Meursault: A Stranger to Society

Paper Summary:

The paper looks at the statement that "Meursault is a stranger to the society in which he lives... He drifts in the margin, in the suburbs of private, solitary sensual life... in love with the primacy of being, feeling" and shows how it is a valid summation of the protagonist of "The Outsider". The paper describes how Meursault is a man estranged from society, living in his own self-reliant capacity without the need for external structure in his life. The paper highlights his lack of empathy for those around him and how he responds to the external world more than internal emotions. The paper also discusses his entrenched passion for the present, being and feeling and explains that this is a major aspect of the novel.

From the Paper:

"In shedding no tears at his mother's funeral, the protagonist of The Outsider is immediately condemned by the society in which he is so estranged, a society which cannot comprehend a man with no dreams or regrets; a man who lives in his own self-reliant capacity without the need for external structure in his life. This man, Meursault, is left to drift within the fringes of society, posing no threat, except for his chilling indifference to the structures and conventions on which civilisation stands. This private, solitary Meursault, to whom the reader is introduced, leads a sensual life, infatuated with external stimuli more than those from within. This love of the earth and its ambience, the blinding sun, scorching heat and cool ocean reveals Meursault's passion for the present - experiencing, feeling, seeing by the moment; in short being. Therefore, the focus statement that "Meursault is a stranger to the society in which he lives... He drifts in the margin, in the suburbs of private, solitary sensual life... in love with the primacy of being, feeling" is a valid summation of the protagonist of The Outsider, Meursault, revealing the complete truth about his character."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Camus, Albert, The Outsider, Penguin Modern Classics, 1984
• Various sheets and notes taken in class

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