The Stranger: Blog Response #1

By reading the first four chapters of The Stranger by Albert Camus, one can already depict the theme existentialism. These existential concepts can be found in many passages of the novel.

“Mamam died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know. I got a telegram from the home: ‘Mother deceased. Funeral tomorrow. Faithfully yours.’ That doesn’t mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday” (page 3).

Through the tone of this quote, it allows the readers to peek inside the character’s mind. The tone is very objective, thus it makes the protagonist, Meursault, very detached and emotionally indifferent. More importantly, it is the fact that he is acting like this when his mother had just died that proves Camus’ message on existentialism. His lack of reaction towards his own mother’s death is something uncommon for most people. Although it can be said that it is because he hasn’t been communicating with his mother frequently (so it doesn’t really affect him in any way), most people in general would at least show some kind of emotion such as surprise. Meursault wasn’t even surprised by his mother’s sudden death, which indicates that he has somehow been expecting it. This brings about the existentialist concept of death because to an existentialist, it is important to be aware of death. Death is not something negative, but instead an inevitable human condition that is bound to happen to anyone. Like any other existentialists, Meursault accepts the fact that death will come eventually whether it would be today or 50 years from now.

“A minute later, she asked me if I loved her. I told her it didn’t mean anything but that I didn’t think so” (page 35).

Meursault has also said the statement “it didn’t mean anything” in the previous quote. Camus uses the two biggest topics – death and love – to enforce the idea of the meaningless of life (another existential concept). For most people, a family member’s death, especially a mother’s, holds great significance. It can alter one’s life because the person who patiently took care of you is no longer in the world with you. Similarly, love is one of the many things that people use as the reason for their existence. For example, many people use the line “I was born to love you” to their loved ones as proof that their lives hold meaning. However, Meursault clearly states that these things don’t “mean anything;” therefore, it shows his perspective on how life itself has no purpose as well.

“I wrote the letter. I did it just as it came to me, but I tried my best to please Raymond because I didn’t have any reason not to please him” (page 32).

Meursault’s decision on writing a threatening letter for Raymond demonstrates how he only thinks about the present – the “here and now”. The choices are in the spur of the moment in which he barely gives any thought or meaning. He does not care about the past or the future. Meursault knows about Raymond’s past and his reputation. Raymond clearly has a terrible reputation in Meursault’s neighborhood with terrible rumors such as him “living off women” circulating around him. Yet, even knowing this, Meursault still tries to “please him.” Likewise, he does not care about the future. This choice that he made holds a lot of consequences. First of all, it is a letter of threat. Second, Raymond’s plan has a high risk of involving violence, the police, and the law. This quote shows the readers how he lives only in the present and does not belong in the past or the future.