Albert Camus’ story, The Stranger, is an existential work which attempts to show the futility of being obsessed with roles that have been set by society; it shows that human beings should exist in their own terms. In The Stranger, the chief character is indifferent to all the things that go on around him and is instead interested only in his own self, essentially endorsing existentialism. Throughout the story, Meursault seems to be an incredibly selfish man who is only interested in himself and does not in the least care for the happenings taking place around him. This creates a situation which helps in the development of the plot of the story, since there is an exploration of the indifference as well as the existential way of life that is displayed by Meursault.
One of the aspects of existentialism that is shown in this story is that of individuals choosing to remain indifferent to others and only be concerned with what concerns them. This is especially the case in the funeral of Meursault mother’s and the man’s obvious indifference to the funeral symbolize his detachment from the world, which he believes to be a place full of nothing but conflict and agony as well as his optimism when it comes to death. In the story, Meursault shows a lack of care towards the diverse events that take place, even the ones that society might consider as being necessary for all of its members, and is thus looked down upon by other individuals who have attended the funeral. His mother’s funeral symbolizes existentialist joy that can be found in death, the liberation from all of the complications, conflicts, and miseries that are often experienced in life as a result of societal expectations.
Initially, Meursault is troubled when he hears of the death of his mother but when he goes to the funeral, he ends up being unaffected, believing his mother is in a better place. With reference to his mother’s death, he states that “Mother died today or maybe yesterday; I can't be sure”, showing that despite his mother’s death, he is at peace with it and he does not feel any sort of sadness or loss. This shows a possibility of Meursault’s belief that the day that his mother died is not important and that she is perhaps better off in this state. Thus, he chooses not to concentrate on the funeral service, and instead chooses to focus on the people who have attended the funeral. He does not display any of the regret or happiness that members of society would have expected him to express towards the people who have come to support him in his time of need, since he has just lost his mother.
When he is deplored by society and incarcerated for killing a man, his freedom is taken away from him, and any values or desires that he was once able to act upon would not be able to be acted upon anymore. This essentially interferes with his existential way of life because he is no longer able to act upon those impulses which were a basic part of his life. Meuersault seems to have lost all interest in life as a result of his incarceration and this creates a situation where he finds all accusations made against him irrelevant. When questioned repeatedly about his indifference towards his mother’s funeral while he is incarcerated, Meursault becomes upset and impatient. He finds it ridiculous and redundant the way society is condemning him for his beliefs and not for the crime he committed. When a priest questions Meursault, he ends up sharing his thoughts and beliefs, revealing that his mother’s funeral was a moment of joy and not of grief. He states that his indifference towards his mother’s funeral is as a result of his love for her and his wish that she rest in peace free from the problems of the world. The funeral, therefore, ends up being a symbol of hope for Meursault, that he can be free from the world and free from the expectations of society on him.
In conclusion, The Stranger is a story that endorses existentialism as seen through the manner that Meuersault considers the world. It is revealed that because of the societal restrictions, this character is highly pessimistic about life and he does not seem to derive joy from it. This is a man who does not consider death with fear or sadness; he looks upon it as a means of salvation from the problems that plague individuals in the world.
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