate in Raymond's schemes
without fully understanding or questioning their morality. For example, Meursault agrees to
write a letter for Raymond, which leads to further conflict. Meursault's compliance with
Raymond's requests underscores the absurdity of his detached and amoral perspective:
"Then Raymond asked me if I'd write a letter for him. I told him I'd be glad to.
. He asks Meursault to write the letter, and Meursault easily accepts it, because “I wanted to
satisfy Raymond, as I’d no reason not to satisfy him” (ibid., 40)
Due to his letter the girlfriend of raymond brutely beaten by Raymond.he didn’t even call the
police by saying that he didn’t like the police. He has no special expresions that his friend
beated her ex . Moreover, when Marie feel uncomfortable and asked him to call the cops he
said, It’s natural.
 Meursault's initial involvement in Raymond's conflict with the Arabs is a result of chance
encounters and his passive compliance with Raymond's requests. He agrees to help Raymond
write a letter to provoke his Arab girlfriend's brother, which escalates tensions between the two
groups.
 Meursault's indifference and lack of emotional engagement contribute to the escalation of the
conflict. When Meursault encounters the Arab on the beach, the oppressive heat and the lingering
tension from Raymond's feud create a volatile atmosphere. In a moment of heightened agitation
and impulsivity, Meursault shoots and kills the Arab.
An Arab guy is shot by Meursault for no other reason than that he is in the mood to do it. A
staple of absurdism is acting on one's whims and ignoring the long-term consequences of his
actions. For whatever reason, Meursault killed the Arab out of the blue because it seemed
proper at the time. However, Meursault does not perceive things this way, despite how
obvious they may appear. As a matter of common sense and "normal" morality, murder is
seldom justifiable, but Meursault does not grasp this at the time of the murder. Meursault's
convictions have pushed him so far from the accepted standard that he is unable to see the
problem with his acts until long after he has done them.
 Absurd views on marriage

Meursault's response to Marie's proposal of marriage reflects his absurd views and indifferent
attitude towards conventional social norms and relationships. When Marie asks Meursault if he
loves her and would consider marrying her, his response is detached and devoid of emotional
depth. He doesn't express any deep feelings or considerations regarding marriage; instead, he
focuses on the practical aspects of the proposal.
He says to Marie that he likes her and is happy with her, yet he is not emotionally attached to
her. In this regard, a person like him, with his unconventional ideas about love, marriage and job
promotion, is seen as an outsider by society. He antagonises society, according to Feuerlicht, by
choosing Raymond as a friend and, above all, by not shedding tears at his mother’s funeral (608).
If he is called “bizarre” by Marie, it does not apply to how he lives, yet it applies to his
unconventional views on love and marriage. According to Sergei Hackel, Meursault is a hedonist
who is “on the surface by life’s currents, unconcerned by the question of what, if anything, is to
be found in depth”

Meursault's acts, such as marrying Marie and killing the Arab, are devoid of any rationale. He
narrates the story, and it is essentially his life as it is briefly described in the first person. In his
discussions, he speaks about the climate, the food he's eating, and the activities he's engaged in
instead of how he feels about others, places, and events. A person who is obsessed with
existentialism would act and think this way-indifferent and apathetic. An Arab was killed for no
plain reason by Meursault, who refuses to make any judgments about individuals and ends up
being executed. Existentialism is a problematic school of thought, yet it does have some
noteworthy and valid arguments

Meaningless life
 he absurdity of human judgment is highlighted as Meursault is not solely judged for the crime he committed
but also for his perceived lack of adherence to societal norms and expectations. The trial proceedings
emphasize the arbitrary nature of human justice and the absurdity of imposing meaning onto life events.
Meursault's indifferent attitude towards the trial further underscores the absurdity of his existence.
 Confrontation with the Chaplain: Meursault's confrontation with the prison chaplain is another significant
moment in the second part. The chaplain's attempts to offer Meursault solace through religious faith are
rejected by Meursault, who refuses to find meaning or purpose in religion. This interaction underscores the
absurdity of seeking external sources of meaning in an indifferent universe. Meursault's defiance highlights his
acceptance of the absurdity of existence and his rejection of societal norms and expectations. When Mersault
first talked with his investigating magistrate, he was asked to confess for God’s forgiveness. Mersault
refused to do so and said that he didn’t believe in God, which brought his investigating magistrate great
anxiety, since he insisted that everyone believes in God. If this belief was shaken and doubted by himself,
his life would lose all meaning and fall into complete absurdity.
 Acceptance of Absurdity: Throughout the second part, Meursault increasingly embraces the absurdity of his
existence. He acknowledges the inherent meaninglessness of life and the indifference of the universe.
Meursault's acceptance of his fate and his recognition of the absurdity of human existence culminate in the
famous concluding lines of the novel, where he embraces the "benign indifference of the universe." This
acceptance represents a profound existential realization and a rejection of traditional notions of meaning and
purpose.
Overall, the second part of "The Stranger" continues to explore the themes of absurdism, highlighting the
irrationality and meaninglessness of human actions and the existential confrontation with an indifferent
universe. Meursault's experiences and interactions serve as a reflection of the absurdity inherent in the human
condition, challenging readers to confront the fundamental questions of existence and meaning.

Camus believes that life doesn't have a clear purpose or meaning. He says that because everyone will
eventually die, nothing we do really matters in the end. Meursault, the main character, starts to understand this
as the story goes on, but he fully gets it when he talks to the chaplain at the end of the book. Meursault realizes
that just like he doesn't really care about most things, the universe doesn't care about him either. He
understands that everyone is born, they live, and then they die, and that's it. Oddly enough, Meursault feels
happier once he accepts this. When he fully understands that death is inevitable, he stops worrying about trying
to avoid it, like hoping for a successful appeal to save him from execution. He sees that hoping to live longer
just makes life harder. Letting go of that hope means he can live each day without worrying about what might
happen in the future.

In conclusion, Albert Camus's "The Stranger" serves as a poignant exploration of the absurdism theme.
Through the experiences of Meursault, the protagonist, the novel delves into the existential notion that human
life lacks inherent meaning or purpose. Meursault's indifference towards societal norms, his detachment from
emotional engagement, and his eventual acceptance of the absurdity of existence highlight the pervasive theme
of absurdism throughout the narrative. The novel portrays Meursault as a character who confronts the
indifference of the universe and the irrationality of human actions, ultimately embracing the absurdity of life.
By doing so, "The Stranger" invites readers to reflect on the complexities of existence and the search for
meaning in a seemingly indifferent world.