The Stranger and its animal na

A detailed Summary of The Stranger and its animal na

Albert Camus' The Stranger starts with the death of a mother, maybe. Her son, Mersault, is unsure. He is also oblivious to the concepts of marriage, God, and repentance, as well as other institutions of society. According to social law, this is reason to execute him for a senseless murder. Mersault discovers that he is going to be tried and eventually die because of his nature and not due to the act he committed. Society is the collected human interaction and thought, and it requires that a social being worries about the afterlife, repents for its bad deeds, and mourns at one's death. However, Mersault thinks differently, and does not follow society's norms. Instead, he acts and lives like an animal. Mersault tries to survive in a society that is not suited for him. He attempts to abide by its rules, but such an animal can never be tamed. Mersault does not grasp the idea that he is an outsider and he always will be, just as society will never understand him. Mersualts' situation is similar to Jean-Paul Sartre' s view of the individual. He believed that one is "situated in a massive and oppressive social structure which limits and alienates his activities" (9). Mersault finds that his animal-

Camus, Albert. The Stranger. New York: Vintage International, 1989.

A characteristic that makes Merasault stand out from other humans is his thoughts of life and death. Animals are only preoccupied with the present. They do not think of the past, which explains Mersaults' lack of remorse, nor do they think of the future. One of the conversations Mersault has with his boss explains his view on life. He comments that "one life was as good as another"(41). Just like an animal, Merasault does not think of life and why he is here; he even does not care. This leads to his thoughts of afterlife, which he concludes is that there is none. He does not believe in any God, and this disturbs those who talk to him. The afterlife is not important to Mersault, and he does not want to waste his life worrying about it. The second time Mersault gives himself up to the animal in him is when the chaplain tries to force a belief unto him. Mersault can never be tamed and he attacks those who try. Having a priest being the one who is attacked creates a more disturbing tone. Mersault does not judge who the person is, just as an animal would not, as long as it is reasonable at the moment.

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1885
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels

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