Discrimination Issue in "The Stranger"

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This essay is based on the enigmatic novel written by Albert Camus. There are multiple reviews of this book, but it was originally published in French, in 1942,'The Outsider in England and ‘The Stranger’ in the US. The novel is narrated by Meursault, a character, who is an atheist and nihilist. His reviews of the society are different, and his feelings are not that of the normal people living in the society. This is demonstrated and explained in the book’s first paragraph where Meursault (the character) receives the death of his mother through the telegraph and does not know on which specific date his mother has expired.

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However, he attends the funeral, but he is not found to be in the state of grief or maybe he doesn’t feel anything. Albert Camus is a known philosopher.

The book revolves around other characters with Meursault as the leading role. Others include, Maman (Meursault’s mother), Marie ( Lover), Reymond (The pimp), Magistrate ( Holds traditional Christian values), Prosecutor ( Misjudge and Targets Meursault’s personality), Chaplan (enforce the existence of God).

All of these characters play an impact on the role of Meursault’s and his actions. In the novel the courtroom and the characters involved which are prosecuting the trial are considered as the society, whereas the narrator Meursault is an outsider, a stranger and a rebel. The social and psychological Dynamics will be explained and reviewed in this essay along with the views on how victimization, power, laws and traditions has functioned in this novel along with law and power.

Social Dynamics related to this novel starts when the prosecutor shifts the issue from the murder of the Arab by Meursault towards Crime against the society. The prosecutor targets the character of Meursault and emphasis on his behavior. He judges and targets the behavior of Meursault and how cold-hearted he is by starting to target and analyzing the personal emotions of the accused. In the mainstream corpus of sociological literature this novel has been of a residual interest. The novel is based on fiction which involves the unbreakable plangency of the author towards the theological idea of inanity. The existence of an individual and human freedom has no order rationally. Tenets based on absurdity can be seen in the novel however Camus does not directly point towards it. In the novel, it can be seen that the society fabricates and imposes rational explanations for Meursault’s actions. The notion that some events happen without any reasoning and that some events have no meaningful purpose is groundbreaking while it’s also a menace to the society. The layout of the trial in the second part of the novel explains the arbitrary attempt of the society to create a rational order. Meursault’s lawyer and the Prosecutor both present their points by logical reasoning and keeping the concept of cause and action in mind. But, in reality, and according to the novel these reasonings and logics have no factual basis.

Instead these are the attempts made to minimize and diffuse the concept of an irrational universe or society. Therefore, analysis can be made that the whole idea of this trial is a true example of inanity or absurdity where man kinds futile effort to enforce tenability over an intangible universe. As per the writer, human life has no ambition or goal which is another absurdist philosophy, but it can be explained and argued by keeping the last chapter of the novel in mind. Certainty only lies in life and the result to death, and as all humans will eventually end so all lives are eventually without a meaning. Meursault realizes that he is different from much of the universe, and vice versa. This means everyone is somewhat indifferent to one another. Like all people Meursault would lead a typical life, he was given birth and his life will end and with his death. He would have no further importance in the society. Afterward he will be forgotten. The narrator reaches to a realization where there is a question for him, “will he be compelled by the happiness ?”. Now this is a big question for him. And he reaches this realization paradoxically. He realizes that he lives to die a death by natural means.

“Society is a masked ball, where everyone hides his real character and reveals it in hiding” -Raplh Waldo Emerson

A community bounded or contrived to social standards disapprove of those who do not conform to their characteristics and values. These processes reveal the facts and figures about societal ideologies. In the book, Meursault exhibits as a rebel. He is different from the society; his norms and values are different from the society and he does not obey the rules set by the society. The author Albert Camus reveals that how beliefs of a nonconformist are opposed and condemned.

The Stranger depicts that the narrator has interests placed in the physical aspects of the universe. His ideas and psychology are not prisoned within the box with the society. His social and spiritual aspects do not match with that of the society. The narrator of the book focuses his attention on his own body and his physical relationship with his girlfriend, Marie. On the weather and other substantial parameters of the surroundings. The weather during the procession of the funeral caused him more pain and uneasiness compared to the sight of burying his mother. How he suffers under the sun on the beach, he explains his feelings in the court. His narrational style also depicts his interests in the physical objects or physical existence of things. He doesn’t believe in God and other nonphysical norms. His descriptions of the objects and the nature are vivid. Meursault is analyzed as dispassionate, governed by physical needs, and practice free association. He is also governed by ID and his unconscious mind takes over his conscious mind.

Also, he does not let any emotion get into his head. We are still animals and our behavior are consequently governed by the same means as any other animal. The psychoanalysis of Albert Camus is incomplete without Freudian theories of psychology. These consist of, id, ego, superego, Oedipal and Electra complex. A theory developed by Sigmund Freud in which he explains the sons sexual desire with the mother and a father’s rivalry with the son for his mother’s affection. This theory is known as Oedipal theory. Electra complex is it’s opposite in which a daughter sexual desires for his father are explained. In case of Camus 'The Stranger', Meursault's describes his sexual relation with Marie, and he does not relate his physical relation with any emotion of love or affection. Example he describes her by saying , “brushed against her breasts” (Camus 19). There is a scene in which he went to the movie with Marie and there he has a physical connection established which he says as, “Founding her breasts”. (Camus 20).

He does not develop any real feelings for her during their relationship. His lack of emotion makes him one dimensional kind of a person. He always put forth his physical needs over his emotions. The conflict that arises between ego, id and superego is what drives our behavior. The term superego is the moral part of the psyche and It is ruled over by the needs that are approved by our parents. Not confronting them leads to guilt and anxiety. That part of the psyche that is anxious with the reality. It tries to establish stability among the demands of the Id with constraints of the superego in a realistic possible manner. Id is the animal part of the psyche and is governed by instincts.

In the novel, Meursault lacks the superego as he does not take moral values and the religious values into account. He threatens the society by defying the norms of the society and proving himself outside the society's influence. His resistance makes others uncomfortable and they falsely confront him. He refuses to see the Chaplan as the Chaplan enforces his ideas of God over him. In the novel he says, “I Didn’t want anybody's help and I just didn’t have the time to interest myself in what didn’t interest me” (Camus 117).

Reporting everything that’s keeps to the mind and not confronting your mind over absurd ideas is known as free association which Meursault was in association with. We are not aware of everything that is going around in our minds. Most of our thoughts and feelings remain in the subconscious brain and are locked away. In other words, our actions and feelings may have hidden purposes. As governed by Id, He was therefore not affected by Maman’s death. These are some psychological Dynamics of 'The Stranger' which sets apart Meursault from the ideas and norms of the society.

In society's point of view Meursault is an outsider who has different norms and feelings, he is different in way of communication or is abnormal. He does not have the understanding of the Marriage, funeral or the feelings of love and affection. He has the issues of Id and his cautions mind is not overrules by his unconscious mind. He is not considered to be a Christian citizen in the novel as he does not believe in God and its principles. Conclusively, in this book, 'The Stranger' is conclusively irrational and the author conducts the view that mankind existence is without a plot or order. Mankind are just like animals. He points fingers on the rational culture if this society. Meursault is being victimized in the courtroom by the prosecutor for his nihilist character.

Camus explains how an outsider is being victimized for his culture and tradition by the society. How a nonchristian is held victim of a Christian society, an atheist held a victim by any religious society and so on. Camus portrays that the society wants to enclose every individual in its shell and freedom is being exempted by the individual. In this world we are forcefully bounded by people that follow a particular religion and custom. An Indifferent Individual is been criticized for his values. It elaborates how society influences over you by using power, laws and by criticism. Camus, novel in a nutshell, represents ideas of society towards nature and its action against the outsiders.