Indeed, this indifference is Meursault’s second defining characteristic he feels no grief for his dead mother, has no romantic or career aspirations, and makes no moral judgement of others. This dogmatic honesty is not born from a firmly held moral position, rather it grows out of his indifference as he reminds the reader constantly, he “doesn’t mind”. Significantly, he does not lie - adhering very strictly to his objective view of truth - and refusing to alleviate the discomfort this causes others by joining in the small lies that hold society together.
Meursault, arguably, has two defining characteristics. But in a more perverse sense neither Meursault, nor we, have any history until we realise it in the face of our own mortality. He is a man without a past, without definable motivations a blank canvas upon whom the reader is forced to project their own self, their own experiences, and identify with intimately, provided they acknowledge their own inherent comradeship with him. Meursault lives a quiet life of routine, content with his simple office job and uncomplicated way of living. I will also discuss the writing and symbolism, and how they relate to the higher concepts discussed. There are a number of elements that are of interest in The Outsider, but most significant is the issue of the protagonist, Meursault, and how he, and his story, represent the underlying philosophies that are expounded in the novel. Together they represent his Absurd canon. Camus wrote the two works at the same time, as well as his play, Caligula. The Outsider is best read in the context of its companion piece, The Myth of Sisyphus, an essay which was released months after The Outsider’s publication, and which set out, in a less abstract form, Camus’s comprehension of the absurd. For those not familiar with some of the philosophical terms, I have included links to explanations in the ‘useful links’ section at the bottom. In this analysis I will attempt to offer a more detailed introduction to The Outsider, discuss a broader range of topics relating to the work, and try to present the philosophy contained within it in a manageable form. I discussed the novel on a superficial level in my recent review, and this will provide an overview of the work and its significance to those who are unfamiliar with it.
The Outsider (1942) (previously translated from the French, L’Étranger, as The Stranger) is Albert Camus’s most widely known work, and expounds his early understanding of Absurdism, as well as a variety of other philosophical concepts.
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