Death and Absurdism in Camus’s The Stranger Essay

In his novel The Stranger1, Albert Camus gives expression to his philosophy of the absurd. The novel is a first-person account of the life of M. Meursault from the time of his mother’s death up to a time evidently just before his execution for the murder of an Arab. The central theme is that the significance of human life is understood only in light of mortality, or the fact of death; and in showing Meursault’s consciousness change through the course of events, Camus shows how facing the possibility of death does have an effect on one’s perception of life. The novel begins with the death of Meursault’s mother. Although he attends the funeral, he does not request to see the body, though he finds it interesting to think about the effects of heat and humidity on the rate of a body’s decay (8). It is evident that he is almost totally unaffected by his mother’s death – nothing changes in his life. In other words, her death has little or no real significance for him. When he hears Salamano, a neighbor, weeping over his lost dog (which has evidently died), Meursault thinks of his mother – but he is unaware of the association his mind has made. In fact, he chooses not to dwell on the matter but goes to sleep instead (50). It is when he is on the beach with Raymond Sintà ¨s and M. Masson and they confront two Arabs (who have given Raymond trouble) that Meursault first seems to think about the insignificance of any action – therefore of human existence. He has a gun and it occurs to him that he could shoot or not shoot and that it would come to the same thing (72). The loss of a life would have no significance – no affect on life as a whole; and the universe itself is apparently totally indifferent to everything. Here he implicitly denies the existence of God, and thus denies morality, as well as the â€Å"external† meaning (if it may be so distinguished from the internal or individual existential meaning) of life and dea th. (This latter, existential meaning is later affirmed, as we shall see.) Meursault kills one of the Arabs in a moment of confusion, partially out of self-defense, but does not regret it eve though it means going to prison and, ultimately, being executed. He has the fatalistic feeling that  Ã¢â‚¬Å"what’s done is done,† and later explains that he has never regretted anything because he has always been to absorbed by the present moment or by the immediate future to dwell on the past (127). In a sense, Meursault is always aware of the meaninglessness of all endeavors in the face of death: he has no ambition to advance socio-economically; he is indifferent about being friends with Raymond and about marrying Marie; etc. But this awareness is somehow never intense enough to involve self-awareness – that is, he never reflects on the meaning of death for him – until he is in prison awaiting execution. Of course, the â€Å"meaning† of another’s death is quite difference from the â€Å"meaning† of one’s own death. With the former, one no longer sees that person again; with the latter, one’s very consciousness, as far as we know, just ends – blit! – as a television picture ends when the set is switched off. Death marks all things equal, and equally absurd. And death itself is absurd in the sense that reason or the rational mind cannot deal with it: it is a foregone conclusion, yet it remains an unrealized possibility until some indeterminate future time. The â€Å"meaning† of death is not rational but, again, is existential – its implications are to be found not in abstraction but in the actuality of one’s life, the finality of each moment. Before his trial, Meursault passes the time in prison by sleeping, by reading over and over the newspaper story about the (unrelated) murder of a Czech, and by recreating a ment al picture of his room at home in complete detail, down to the scratches in the furniture. In this connection, it must be admitted that he is externally very sensitive and aware, despite his lack of self-understanding and emotional response. This is evidence by his detailed descriptions. He is especially sensitive to natural beauty – the beach, the glistening water, the shade, the reed music, swimming, making love to Marie, the evening hour he like so much, etc. He even says that if forced to live in a hollow tree truck, he would be content to watch the sky, passing birds, and clouds (95). After his trial (in which he is sentenced to be executed), he no longer indulges in his memories or passes the time in the frivolous way he was accustomed to spend Sundays at home. At first, he dwells on thoughts of escape. He cannot reconcile the contingency of his sentence (Why guilt? Why sentenced by a French court rather than a Chinese one? Why was the verdict read at eight pm rather than at five? etc.) with the mechanical certainty of  the process that leads inevitably to his death (137). When he gives up trying to find a loophole, he finds his mind ever returning either to the fear that dawn would bring the guards who would lead him to be executed, or to the hope that his appear will be granted. To try to distract himself from these thoughts, he forces himself to study the sky or to listen to the beating of his heart – but the changing light reminds him of the passing of time towards dawn, and he cannot imagine his heart ever stopping. In dwelling on the chance of an appeal, he is forced to consider the possibility of denial and thus of execution; therefore, he must face the fact of his death – whether it comes now or later. One he really, honestly admits death’s inevitability, he allows himself to consider the chance of a successful appeal – of being set free to live perhaps forth more y ears before dying. Now he begins to see the value of each moment of the life before death. Because of death, nothing matters – except being alive. The meaning, value, significance of life is only seen in light of death, yet most people miss it through the denial of death. The hope of longer life brings Meursault great joy. Perhaps to end the maddening uncertainty and thus intensify his awareness of death’s inevitability (therefore of the actuality of life), or, less likely, as a gesture of hopelessness, Meursault turns down his right to appeal (144). Soon afterwards, the prison chaplain insists on talking to him. Meursault admits his fear but denies despair and has no interest in the chaplain’s belie in an afterlife. He flies into rage, finally, at the chaplain’s persistence, for he realizes that the chaplain has not adequately assessed the human condition (death being the end of life) – or, if he has, the chaplain’s certainties have no meaning for Meursault and have not the real value of, say, a strand of a woman’s hair (151). Meursault, on the other hand, is absolutely certain about his own life and forthcoming death. His rush of anger cleanses him and empties him of hope, thus allowing him finally to open up — completely and for the last time — to the â€Å"benign indifference of the universe† (154). He realizes that he always been happy. The idea of death makes one aware of one’s life, one’s vital being – that which is impermanent and will one day end. When this vitality is appreciate, one feels free – for there is no urgency to perform some act that will cancel the possibility of death, seeing as though there is no such act. In this sense, all human activity is absurd, and the real freedom is to be aware of life in its actually and totally, of its beauty and its pain. Albert Camus’ The Stranger What if the past has no meaning and the only point in time of our life that really matters is that point which is happening at present. To make matters worse, when life is over, the existence is also over; the hope of some sort of salvation from a God is pointless. Albert Camus illustrates this exact view in The Stranger. Camus feels that one exists only in the world physically and therefore the presence or absence of meaning in one’s life is alone revealed through that event which he or she is experiencing at a particular moment. These thoughts are presented through Meursault, a man devoid of concern for social conventions found in the world in which he lives, and who finds his life deprived of physical pleasure–which he deems quite important–when unexpectedly put in prison. The opening line of the novel sets the tone for Meursault’s dispassion towards most things. The novel is introduced with the words: â€Å"Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know† (3). Although the uncertainty originates with an ambiguous telegram, it seems that the ton†¦ †¦ middle of paper †¦ †¦ or their emotions in general. He does not follow ‘conventional’ social beliefs nor does he believe in God, nor salvation. Meursault however loves his life. It is a pure love derived from enjoying his existence on a day-to-day basis, rarely looking back and never looking forward. His love is not dependent on doing what society or some religion has deemed correct, but on what he feels he wants to do despite what most would consider common. In Albert Camus’ â€Å"The Stranger† the â€Å"story of an ordinary man who gets drawn into a senseless murder† is told. Taking place in Algeria this man, Meursault, is constantly in a climate of extreme warmth, as are all the inhabitants therein. The sun, the source of light and the cause of this warmth, is thus a vital and normal part of his life. It brings warmth and comfort yet it can also cause pain and sickness. Throughout most of his life Meursault has lived with the conflicting forces of the sun and light, as a friend and foe. However in Chapter 6 these forces become unbalanced and the sun becomes an aggressor causing Meurault physical pain and jolting him into violent action. Although the sun becomes increasingly aggressive as the novel transpires, in the beginning its forces were balanced causing some good and some bad effects. The most evidence of the sun as a foe is found during Meursault’s mother’s wake and funeral. During the wake Meursault is constantly â€Å"blinded† by the bright light. This combined with â€Å"the whiteness of the room† â€Å"[makes his] eyes hurt.† However, this same light also creates a â€Å"glare on the white walls†¦.making [him] drowsy† and allowing him respite from the knowledge of his mother’s death. So, all at once light was good as well as bad for Meursault. Again, during the funeral â€Å"with the sun bearing down† the heat was â€Å"inhuman and oppressive,† causing Meursault great physical discomfort. Yet, in the same token, the heat is also â€Å"making it hard for [Meursault] to †¦think straight† thereby allowing him an escape from his mo ther’s death. Not all of the sun’s effects have a flip side however; throughout the novel â€Å"the sun [does Meursault] a lot of good,† by warming him and making him feel alive. Thus, although both positive and negative situations come from the†¦ Work Cited Camus, Albert. The Stranger. Trans. Matthew Ward. New York: Vintage International, 1989.

In what ways can terrorism be distinguished from other forms of Essay

In what ways can terrorism be distinguished from other forms of violent conflict Can terrorism ever be justified - Essay Example Political Scientist seem unable to agree on a single or uniform meaning of the term terrorism, although they agree in principle that terrorism is a means to a political or social end.(Beinin, 12, 23) Perhaps the most dramatic definition of terrorism is provided by Netanyahu who describes terrorism as: Alex Schmid and Albert Jongman examined a complex range of definitions of terrorism and isolated five common denominators. (Schmid and Jongman, 5) A common element that accounted for at least a 83.5 per cent consistency was the use of force or violence. (Schmid and Jongman, 5) At least 65 per cent of the definitions agreed that acts of terrorism were political in nature. (Schmid and Jongman,5) Another 52 per cent of the definitions agreed that acts of terrorism involved the use of fear or terror, 47 per cent agreed that threats were used in terrorism plots and 41 per cent agreed that terrorists aimed to product psychological impact. (Schmid and Jongamn, 5) Other forms of violent conflict are generally attributed to war, guerrilla activity, insurgency and crime in general. Crime itself is categorised under two distinct heads. It can either be committed on an individual basis or it can be a joint enterprise as often is the case in instances of organized crime. (Cunningham and others, 7) Crime involves the intentional breaking of the law and violent crime involves some sort or assault either with or without a weapon. Like terrorism, â€Å"violent crimes involve force or threat of force.† (FBI) In a very real sense, violent crime is similar to terrorism since it involves a degree of force. The similarities between war and terrorism are obvious. Both forms of violent conflict have political or social aims and both involve the use of violence. Guerrilla warfare and activities are generally perpetuated during a formal or informal war either between

Fast Food Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

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British Cultural Changes in the 1960s Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

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Tort Reform in the USA Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tort Reform in the USA - Research Paper Example   Ã¢â‚¬Å"What is tort reform?† is an article written by Eddins & Greenstone (2009) for the HG.org. This article greatly assists readers in getting a clear view of the tort reform in the US. In order to clearly depict this concept, the authors describe the term tort. They simply define tort as â€Å"a non-criminal civil wrong that is caused either on purpose or through negligence† (Eddins & Greenstone, 2009). Article writers say that medical malpractice and false imprisonment are some examples of tort. The tort reform attempts to put procedural limits on an individual’s ability to file claims and restrict awards of damages. In other words, tort reform imposes some limitations on the maximum amount the injured party can claim and the amount of time an aggrieved individual has to file a claim. The article claims that this policy may reduce frivolous lawsuits whereas it also takes away some rights of the victim. In his article â€Å"Tort reform important to U.S. fu ture† published in CNN U.S, Dobbs (2005) points out long-term benefits of the tort reform. The author says that the proposed tort reform would amplify the nation’s economic growth as this policy is capable of reducing the enormous burden of tort litigations costs. The writer justifies his argument by pointing that US tort system has already exceeded $200 billion a year and this figure accounts for the nation’s 2% of GDP. Dobbs also illustrates that this figure may rise to roughly 8% unless necessary changes are made to the current tort system. Throughout his article, Dobbs refers to European court systems to support the terms of the tort reform in the US. Bornstein and Robicheaux (2008), in their book â€Å"Civil juries and civil justice: psychological & legal perspectives†, address different aspects of the proposed tort reform. The authors state that torts are not criminal offenses and they are aimed at determining liability but not guilt. Bornstein and R obicheaux (2008) point out that there are more tort trails in the United States than contract cases. As a result of increasing tort cases, legal authorities are forced to spend greater amounts of money and time on this issue. The writers also indicate that the proposed reform is the only sensible strategy to bring the US’ civil justice system under control (p.5). The article â€Å"Tort reform hurts citizens† was written by Alley Jordan (2011) and published on The Falcon website. The article writer argues that the tort reform policy would notably limit the constitutional rights of citizens. According to the tort reform proposal, a corporation cannot be sued over a certain amount as fixed by its state. This provision prevents plaintiffs from recovering complete damages. The author argues that arbitration clauses in the tort reform are likely to limit plaintiffs’ right to claim against corporations. The gag order is another constitutionally violating aspect of the proposed tort reform and it restricts the plaintiff’s right to speak about the trial publicly. The author concludes the article by stating that â€Å"tort reform is good for the corporations that support it, but is not good for average citizens† (Jordan, 2011).  Ã‚  

Weather Symbolism in a Farewell to Arms Essay Example for Free

Weather Symbolism in a Farewell to Arms Essay Snow In A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway attempts to tell the unvarnished truth about war — to present an honest, rather than a heroic, account of combat, retreat, and the ways in which soldiers fill their time when they are not fighting. Yet Hemingways realistic approach to his subject does not rule out the use of many time-honored literary devices. For instance, weather is to this day a fundamental component of the war experience. Hemingway depicts weather realistically in A Farewell to Arms, but he uses it for symbolic purposes as well. Rain, often equated with life and growth, stands for death in this novel, and snow symbolizes hope: an entirely original schema. In stories such as To Build a Fire, by Jack London, snow and ice quite logically represent danger and death. After all, one can freeze to death, fall through thin ice and drown, or perish beneath an avalanche. In Chapter II of A Farewell Arms, on the other hand, it is snow that ends the fighting described in the books first chapter. Thus snow stands for safety rather than its opposite. (Note, though, that although snow covers the bare ground and even the Italian armys artillery in Chapter II, stumps of oak trees torn up by the summers fighting continue to protrude — a reminder that winter is of course not permanent but merely a reprieve from combat, a cease-fire.) Shortly thereafter, Frederic Henry describes the priests home region of Abruzzi as a place where the roads were frozen and hard as iron, where it was clear and cold and dry and the snow was dry and powdery . . . , and the context leaves no doubt that this characterization is a positive one. Late in the novel, the argument between the Swiss policemen over winter sports not only provides much-needed comic relief; it also marks the beginning of Henry and Catherine Barkleys second idyll. (The first takes place in summertime, in Milan.) Immediately afterwards, Henry and Catherine find themselves in the Swiss Alps, with snow all around. Thus they have temporarily achieved a life of both purity (the mountains symbolize purity  in this novel, versus the corruption of the lowlands) and safety. These chapters positively radiate contentment. Rain Starting in the very first chapter of A Farewell to Arms, rain clearly symbolizes death: In the fall when the rains came the leaves all fell from the chestnut trees and the branches were bare and the trunks black with rain, Henry tells us. The vineyards were thin and bare-branched too and all the country wet and brown and dead with autumn. The rain symbolism is not entirely a literary conceit, either, as rain actually precedes an outbreak of fatal illness, the cholera that kills seven thousand that fall. Later, during their Milan idyll, Catherine makes the symbolism of the rain explicit for Henry — and for the reader: Im afraid of the rain because sometimes I see myself dead in it, she says to him. And sometimes I see you dead in it. Lo and behold, during Henry and Catherines trip from the armorers to the hotel near the train station on his last night with her, the fog that has covered the city from the start of the chapter turns to rain. It continues to rain as they bid one another farewell; in fact, Catherines last act in this part of the novel is to signal to Henry that he should step in out of the rain. Back at the front, the trees were all bare and the roads were muddy. It rains almost continuously during the chapter when the tide of battle turns and the Italians begin their retreat from Caporetto — and from the Germans who have joined the fighting. The rain turns to snow one evening, holding out hope that the offensive will cease, but the snow quickly melts and the rain resumes. During a discussion among the drivers about the wine they are drinking with dinner, the driver named Aymo says, To-morrow maybe we drink rainwater. Hemingway by this time has developed the rain symbolism to such a degree that the reader experiences a genuine sense of foreboding — and indeed, the following day will bring death to Henrys disintegrating unit. It is raining while the fugitive Henry rides the train to Stresa, raining  when he arrives, and raining while Henry and Catherine spend the night together in his hotel room. The open-boat trip across Lake Maggiore takes place in the rain, with an umbrella used as a sail. (Ominously, the umbrella breaks.) And in Chapter XL, as Henry and Catherine are bidding farewell to their wintertime mountain retreat for the city in which Catherines baby is to be born, Henry tells us that In the night it started raining. Finally, when Henry leaves the hospital for lunch during Catherines protracted, agonizing delivery, The day was cloudy but the sun was trying to come through — a literal ray of hope. During the operation, however, he looks out the window and sees that it is raining. Just after the nurse has told him that the baby is dead, Henry looks outside again and could see nothing but the dark and the rain falling across the light from the window. At the novels end, Henry leaves the hospital and walks back to his hotel in the rain. In fact, the final word in A Farewell to Arms is rain, evidence of weathers important place in the story overall. Hemingway doesnt quite trust us to detect the rain/snow pattern of symbolism and understand its meaning; therefore he underlines the significance of precipitation in his book by having Catherine tell Henry that she sees them dead in the rain. And so the weather symbolism in A Farewell to Arms is perhaps unnecessarily obvious. Yet Hemingways use of this literary device is hardly rote symbolism for its own sake. Rain and snow both drive his plot and maintain our interest, as we hold our breaths every time it rains in the novel, praying that Catherine will not perish during that scene. (We know that Henry will survive the rain, because he is the storys narrator.) Thus, while writing a brutally realistic saga of life during wartime, Ernest Hemingway also crafted a novel as literary as the great-war stories that preceded A Farewell to Arms. Arguably it is as powerful as any story ever told.