Why You're So Lonely | Camus' The Stranger
Summary
TLDRThis video explores the theme of isolation in Albert Camus' novel 'The Stranger', analyzing the protagonist Meursault's indifference and its impact on his relationships and society's judgment. It discusses how Meursault's alienation is a reflection of the universe's indifference, leading to his eventual acceptance of the absurd. The video also delves into how Camus uses Meursault's story to challenge our understanding of morality, social norms, and the search for meaning in a seemingly meaningless world.
Takeaways
- π The protagonist Meursault in 'The Stranger' experiences profound alienation and indifference, which sets him apart from society and leads to his doom.
- π The novel explores the feeling of isolation and the search for companionship, highlighting the struggle to connect with others despite efforts.
- π Meursault's indifference is a reflection of his belief in the lack of objective value in the world, which distances him from societal norms and relationships.
- π The text dissects how Meursault's actions, such as his response to his mother's death and his relationship with Marie, demonstrate his emotional detachment.
- π₯ The societal judgment and condemnation Meursault faces during his trial are more focused on his character and indifference rather than the act of killing itself.
- π The novel delves into the human fear of the unknown and the chaos it can cause, as seen in the reactions to Meursault's incomprehensible behavior.
- π Meursault's alienation is a two-way street; while he is alien to others, they are also alien to him, creating a mutual state of confusion and hostility.
- π The script suggests that we all have elements of the absurd in our lives, where the search for meaning can lead to feelings of isolation.
- π The final chapter reveals Meursault's acceptance of the universe's indifference, finding peace and happiness in his own philosophy of absurdism.
- π 'The Stranger' is celebrated as a rich philosophical novel that intertwines existential alienation with the search for meaning and personal identity.
Q & A
What is the main theme explored in 'The Stranger' by Albert Camus?
-The main theme explored in 'The Stranger' is the concept of existential isolation and the absurdity of the human condition, where the protagonist, Meursault, experiences alienation and indifference in a universe that is indifferent to human concerns.
How does Meursault's indifference to his mother's death set the tone for his character in 'The Stranger'?
-Meursault's indifference to his mother's death is a pivotal moment that sets the tone for his character, highlighting his detachment from societal norms and expectations, and foreshadowing his ultimate alienation from others throughout the novel.
What role does the sun play in Meursault's actions in 'The Stranger'?
-In 'The Stranger', the sun plays a significant role in Meursault's actions, particularly during the murder scene, where its blinding light and heat contribute to his confusion and subsequent violent reaction, symbolizing the absurdity and randomness of life.
How does the trial in 'The Stranger' reflect the society's judgment of Meursault?
-The trial in 'The Stranger' reflects society's judgment of Meursault by focusing less on the murder itself and more on his character and perceived moral failings, such as his lack of emotion over his mother's death, highlighting his alienation from societal norms.
What does Meursault's relationship with Marie reveal about his indifference?
-Meursault's relationship with Marie reveals his indifference in that he enjoys her company and is attracted to her but does not attach any deeper meaning to their relationship, such as love, which he considers meaningless.
How does Camus use the character of Raymond to explore themes of morality and indifference in 'The Stranger'?
-Camus uses the character of Raymond to explore themes of morality and indifference by contrasting Meursault's nonchalance towards Raymond's violent tendencies with societal expectations of moral judgment, thereby questioning the nature of right and wrong.
What is the significance of the magistrate's reaction to Meursault's lack of belief in God in 'The Stranger'?
-The magistrate's reaction to Meursault's lack of belief in God is significant as it underscores the protagonist's alienation from religious and moral norms, reflecting the broader theme of the absurd and the incompatibility of Meursault's worldview with the society he lives in.
How does Meursault's outlook on life pose a threat to society in the eyes of others in 'The Stranger'?
-Meursault's outlook on life is seen as a threat to society because his indifference to conventional values and morality challenges the established order, making him an enigmatic and potentially destabilizing figure in the eyes of others.
What does the title 'The Stranger' signify in the context of the novel?
-The title 'The Stranger' signifies the protagonist's status as an outsider and his existential isolation, both from society and from any sense of inherent meaning or purpose in life.
How does Camus explore the concept of the absurd in 'The Stranger'?
-Camus explores the concept of the absurd in 'The Stranger' through Meursault's experiences and reactions to the world around him, which highlight the lack of inherent meaning in life and the human struggle to find purpose in an indifferent universe.
What is the turning point for Meursault's understanding of his place in the world in 'The Stranger'?
-The turning point for Meursault's understanding of his place in the world comes at the end of the novel when he reconciles with the universe's indifference, finding solace and happiness in his own absurd existence, thus no longer feeling like a stranger.
Outlines
π Alienation and Indifference
The paragraph introduces the theme of existential alienation and indifference through the lens of Albert Camus' 'The Stranger'. It discusses the protagonist's inability to connect with others and his indifference to societal norms and values. The protagonist's disconnection is highlighted by his lack of emotional response to his mother's death and his casual approach to relationships and violence, reflecting a broader commentary on the human condition and the search for meaning in an absurd world.
π§ The Outsider's Perspective
This section delves into the protagonist's status as an outsider, someone who does not conform to societal expectations or values. His indifference is not a result of rebellion but a genuine lack of concern for societal norms. This detachment leads to a sense of alienation, which many can relate to in moments of existential crisis. The paragraph also touches on the absurdity of life, where despite longing for meaning, we often find the universe indifferent to our desires.
π Confusion and Condemnation
The narrative continues with the protagonist's trial, where the focus is not on the act of killing but on his unusual disposition that sets him apart from others. The prosecutor and society at large are threatened by his indifference, viewing it as a challenge to their moral norms. The paragraph explores how society reacts to those who do not conform, often with fear and hostility, and how this reaction is a reflection of humanity's discomfort with the unknown.
π€ The Search for Understanding
Here, the text examines the protagonist's interactions with authority figures who struggle to comprehend his lack of religious belief and moral values. His indifference is met with confusion and anger, leading to his condemnation as an 'Antichrist'. The paragraph illustrates the human fear of the unknown and the tendency to judge and condemn what we cannot understand, highlighting the absurdity of seeking reasons and values in a universe that may not have any.
π± Embracing the Absurd
In the final chapter, the protagonist experiences a philosophical epiphany. Rather than rejecting his indifference, he comes to terms with it, finding peace in the universe's indifference towards him. He realizes that his outlook mirrors the universe's, and this realization brings him a sense of belonging and happiness. The paragraph discusses how one can find comfort in accepting the absurdity of life and the meaninglessness of the universe.
π Literature's Exploration of Isolation
The final paragraph reflects on 'The Stranger' as a profound examination of isolation, not just on a personal or societal level, but at the core of our philosophical understanding. It suggests that Camus' work offers insights into dealing with feelings of loneliness and alienation by embracing absurdism, which can provide comfort in accepting the universe's indifference.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Alienation
π‘Indifference
π‘Absurdism
π‘Isolation
π‘Meaninglessness
π‘Mourning
π‘Trial
π‘Confusion
π‘Philosophical Outlook
π‘Existential Isolation
π‘The Absurd
Highlights
The protagonist's indifference to societal norms and values sets him apart and leads to his doom.
Meursault's alienation is reflected in his language and matter-of-fact monologues.
Meursault's lack of emotional investment is evident in his relationship with Marie.
Meursault's ambivalence extends to his interactions with the violent character Raymond.
Meursault's inability to feel remorse is indicative of his broader indifference to morality.
Meursault's existential crisis is a reflection of the absurdist view of life.
The novel explores the feeling of alienation and the search for companionship.
Meursault's trial becomes a platform to judge his character rather than his crime.
The prosecutor's focus on Meursault's indifference highlights societal discomfort with non-conformity.
Meursault's lack of remorse and his actions are used to paint him as a moral monster.
The novel challenges the reader to confront their own fear of meaninglessness.
Meursault's alienation is a catalyst for philosophical contemplation on the nature of existence.
The theme of confusion and chaos is central to understanding Meursault's character.
Meursault's confrontation with the prison chaplain marks a turning point in his understanding of the absurd.
Meursault's final acceptance of the universe's indifference leads to a sense of peace.
The novel concludes with Meursault finding happiness in the absurdity of life.
Camus uses Meursault's story to explore the philosophical problem of existential isolation.
The Stranger is presented as an insightful examination of what it means to be alone.
Transcripts
mother died today or maybe yesterday I
can't be sure have you ever got the
sense that you are fundamentally
alienated from other people that despite
all your attempts to connect you cannot
find someone you have a real
companionship with no matter what you do
and no matter how hard you try there is
always some barrier that separates you
from other people you seem to be
different but not in a way that Sparks
Joy or Pride but instead one that just
makes you feel terrifyingly alone I
would wager that many of us have
experienced this isolation in smaller or
greater Doses and nowhere is this
feeling articulated better than an Alber
Chu's Landmark novel The Stranger I've
referenced it before on this channel in
the context of absurdism but today I
want to tackle it from a different angle
I want to look at what the protagonist's
experience of being an outsider can tell
us about our own lives and how we might
slowly learn to make peace with this
creeping feeling of being totally alone
in the universe get ready to learn how
philosophy can make you isolated how
those that don't understand you can
become cruel and heartless and so much
more bear in mind that this is such a
notoriously Rich text that I will only
be able to cover a fraction of its true
depth here and you can check out my
other video on absurdism if you want
some greater historical context but
without further Ado let's look at the
foundational property of our protagonist
the one that both sets him aparts from
everybody else and eventually spells his
Doom one indifference and difference the
first half of the stranger follows our
hero moo as he goes about his daily life
in French Algeria the book opens with
him burying his recently deceased mother
before pivoting to a series of vignettes
where he interacts with Marie his
mistress Raymond a violent criminal and
salamano a very old man with an
incredibly sick dog and the
extraordinary thing about Mero the thing
that alienates him from the rest of
society even at this early stage is his
total indifference to everything that
other people care about this manifests
in every faucet of his life but perhaps
the most prominent way it is displayed
is not in anything moo outright says or
does in the novel but instead in the way
kamu uses language throughout the text
mos in a monologue is remarkably matter
of fact he will describe seemingly
pointless details like the heat of the
sun alongside what most people would
consider far more important matters like
outright threats to his life moo sees
the entire world as if it is through a
gray filter nothing is ever that great
or that bad it is all in different
shades of indifference in other words
everything matters roughly the same
amount to him which is to say not at all
for instance in his romantic
relationship with Marie he finds great
enjoyment in her company and is clearly
incredibly attracted to her in all
respects he seems emotionally invested
in their budding relationship but when
she outright asks him if he loves her he
replies that it doesn't mean anything
either way but he doesn't think so the
particular way kamu puts this is vital
it is not just that moo does not love
Marie it is that he does not value love
itself but this is also not the spiteful
Rebellion against love that we see in
some other stories moo is not kicking
his feet against romance nor is he lying
to project some pseudo stoic image it is
as simple and honest as he says he just
doesn't think it matters this phenomenon
which almost everyone else seems to hold
in high esteem strikes moo as pointless
combined with Moo's remark that his
mother's passing has not really changed
anything this provides a valuable
insight into his character when it comes
to personal relationships a pillar of
what most people think makes their lives
meaningful he is deeply indifferent and
his ambivalence does not stop there we
have already mentioned raymont the
unsavory character moo becomes friends
with near the beginning of the novel
raymont tells moo to write a note in
order to lure one of his old girlfriends
back to his flat for the express purpose
of berting humiliating and possibly
beating her surprisingly for the
supposed hero of our story moo agrees
but it is not with conspiratorial Glee
but again with calm indifference he
condemns a woman to violence with a
shrug of his shoulders he does not mind
where the Raymond attacks this woman or
not the whole moral matter strikes him
as a triviality the fact that Raymond is
violent and cruel does not concern him
he certainly doesn't see it as a
positive but he doesn't see it as a
negative either this gels rather well
with something Maro says later in the
novel about being unable to feel remorse
again it is not that he is deliberately
immoral or malicious he's certainly not
outright cruel but morality is just
another thing he doesn't particularly
value to him it is as strange as some
people would view my habit of collecting
hardback books or one of my good friends
obsession with Lego this is the first
Brick in the Wall between himself and
others moo may not call himself a
philosopher but he has seen the lack of
objective value in the world and this
has seeped deep into his psyche he thus
holds the world and everyone else in it
at a distance in effect he has very
little in common with almost everyone
around him they are still in mesed in
their social roles their sets of values
and their ideas of right and wrong he
just can't bring himself to care about
any of this this does not make him
particularly sad or particularly happy
but it does cut him off from relating to
and forging bonds with other people and
it sets him apart from the whole rest of
his Society it is what makes him a
stranger to everyone and while we might
not fully relate to so's position of
valuing basically nothing many of us
will be familiar with this sudden
feeling of alienation of seeing yourself
in the third person or the world
suddenly striking us as completely
mundane we might be sitting in a coffee
shop or at work or chatting with friends
when in an instant we become painfully
aware of the sheer pointlessness of it
all our life ceases to feel like a
hero's journey and instead becomes a
hamster wheel at that moment it feels
like we're observing ourselves from afar
and whatever we're doing starts to feel
bizarre why am I doing this we ask and
we cannot find a satisfactory answer the
people around us transform from warm
familiar faces we can relate to to
unconvincing masks placed at top
mysterious unknown thoughts we become
acutely aware of the brevity of Our
Lives the meaninglessness of our daily
existence and our ultimate Solitude in a
universe that does not care about us and
could not even if it tried and we look
around at everyone else wondering if
they are thinking the same thing in Kam
terminology we have caught a glimpse of
the Absurd the fact that despite our
longing there is no meaning out in the
universe for many of us the sighting
will be brief and we will eventually
fall back into the unconscious habits of
our everyday lives but what makes Mero
so remarkable is that he does not do
this having come to realize that
everything is pointless he nonetheless
continues to live but this personal
philosophy marks him out as different
and isolated and alone and if there is
one thing that people don't take kindly
to it is this sort of difference if you
want to help me make more videos like
this then please consider subscribing to
my Channel or my patreon the links are
in the description two judgment and
condemnation the second half of cmu's
novel is dominated by Moo's trial
essentially Raymond developed a rivalry
with another man the brother of the
woman that he was so cruel to at the
beginning of the book Raymond and Mero
go on a beach Excursion and while they
are out they encounter this man and some
friends and they become involved in a
physical altercation that wounds raymont
then when he is strolling along the
beach later that day moo bumps into
Raymond's rival again who draws a knife
dazzling moo with the reflection of the
Sun in the confusion moo shoots the man
dead and fires four more shots into his
body for good measure unsurprisingly moo
is put on trial for this but very little
focus is given to the events of the
crime the prosecutor seems unconcerned
with whether Moo's victim actually meant
him harm and whether this was a killing
in self-defense or an aggress crime
instead he focuses on Moo's General
disposition the things that set him
apart from other people this begins with
an examination of how moo felt about his
mother's passing the prosecutor
questions why he was so unbothered by
her death he points to his nonchalance
at his mother's funeral how he offered
someone a cigarette and accepted coffee
how he did not cry and didn't want to
look upon his mother's body essentially
the prosecutor reveals just how
unusually Mero behaved and how out of
Step this was with the proper way of
doing things the assembled crowd seee in
their hatred for Mero because they are
convinced he is a callous and uncaring
son and in a sense they're right he
flies in the face of their moral Norms
he is strange to them this Hammer home
Moo's sense of alienation and he even
describes wanting to cry for the first
time in years this points to the fact
that moo despite all of his General
indifference still yearns to be
understood by other people put a pin in
that because it will become an important
point after this his relationship with
Marie is called into question how could
this man so soon after his mother's
death begin an affair with this young
lady where was his sense of decorum
where was his mourning for that matter
what was he doing striking up a
friendship with raymont how could he
justify writing a letter that would
deliver a young woman to a beating why
did he get involved in Raymond's
disputes with these other men former so
the answer to these questions is obvious
it is because he did not mind either way
and so went along with whatever struck
him as easiest or most interesting in
the moment his General non-committal
attitude to life made him very easily
swayed by external circumstances and as
we said in the last section his
indifference allowed him to remain
Untouched by his mother's death enjoy
his time with Marie without becoming at
all attached and Aid Raymond in his
dastardly schemes all while staying in
the same calm Bland mental state while
other people perceive him as a kind of
malicious monster able to kill without a
second thought and eating the world he
ultimately just lives an existence so
alien to the people of French alers that
What mattered to them simply struck him
as pointless they may condemn him and
they may kill him but are they justified
in judging him by standards that strike
him as completely absurd moo doesn't
even seem to understand why they're
interested in his behavior at all at the
end of the trial the prosecutor
describes Moo's philosophical Outlook as
an abyss threatening to swallow up
society and I I think this is a really
important point the jurors and the
assembled public are less concerned with
what moo has done and more threatened by
his Outlook this is not entirely
irrational of them we all might have
good reason to fear someone who does not
care about their fellow man or morality
but at the same time I think there is
something deeper going on moo by his
very existence is posing them a question
they simply don't want to confront what
if we truly do live in a world devoid of
meaning waiting to devour us at the
point of death what if indifference is
the sole sensible position and we only
continue to care about anything because
of our inability to look facts in the
face once again moo is alienated by his
philosophy because of what it
unwittingly forces on other people and
as Jean Paul satra points out in his
famous essay on the stranger the reader
is not exempt from this analysis
although many will relate to Moo's sense
of alienation from the world and perhaps
even sympathize with his devaluation of
social norms not not many people are
going to find his complete apathy
towards the fact that he has killed a
man particularly Charming nor his
willingness to Aid Raymond in his plot
to violently harm a young woman in
presenting us with someone so at odds
with our own worldview kamu is asking us
a question as well can we truly cope
with an absurd man someone who does not
discriminate between different
experiences and who thinks that any life
is as good as any other who is able to
look at the emptiness of existence
without flinching and lives their life
accordingly or do we just see a dire
threat to our way of life in some ways
the reaction of the crowd and the reader
to Moo is the same reaction many of us
have towards this concept of
meaninglessness many of us find the idea
that nothing matters repugnant and since
moo is this concept personified we find
him slightly disgusting as well but kamu
forces us to ask why this is and he
questions whether our judgment truly
comes from a place of philosophical and
moral concern and consistency or whether
it simply stems from our own fear and
maybe some of us can relate to Moo's
plight maybe we have Properties or hold
certain positions that are out of step
with the moral system we happen to live
in perhaps we are an atheist in a deeply
religious community or a maligned
religious sect if so we may be used to
the idea that we are a threat to the
moral order and should be dispensed with
forth withth I've said this before but
one of the great strengths of kamu
writings is that he is able to show us
people who are truly Beyond good and
evil and challenge us to react to them
in an honest and authentic fashion how
do we respond when the Absurd is thrust
in our face and how should we respond
but the hatred Mero receives at the
hands of his jury is partly due to a
near Universal human phenomenon and one
we might have good reason to be scared
of three confusion and Chaos perhaps one
of the deepest human fears is the fear
of the unknown even our Terror at the
concept of death is partly because we
don't know know what happens to us
afterwards hence why the notion of an
afterlife can bring some people great
peace in their final days humanity is
adept at conquering those aspects of the
world we cannot yet make sense of this
is something religion science philosophy
art and more all have in common they are
often trying to make something we
currently find incomprehensible that bit
more understandable either by crafting
empirical theories or mathematical
models or by communicating a message in
a particular way and kamu novel
illustrates just how disturbing it can
be when we are confronted with something
we just cannot get our heads around as I
said before throughout all the
interrogations and trials the people
examining Mero show very little interest
in his actual crime they seem untroubled
by the mere fact that he has killed a
man and possibly done so In Cold Blood
instead they are constantly searching
for a way to make sense of him to slot
him neatly into their worldview they
cannot understand his Outlook and the
Mystery of this is what terrifies them
most of all first there is the
magistrate who talks to when he has
brought him for questioning he is
fascinated by the fact moo does not
believe in God but even more so that he
treats the whole proposition with total
indifference the magistrate just cannot
understand why someone could not be at
all concerned with the matters of the
Divine talking about it in the same tone
of voice as you might wonder what you
were going to have for breakfast even an
atheist might recognize that the
question of God's existence is an
important one but moo is different he is
just unbothered this incomprehensibility
is further when moo is asked why he left
a gap between his first shot and his
later shots this is a perfectly sensible
question to ask it may hints that moo
truly did want the man dead whether or
not he was initially acting in
self-defense you can imagine the kind of
answers the magistrate might expect moo
might have claimed that the man was
getting up to attack him or that he
wasn't sure that he had been neutralized
as a threat but moo just seems genuinely
perplexed by the question answering only
that he doesn't know the shots are an
insoluble mystery even to the man who
was wielding the gun the Magistrate's
confusion at muro's Behavior causes him
to treat Mero with a mixture of anger
and disgust he says he has never known
someone to be so unaffected by the image
of Christ's suffering or to be so eerily
calm about this whole event he might be
able to deal with criminals both
rebellious and repentant but this
bizarre attachment was too foreign too
alien to him he eventually decides to
call moo mure Antichrist A fitting name
that denotes the Magistrate's opinion of
him a Monster not quite of this world
yet deceptively in human form this theme
of confusion leading to condemnation and
judgment becomes even more pointed
during Moo's trial where his silence and
indifference make him appear strange to
the jury and the craft again no one
seems interested in the fact that moo
has actually killed a man they do not
dwell on the suffering of the victim or
how it has affected his family they
essentially do not care about the crime
at all but only the unique questions moo
poses they want to make sense of of him
to find out what makes him tick they
want to conquer this little slice of the
unknown that terrifies them so much of
course the largely indifferent Moo Can
Only explain his actions in ways that
are totally unsatisfactory in response
to the question of why he shot his
victim he says it was because of the Sun
and he is being perfectly honest here
the sun blinded him making him confused
and he only ever moved towards the man
because he felt the sun's heat on his
back and was trying to escape it maso's
movements were not ated by a reasoned
will but rather by these vague
animalistic impulses but of course the
jury only laughs off this answer they
want to know what reasons and values LED
Mero to committing this crime and he
simply has no answer a large part of why
the prosecutor deems Mero this grave
philosophical threat to society and why
he eventually asks for the death penalty
is because of this intense confusion
everybody feels towards him he is an
unknown element something so strange he
is difficult to look at they do not know
what he will do next or what he values
or what motivates his actions they
cannot change him and they cannot make
sense of him so they consign him to the
Flames sentencing him to the guillotine
and this confusion is shared by Maro
just like the jury cannot make sense of
his indifference he can't understand why
they behave in certain ways he does not
get why he should have been more upset
by his mother's death nor why his
behavior with Marie is deemed
inappropriate their morals are as
strange to him as his lack of morals are
to to us this shared bewilderment opens
an unbridgeable Chasm between Mero and
the rest of mankind and it eventually
breaks out into hostility hence he is
sentenced to death first it is worth
noting that maro's strangeness is just
an extreme form of the way we are all
somewhat alien to one another sure we
may in fact share values experiences and
memories with others but there is always
the barrier of people's skulls
preventing us from fully knowing what's
going on in their mind the paranoia the
have about muro's psychology is a
heightened version of an unease we can
all feel when we recognize how much of
other people's minds are forever bar off
to us our best friend could secretly
hate us our partner could be cheating on
us and anyone at any moment could embark
on a course of action that we would find
totally confusing and incomprehensible
all because of this unbridgeable gap
between our Consciousness and the
consciousness of everyone around us we
are all strangers just not to the same
extent moo refuses to make himself even
a little bit understandable to others
and it throws people into a violent
frenzy they hate him far more than he
ever hated the man he killed it is a
stark reminder of how vicious humans can
be when they encounter the unknown and
since we are all to a certain extent
unknown to one another this leaves a
bitter taste in our mouths how would
people react we might think if they knew
what I was really like the desperate
search for a theory to explain Moo's
Behavior also serves as an analogy for
how we encounter the absurd we want the
universe to be understandable like a
rational human agent we want it to have
Concepts like good and evil and to be
interested in us in some way but it does
not and is not and many of us find this
idea unbearable we might be able to cope
with a universe that hated us but one
that does not know we exist and cannot
understand us is so terrifyingly Bland
that it can throw us into a crisis in
classic fashion kamu manages to comment
both on our interpersonal alienation and
our existential isolation in a single
literary Master stroke it is no wonder
that this has gone down as one of the
richest philosophical novels in history
but finally I want to explore how moo
learns to deal with this alienation how
he transforms the world from something
he is simply indifferent to into his
dear friend without abandoning his
philosophical principle that nothing
really matters four the comfort of the
Absurd for many people the idea that the
universe is indifferent to us can seem
distressing masso's attitude of total
apathy towards the world can come across
as incredibly Bleak and sometimes the
line between absurdism and nihilism
seems very thin but in the final chapter
of the book where moo is awaiting his
execution we see him undergo a
philosophical breakthrough in a lot of
other stories not written by kamu this
would be where maso learns the error of
his ways rejecting his prior
indifference and deciding that morality
love and family are truly worth
something but but of course this book is
written by kamu and so moo does remain
indifferent and alienated but at the
same time manages to make peace with
this fact his Revelation is sparked by a
conversation with the prison chaplain
just like everybody else he finds Moo's
Outlook strange and absurd the chaplain
refuses to accept that moo is different
and that he truly does not see the value
in the prospect of higher meaning or an
afterlife or anything else for that
matter eventually Mero becomes enraged
by the priest's refusal to even try to
see his point of view and throws him out
of the cell there is no one who seems to
understand moo no matter how hard he
tries to get his point across it is
simply beyond their limits to see him as
anything other than a weird anomaly a
human defect a philosophical Abomination
he shouts at the priest that he means
exactly what he says that nothing
matters and he does not see why he
should care about any of it moo seems
relieved by this outburst and when he
settles back into to bed he realizes
that there is something similar to him
and that is the universe itself his
Outlook is simply a reflection of the
world's indifference and as long as this
Remains the case he is not truly alone
he may be a stranger to everyone else
but to the cosmos he is perhaps the most
sensible person on the planet in that
moment he no longer feels like he is
kicking against hostile and vengeful
crowds but instead sees them for what
they are future corpses shouting at
nothing amounting to nothing signifying
nothing in his own words I opened myself
to the gentle indifference of the world
finding it so much like myself so like a
brother really I felt I had been happy
and that I was happy again as is often
the case with kamu this passage
communicates two thoughts simultaneously
the first is that moo has now fully
accepted the meaninglessness of the
universe he is no longer troubled by the
Absurd in the slightest and has moved
past it finding happiness in
indifference rather than just
indifference but for the first time in
the novel he has also ceased to be a
stranger for the rest of the book Maro
is constantly in contrast with people
that are fundamentally opposed to his
worldview Marie wants him to notice the
value in her love Raymond wants him to
be alive to his anger and the courts
want him to recognize that he should
have mourned his mother everywhere he
has turned marau has found opposition
and condemnation he has been made
strange but it is in these final moments
awaiting his execution that he finally
discovered was a friend he may be alien
to everyone else but he is at peace with
himself and with the world as it appears
to him just as absurdism is coming to
terms with the universe's
meaninglessness rather than attempting
to inject meaning into it m so
transcends the need to have others
accept him or even understand him he has
embraced his position as an outsider and
has found satisfaction in it at the
philosophical level he is able to live
with meaninglessness and at the everyday
level he has made sense of his position
as isolated alone and resented the only
thing he wishes is for there to be a
large crowd of braying hating people at
his execution and this is emblematic of
a theme that will only become more
prominent in kamu later works like the
rebel and the fall the problem of
existential meaning and how to move past
the Absurd is inexorably tied up with
our own everyday problems of Cruelty
violence political struggle isolation
social unrest and morality it is all
considered part of one enormous thorny
problem in the stranger Camu ties
together the issues of being alone
isolated and judged and the problem of
an indifferent universe and paints a
form of absurdism as the answer both to
the larger philosophical concern but
also to the very real and concrete issue
of when we feel unbearably alone
paradoxically just as we can imagine
Copus happy in his pointless task the
universe itself becomes Moo's companion
its indifference becomes not crushing
but comforting and we move through the
problem of our incomprehensible
isolation rather than running from it or
rejecting it and this for me is what
makes the stranger one of the most
exciting and insightful examinations of
what it means to be alone in all
literature it paints isolation not just
as a problem of the person or of society
or of psychology but one that cuts at
the deepest level of our fundamental
philosophy and I hope this video has
encouraged you to give it a read but if
you want more more on the way kamu
meshes absurdism with more everyday
problems then click here to see how he
approaches the topic of guilt and shame
from the standpoint of the Absurd it's
also perhaps one of the most terrifying
books I've ever read so there's that and
stick around for more on thinking to
improve your life
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