ABSTRACT (outline but in a paragraph)

The almost simultaneous appearance of the essay The Myth of Sisyphus and the novel of The Stranger in
1942 showed the public the literary talent, the ethical sensitivity and the capacity for philosophical
reflection of Albert Camus (1913-1960), for whom narrative, theater, essay and journalism were means
alternatives to investigate the complexity, ambiguity and richness of the human condition and to raise
and debate the great moral problems of our time. Camus presents approaches close to existentialism
with his works. In them he shows us that "absurd sensibility" that seems to dominate the world in which
we live.

INTRODUCTION

The appearance of the essay The Myth of Sisyphus and the novel of The Stranger showed the
public the literary talent, the ethical sensitivity and the capacity for philosophical reflection of Albert
Camus (1913-1960). The importance of his writings is undeniable. If we have a closer look at the essay
and the novel, we will see that they are intertwined. They both were written in 1942 and although they
are different type of genres, they both reflect the ideas of freedom and the absurdity of the existence.

On one hand, the essay of The Myth of Sisyphus shows the philosophy of the absurd. It consists
of a constant, although useless, effort of a man who is condemned to push a rock to the top of the
mountain for all eternity. Camus sees Sisyphus as the absurd hero who lives life to the fullest, hates
death, and is condemned to a meaningless task. Camus claims that when Sisyphus acknowledges the
futility of his task and the certainty of his fate, he is freed to realize the absurdity of his situation and to
reach a state of contented acceptance (Kaplan 60). On the other hand, the novel of The Stranger shows
a man that vividly represents the theory of the absurd that Camus exposes in his essay The Myth of
Sisyphus. We can see this clear when we think about the attitude that Meursault has with each
experience described in the novel. Camus shows us an emotionless man, without decision or opinion
regarding the most important and immediate events in his life. Therefore, The Myth of Sisyphus clarifies
the perspective the protagonist from The Stranger has. The Stranger, on the other hand, can be
understood as an example of the absurd hero described in The Myth of Sisyphus.

Thesis (why you writing the paper and what are you trying to say… what are your main ideas?) it is a
very specific part. It is straight forward.

Although there are already a significant number of essays that show Camus convictions and
philosophical orientation, this paper will help us get a further understanding of the philosophy of the
absurd of Camus. We will see how the absurd is reflected in the main character of the novel Meursault
through the analysis of the philosophy exposed in The Myth of Sisyphus. In order to achieve the
objective of this paper, I will analyze the narration of certain experiences in the life of Meursault with
special attention to the concept and understanding of the absurd. And the life of Camus apart of the
absurd hero. Meursault is a synthesis of these historical factors, bibliographic, philosophical orientation

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Before discussing the analysis of the novel, it is important to look at the period of time in which
it was written. The social and historical context of the novel will shape the book and the way people
would receive it. More importantly, the context of the time in which was written will change how the
author would perceive his reality and therefore write about it. It is important that we focus on two main
scenarios- the situation of France at that moment and the situation of Algeria. According to Patrick Mc 5
it is essential to explain these two situations because “The special traits of The Stranger emerge from
the contradictions between the two sets of contexts.”

(Include PIED NOIR)

Camus was born in Algeria in 1913 and he moved to Paris in 1940. He wrote the novel and the
essay when World War II was taking place and he was active in the Resistance movement during the
Nazi occupation (Flynn 92). The raise of Fascism with Hitler in Germany, Mussolini in Italy and Franco in
Spain caused a lot of pessimism. These quotes really encapsulate the ideas happening at these regions
during this time: “Individual psychology seemed less important than the general human condition”, and
“freedom became an urgent need to act.” (Patrick 6)

On the other side of the Mediterranean, at the same period of time, we could see that Algeria
was colonized by France when Camus wrote his novel and his essay. In that period of time, Arab protests
grew. Patrick describes this situation as, “Officially Arabs were equal and were eventually to enjoy all the
rights of French citizenship: however, in the meantime they were treated like a conquered population.”
(Patrick 8)

Existentialism and the Absurd (I could use it for the analysis of the novel)

This historical context is going to go into all the ideas that the author is going to introduce
through his philosophical way of thinking. “Camus was considered the ‘philosopher of the Absurd,’ one
of the fundamental pillars of post-War French existentialism, and, more generally, an intellectual”
(Sherman 1). Although Camus did not consider himself an existentialist, he presented ideas that are
related to that concept. Existentialism is essentially linked to a family of philosophers that experienced
the occupation of France by the Nazis during World War II and its later liberation (Flynn 1). We could say
existentialism is the analysis of their everyday problems and the addressing of issues that matter in
peoples’ lives (Flynn 1).

Camus’ novel and essay are based on what we know as the philosophy of the absurd. We could
say the absurd is what we experience in life. It is life itself with its up and downs, that is to say, loves and
hates, victories and defeats among other things. SHERMAN 21. A principal theme in Camus' novel and
essay is the idea that life is meaningless, objectively speaking and this is a reflection of the absurd.

ABSURD man HERO (ADD AWARENESS GUN SUN)

The story of the myth of Sisyphus starts with the definition of the philosophy of the absurd and
it ends with the myth of Sisyphus which consists of how the gods have condemned Sisyphus to push a
rock to the top of a mountain for all eternity only to have it roll back to the bottom every time it reaches
the top. In the story, Sisyphus is an absurd hero based on the definitions Camus will introduce.

Camus says that Sisyphus is an absurd hero and that this punishment is a representation of the
human condition in life. We can see that Sisyphus continuously struggles without hoping to succeed. As
long as he accepts that this absurd task or struggle is everything that life is, he will be happy doing it.
Camus claims that when Sisyphus acknowledges the futility of his task and the certainty of his fate, he is
freed to realize the absurdity of his situation and to reach a state of contented acceptance (KAPLAN 60).

Even if the essay and the novel are two different genres, we can see that they both present the
idea of an absurd hero in two different ways. While the Myth of Sisyphus focuses more on the
description and explanation of Camus philosophy, the Stranger presents this philosophy through the
personality of Meursault. Therefore, Meursault is the representation of the absurd hero that Camus
describes in the Myth of Sisyphus. According to Camus an absurd man would be:

“He who without negating it, does nothing for the eternal. Not that nostalgia is foreign to him.
But he prefers his courage and his reasoning. Assured of his temporally limited freedom, of his
revolt devoid of future, and of his mortal consciousness, he lives out his adventure within the
span of his lifetime. That is his field, that is his action, which he shields from any judgement but
his own. A greater life cannot mean for him another life.” (Camus, Myth 66)

Therefore, the absurd man is someone that does not deny the eternal, but does not contribute
to it either. He who lives satisfied with what he has without questioning anything. For this man there are
no ethical rules, there are no examples to follow. Meursault is the absurd hero because he rejects
societal norms. He does not live and do things other people do. He always shows a very passive attitude;
he is indifferent to the rest of the people. Sometimes he gives us the impression that nothing really
matters to him and we can see all this reflected in many parts of the novel. For instance, when Marie
asks him if he loves her: “She asked me if I loved her. I told her it didn´t mean anything but that I didn´t
think so.” (Camus, Stranger 34). Later on, Marie wants to know if he would like to marry her and he says
they could get married if she wanted to but that it didn’t make any difference to him. Then Marie
wanted to know again if he loved her and he answered the same way he had before, that it really didn´t
mean anything but that he probably didn´t love her. It is very interesting when right after that she says
that marriage is a serious thing and he says “no” (Camus, Stranger 40). These two examples show the
indifference that Meursault experiences in different situations in life and this is the perfect example of
something that an absurd hero would do. We can see a man that is aware that life is meaningless and he
does not try to give meaning to a life that does not have it. He does not follow societal rules.

Another way that the essay helps us understand the novel is through the concept of the absurd
and acceptance of one’s situation. According to the essay of Camus he who is aware of his situation and
knows the absurd of this existence is in control of his life. Camus defines the absurd in the following
way: “The absurd is born of this confrontation between the human need and the unreasonable silence
of the world” (Camus, Myth 28) That is to say, the need to find meaning in a meaningless world. This is
expressed by Meursault in several parts of the novel. For instance, the moment in which Meursault goes
to prison we can see how much he refuses to be there at first and how he has all these needs until he
stops fighting it and accepts his conditions. That scene reflects his acceptance to be in prison and his loss
of freedom.

Camus claims that the absurd cannot exist by itself. It is connected to a contradiction that we
humans create from the search of meaning. In other words, the world is not absurd, what is absurd is
that man tries to find inherent value and meaning in life. Meursault expresses that life is meaningless or
that nothing really makes a different in several moments of the novel.
 For Meursault life is the same no matter where he goes or lives. In page 40 of the novel his boss
offers him a job with the opportunity to move to Paris and he does not seem excited about it. For
Meursault it makes no difference to live in one place or another. It does not mean anything to him. It
does not make a difference in any way. Once again, we can observe the philosophy of the absurd
reflected in Meursault life. He does not try to give meaning to anything he does in life.

PHYSICAL EXPERIENCE

In the essay we can see that Camus implies there is nothing beyond this physical existence.
There is a clear Nietzschean influence on his philosophy. Nietzsche concept of “God is dead” is reflected
in Camus philosophy. If we accept that there is nothing else after we die we will experience this physical
existence at its fullest. We will focus on what we can perceive and through our senses—feel, taste,
touch, see, and smell— and feel the joys of our bodies and the physical world. Through his essay Camus
encourages intense, enjoyable, physical experience as opposed to a self-abnegating religious life. He
states that these experiences are the right response (Camus, Myth 8). “His different writings aim to
demonstrate what life means and feels like once we give up hope of an afterlife, so that in reading we
will be led to “see” his point.” (Aronson) Meursault will reflect this throughout the novel.

The Stranger begins with the death of the protagonist's mother and the meticulous narration of
how he leaves his house to get to the place where she died (Marengo, 80 km from Algiers). The style of
the narration is important because is written in first person but facts are presented with objectivity, with
a simple style that gets straight to the point. The protagonist does not express his feelings, he even
shows himself to be a selfish person: “That's partly why I didn't go there much this past year. And also,
because it took up my Sunday-not to mention the trouble of getting to the bus, buying tickets, and
spending two hours traveling.” (5) “It was pleasant; the coffee had warmed me up, and the smell of
Rowers on the night air was coming through the open door. I think I dozed off for a while.” (9) “I had
some more coffee and milk, which was very good [...] It was going to be a beautiful day. It had been a
long time since I'd been out in the country, and I could feel how much I'd enjoy going for a walk if it
hadn't been for Maman.” (11) In all these moments of the story we notice an attitude of disinterest in
everything that is happening. A first "I do not know" expression that, together with "It does not really
matter", will appear in the text repeatedly before the question of why he does not want to see his dead
mother. Indifference (I did not know the exact age), tiredness, boredom, sleep. That's how the
protagonist feels about his dead mother. Meursault describes the vigil, the funeral in great detail, he is a
good observer, but he continues without showing his feelings, his posture is at times one of perplexity,
of doubt about what he must do. Observations on nature (landscape, the weather, most specifically the
heat ...) are always present throughout the novel. Meursault goes back to Algiers, and as if nothing had
happened, he goes to the beach and meets a friend, Marie Cardona, with whom ends up spending the
night.

As a narrator, Meursault constantly supplies physical details without analyzing their emotional
or psychological import. The scene in which Meursault kills the Arab reflects this. El crimen fue una
casualidad. Podría haber matado tanto como no haberlo hecho, no se trata de su posición al respecto,
tampoco es el caso de una mente criminal, de una actuación premeditada. Meursault no habría tenido
razones porque no podía tenerlas. Se trata en cambio, de las circunstancias que lo han abocado al hecho
fatal. Lo absurdo no exalta el crimen como una de sus lógicas consecuencias pero tampoco puede
negarlo, la indiferencia ante toda experiencia y su incomprensión ante toda mediación moral impiden
cualquier posicionamiento. Por eso, nuestro protagonista es llevado por el sentir de sus sensaciones y
mata por el sol. Es lógico, además, que no se atribuya culpa ni remordimiento alguno, aunque era
consciente de que debía de pagar bajo la consideración neutral de su responsabilidad. The most
extreme example of this can be found in his account of killing the Arab. Meursault initially shoots
because of the uncomfortably bright glare reflected off the Arab's knife and later explains to the
courtroom he shot "because of the sun."

Por otro lado, el concepto de Dios supone un ejemplo más de una construcción inalcanzable
para las certezas absurdas. Dios supone para él algo ajeno, carece de importancia. No le interesa negarlo
ni aceptarlo con rotundidad, está fuera de su cosmovisión y por lo tanto, le resulta indiferente. Por esta
razón, conceptos como el pecado con todos sus elementos adheridos: la conciencia obsesionada por el
descenso hacia lo ominoso, la tortura del remordimiento que surge por otorgarle una importancia
desmesurada al sentimiento de culpabilidad, la consecuente necesidad por la redención como parte del
divino sacramento de la reconciliación, a través de la confesión con el propósito de sentirse perdonado;
son todos ellos, un añadido más a la lista de cuestiones que nada le interesan ni tienen que ver con sus
certezas.

The final part of the novel has a great psychological depth. When being sentenced by the court
because of a murder committed in aggravation of an Arab, the accusations do not fall on the fact that
the protagonist has murdered a man but in that he has done it "in cold blood"; also the fact that he has
not expressed any feeling within the death of his mother makes him look as a frivolous person. This
reaction on the part of the court surprises the protagonist. What really bothers people who are in the
trial is not that he is a murderer: the main accusation is based on the fact that the protagonist has no
feeling of guilt whatsoever.

“El extranjero” y el contenido de esta novela es que el protagonista Meursault refleja la filosofía
del absurdo, la sensación de alienación, de desencanto frente a la vida. El aburrimiento, la cotidianidad
lo van haciendo insensible, indiferente y hasta casi despiadado, Ajeno a las normas sociales, el
protagonista practica en cierta forma una especie de honestidad “brutal” contra todas aquellas
convenciones y mecanismos sociales que se presentan como absurdos y manipuladores, en una vida que
parece no tener sentido, y en la que el hombre común es una víctima. La muerte de su madre no lo
conmueve más que la pérdida del perro de su vecino Salamano, sobre la que repara con mayor detalle y
conmiseración. Parecería que da lo mismo ser de una forma que de otra, esto lo convierte en un
extranjero en su tierra, un extranjero de si mismo el no vivía la vida normal se mantenía fuera de la
realidad, por eso el era un extranjero a la vida. Vemos que “el extranjero” toma como referencia el
concepto que se le da al hombre que … en el mito de sisifo (8).

The Stranger tells the story of Meursault, who lives for the sensual pleasures of the present
moment, free of any system of values. Rather than behave in accordance with social norms, Meursault
tries to live as honestly as he can, doing what he wants to do and befriending those whom he likes. He
also refuses to simulate feelings that he does not possess, and thus he does not force himself to cry at
his mother's funeral or to mourn her death too deeply. A series of events leads to the climactic moment
when Meursault haphazardly murders an Arab on the beach. The subsequent trial condemns him not so
much for the murder as for his lack of commitment to the unspoken rules of society.

justo al principio de la novela cuando dice que su madre ha muerto y en vez de expresar los
recuerdos y sentimientos que tenía hacia ella se pone a describir la rutina de su día y se centra más en el
clima que en el suceso en sí. (INCLUIR TEXTO) (TALK ABOUR DETAILS IN THE NARRATION. HOW WORDS
EXPRESS THE CONCEPT OF ABSURD OR EMOTIONLESS: see first page of stranger with notes) This shows
the indifference of Meursault and the concept of the absurd hero is well reflected here due to the fact
that we see a man that is aware that life is meaningless and he does not follow societal norms.

ABSURD FREEDOM (JAIL)

PHILOSOPHICAL SUICIDE (RELIGION, PRIEST)

THE MEANINGLESS OF THE EXISTENCE

IRRATIONALITY OF THE WORLD, JUDGEMENT FROM OTHERS (TRIAL) (MOM’s DEATH AND NO SADNESS
62, AFFAIRS, COFFEE)

CONCLUSION (make sure it encapsulates everything you mentioned before)

The study and analysis of the essay of the myth of Sisyphus helps us to better understand the
novel of The Stranger. The Stranger, along with the essay, the Myth of Sisyphus, is the best exponent of
the absurd man, personified in Meursault, incapable of participating in the emotions that others feel
and who lives his own life, and later misfortune, from the most absolute indifference since they are
absurd. Passivity, carelessness, the absence of feelings characterizes this "stranger" of society and of life,
where everything means nothing to him. The fact that everything is irrelevant and meaningless to him
allows him to be led by an inertia and feel perpetual boredom that makes him an insensitive man and
even inhuman. Reading this book after dwelling on several of the concepts presented in the Myth of
Sisyphus pushes us to get past the ideas, attitudes and beliefs that imprison us in locked-in perceptions
of what this existence is. After getting into the content of the essay and dwelling on several of the
concepts presented there, we will enter the world of the absurd and understand why Meursault is the
way he is, as it is the living reflection of the hero of Camus' absurdity. As we liberate ourselves from our
mental conditioning, suppositions and beliefs we will open our eyes to the world and philosophy of the
absurd of Camus that may help us reflect about our lives and the importance of finding happiness in
what we experience even if all of it is absurd.

Knowing more about the essay changes the perception we have of the main protagonist, Meursault,
whom we can see at first as an insensitive and somewhat selfish man or even think as a psychopath.
After getting into the content of the essay and dwelling on several of the concepts presented there, we
will enter the world of the absurd and understand why Meursault is the way he is, as it is the living
reflection of the hero of Camus' absurdity.

Aronson, Ronald, "Albert Camus", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2017
Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2017/entries/camus/>.