Since Meursault shows all of the characteristics of a textbook sociopath, it can indeed be said that he is a threat to society . He acts without remorse or guilt, and sometimes even without reason. ... This is where Meursault differs from most sociopaths and narcissists.
Does Meursault overcome society’s judgment?
After speaking with the chaplain, Meursault no longer views his impending execution with hope or despair. He accepts death as an inevitable fact and looks forward to it with peace. This realization of death’s inevitability constitutes Meursault’s triumph over society.
How does Meursault not conform to society?
Albert Camus’s The Stranger exhibits Meursault as a passive nonconformist who will not “play the game” society has chosen for him, and is thus condemned for an inability to meet society1s social expectations. Through irony, Camus reveals how the outcast, Meursault, is condemned because of his nonconformist beliefs.
Does Meursault regret killing the Arab?
Meursault admits to himself that he feels little regret ; after all, the man whom he shot was a stranger; he was only an Arab, and, to Meursault, the prosecutor is overdoing the emphasis on Meursault’s regret.
Why is Meursault dangerous?
In displaying his indifference, Meursault implicitly challenges society’s accepted moral standards , which dictate that one should grieve over death. Because Meursault does not grieve, society sees him as an outsider, a threat, even a monster.
Is Meursault an existentialist?
Meursault is the absurdist , explaining the philosophy of existentialism: Man’s isolation among an indifferent universe. There is no inherent meaning in life – its entire value lies in living itself. Meursault feels he has been happy, and longs to live.
What does Meursault realize at the end of The Stranger?
At the end of The Stranger, Meursault realizes that death is inevitable and the universe is indifferent to humanity .
How is Meursault normal?
Throughout the Stranger by Albert Camus, Meursault is portrayed as an ordinary human being but is amoral and focuses only on the present. He is very psychologically detached from the world he lives in, and significant events for most people would hold no meaning for him.
How does Meursault conform?
Meursault conforms by engaging in human relationships (Marie and Raymond) even though he tries to stay as emotionally removed as possible. He also goes to a job every day. This is perhaps his most conformist practice since it occurs every day and serves two main purposes: to benefit a company...
Why is the stranger split into two parts?
The Stranger is written in two parts: the first part begins with the death of Mersault’s mother and ends with his murder of the Arab. The second part deals with Mersault’s imprisonment, trial, and sentence .
How does Meursault see death?
In The Stranger, Meursault views death with detachment and indifference . He comes to believe that since all people are going to die anyway, when they do doesn’t matter.
Why is Meursault sentenced to death?
Reminding the jury that the next trial on the court’s schedule involves parricide (the murder of a close relative), the prosecutor alleges that Meursault’s lack of grief over his mother’s death threatens the moral basis of society. ... Meursault is found guilty of premeditated murder and sentenced to death by guillotine .
How does Meursault feel after killing the Arab?
When he shot the Arab four more times, it was his attempt at feeling misery , or unhappiness. Meursault thought that these attempts at emotion were good enough for the world to consider him a normal person.
Does Meursault feel guilty for killing the Arab?
In The Stranger, Meursault is guilty of killing the Arab man , although he feels no remorse for his actions. He had no reason for killing the man other than that the sun was in Meursault’s eyes when he did it, and Meursault is convicted of murder.
Did Meursault get stabbed?
The Arab doesn’t move at first, but as Meursault gets closer, he draws his knife and holds it up to Meursault. The light bounces off the steel and cuts like a blade at Meursault’s forehead. A drip of sweat temporarily blinds him. The flash of the blade slashes at his eyelashes and stabs at his stinging eyes .
How is Meursault a stranger to himself?
Meursault views society as a stranger to himself because they do not do things the same way he does . ... He realizes that he is a stranger to society; no one knows him because he is isolated from the world. He realizes his life has always been this way, he has always been withdrawn and secluded from society.
