The Stranger is an amazing book giving an amazing insight into the hypocrisy of man. Wanting to be understood yet refusing to understand others around us. Meursault cannot comprehend why others don’t understand his dissociation with reality and indifference to life, yet he also can’t understand why others hold such importance in life. This causes him to be some form of a hypocrite, judging people for not understanding him while simultaneously not understanding their perspective nor emotions.
Meursault goes around not caring about others nor himself, he doesn’t much care for politics, or has many hobbies of his own. He has no real connections to reality, even his own mother did not hold much weight in his life. While it is apparent he loved his mother, their relationship was not as important to him as others’relationship to their mother. He doesn’t understand his friends, nor even Marie for that matter. He doesn’t understand why they want to be around him in any sense or form, let alone one on a personal level. Because he cannot understand it on an emotional level, he attempts to break it down with logical thinking.
He is unable to see how life matters, the story can be interpreted as him beginning to understand. Him beginning to see the joy in life, the same way everyone else does. He gets glimpses of the beauty of life when he’s alone with Marie, those moments where we see Meursault be truly happy. Though they are fleeting and not permanent, the first time he truly understands the joy life can bring is through his death. He finally comes to peace with himself and the world around him, and the life he lived. Understanding how indifferent the world is, and how while in a logical sense nothing truly matters. It is because of that fact that you are supposed to live life to its fullest, as who can really judge you when nothing matters.
Tavia A
I really liked your take on The Stranger, and I agree with the idea that Meursault acted in a hypocritical way throughout the story. One of the many discussions we had in class talked about how Meursault was the misunderstood one, however, I think the people in his life are misunderstood, because of his lack of care and emotion for those in his life.
– T.A
Grace B
This is a great reflection! I like how you captured Meursault’s contradictions and his gradual realization about life’s meaning. Your point about him finding peace through accepting the world’s indifference is especially insightful.
Jonathan S-D
It is amazing how you were able to take in the parts of the book and describe them so well. Slowly watching as Meursault starts to find his own meaning of life, even while people tell him other things. Your mentioning of the happiness he had when he was with Marie really shows that he is still human.
berendv
You are correct, and this completely changed my perception of Meursault. I had never considered his apathy to be hypocritical. I was able to comprehend the entire book once you mentioned that he finds serenity by accepting rather than resisting the apathy of the world.