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The Stranger by Albert Camus
Biography of Albert Camusby Katie and Michelle
1913-1960
Albert Camus was born in Modovi, Algeria on November 7, 1913. His mother, Catherine Hélène Sintés, an illiterate cleaning woman, was half-deaf and his father, Lucien Auguste Camus, an itinerant agricultural laborer, died in 1914 in the First World War. Camus grew up in poor conditions in Algiers, but was still accepted into the lycee, where he studied from 1924 to 1932, and later at the University of Algiers where he received his diploma in philosophy in 1936. In 1930 and again in 1949 he battled tuberculosis.
The University of AlgiersHe was married in 1939 to a morphine addict, Simone Hié, but the two were both unfaithful and later divorced. In 1940, he had twins with Francine Faure, a pianist and mathematician, but never married her.
In Paris when the German Whermacht took over he witnessed the execution of Gabriel Peri. He maintained his pacifism and resistance to capital punishment anywhere in the world. One of his most significant contributions to the movement against capital punishment was an essay collaboration with Arthur Koestler, the writer, intellectual, and founder of the League Against Capital Punishment.
Camus was closely linked to his fellow existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre in the 1940s, but he broke with him over Sartre's support to Stalinist politics. With Sartre he founded the left-wing Resistance newspaper Combat, serving as its editor.
In the 1950’s he turned his efforts to human rights, and he was the fundamental creator of the European Union along with George Orwell, which opposed totalitarianism, fascist, and Stalinist reign.
Camus won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1957.
At the time of his death, Camus was planning to direct a theater company of his own and to write a major novel about growing up in Algeria. On January 4, 1960, Camus was killed in a car accident on his way back to Paris with his friend (and publisher) Michel Gallimard. Adding to the tragedy was the fact that Camus disliked cars and had planned to go to Paris by train until Gallimard convinced him to change his mind. The return half of a railway ticket was ironically found in his pocket.
Selected Bibliography (in the order they were written):
- Révolte dans les Asturies, 1936 (with others)
- L'Étranger, 1942 - The Stranger
- Le Mythe de Sisyphe, 1942 - The Myth of Sisyphos
- Le malentendu, 1944 - Cross Purposes
- La Peste, 1947 - The Plague
- L'Homme révolté, 1951 - The Rebel
- L'été, 1954 - Summer
- Requiem pour une nonne, 1956
- La Chute, 1956 - The Fall
- L'éxil et le royaume, 1957 - Exile and the Kingdom
- Discours de Suède, 1958
- Les possédés, 1959 - The Possessed
- Resistance, Rebellion, and Death, 1961
- Carnets, mai 1935-fevrier 1942, 1962 - Notebooks 1935-1951
- Carnets, janvier 1942-mars 1951, 1964 - Notebooks 1935-1951
- Caligula and Three Other Plays, 1958
- Essais, 1965
- Lyrical and Critical Essays, 1968 (ed. by Philip Thody, trans. by Ellen Kennedy)
- Summer, 1968
- Selected Essays and Notebooks, 1970
- La Mort heureuse, 1970 - A Happy Death
- Youthful Writings of Albert Camus, 1976
- Oeuvres complètes, 1983 (9 vols.)
- American Journals, 1987
- Le Premier Homme, 1994 - The First Man
MAIN CHARACTERS by Joel, Jaime
Meursault
joel, jaime
The main character in the novel who tells us his story. He is an atheist and a very detached person. He shows no emotion to anyone in his life. His girlfriend Marie asks him if he loves her and he tells her it doesn't matter and that he will if she wants him to. Marie loves him and Meursault could care less. His mother passes away and while this would normally be a catastrophic event in someones life, it isn't in his. He doesn't cry at the funeral or even care that she is dead. Meursault kills an Arab and is put on trial. During the trial he is perceived as a cold blooded person who is a danger to others because he didn't properly mourn after his mother died. Meursault is in fact a stranger because he is so morally different than everybody else.
Marie
Meursault's gal pal. She is a very attractive woman who loves Meursault even though the feeling is not mutual. She is intrigued by his unusual ways and that is what attracts her to him. She wants to get married but Meursault doesn't really want to. Marie and Meursault's fling began the day after Meursault's mother passed away. Marie stays loyal to Meursault by supporting him through his trial.
Raymond
Meursault's "pal" and next door neighbor. He makes his living being a pimp. He basically uses Meursault to aid him in his activities. He is a violent person and after beating one of his girls asks Meursault to be a witness for him and say that the girl cheated on him. Meursault agrees. Raymond gets Meursault in trouble throughout the story and is the reason Meursault kills the Arab.
Salamano
Another one of Meursault's neighbors. Salamano has an old dog that keeps him company. They have a love hate relationship. The two of them go through the same routine day in and day out, and that ends with Salamano beating him. One day Salamano loses his dog and doesn't know what to do. He ends up going back to his room and crying hoping his dog will come back.
Existentialism and Absurdism in The Stranger by Holly, Addler
Existentialism has been interpreted in a number of different ways by numerous philosophers, authors, and thinkers since it first emerged in the early 20th century. Thus, the term has come to represents a broad spectrum world views. One website, called The Cry, describes existentialism as the belief that man undeniably exists, but through his choices and decisions,man defines his own life. In other words, "we choose, and in choosing... we define ourselves." Whether one's decisions are positive or negative is irrelevant, but the actual act of making a decision allows one to interact with the world. Another website that gives a slightly different twist on existentialism, The Existential Primer, describes the philosophy as attempting to "describe our desire to make rational decisions despite existing in an irrational universe." Each individual knows that he or she is only mortal, and that we are only existing for a dot in the time line of the universe. However, as Camus says, existentialism is "philosophical suicide" if used to ponder life. When one tries to improve his position the world, he or she is ultimately making their life the best it can be. However, a true existentialist knows that perfection is out of reach or man. The Existential Primer quotes Camus as saying, "The existentialists… mock the notion of a complete and fully satisfying life. The life of every man, whether he explicitly recognizes it or not, is marked by irreparable losses. Man cannot help aspiring toward the goods of this world, nor can he help aspiring toward the serene detachment from the things of this world which the traditional philosopher sought; but it is not within his power to achieve either of these ambitions, or having achieved them to find therein the satisfaction he had anticipated."
Absurdism stems from 19th century Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard. Absurdism being related to existentialism and nihilism is a philosophy that asserts that humanity will ultimately fail in its effort to find a meaning to the universe (thus being absurd) because for humanity there exists no such meaning. In this sense absurd refers not to the “logically impossible,” but rather the “humanly impossible.” This traditionally leads to two paths: the conclusion that life is meaningless, therefore all we have is the here and now; or looking for a purpose set by a higher power (usually a god). Kierkegaard believed that faith in God was absurd because as humans his purpose is incomprehensible.
In his own journal Kierkegaard writes:
“What is the Absurd? It is, as may quite easily be seen, that I, a rational being, must act in a case where my reason, my powers of reflection, tell me: you can just as well do the one thing as the other, that is to say where my reason and reflection say: you cannot act and yet here is where I have to act... The Absurd, or to act by virtue of the absurd, is to act upon faith ... I must act, but reflection has closed the road so I take one of the possibilities and say: This is what I do, I cannot do otherwise because I am brought to a standstill by my powers of reflection.” Kierkegaard, Søren. Journals, 1849.
To illustrate this, consider one of Kierkegaard’s famous works “Fear and Trembling.” In the Book of Genesis, God commanded Abraham to lead his beloved son Isaac to a mountaintop to sacrifice him. As Abraham was about to kill Isaac with the dagger, an angel appeared before him to stop him from doing so. Kierkegaard’s analysis asserts that through absurdism, Abraham, “defying all reason and ethical duties (‘you cannot act’), got back his son and reaffirmed his faith (‘where I have to act’).
The Absurd Man
Kierkegaard describes the absurd man as one who embodies the following three traits:
“A rejection of escaping existence” (suicide)
“A rejection of help from a higher power”
“Acceptance of his absurd (and despairing) condition”
"Existentialism on Prom Night" by Straylight Run by Holly
Existentialism has been interpreted in a number of different ways by numerous philosophers, authors, and thinkers since it first emerged in the early 20th century. Thus, the term has come to represents a broad spectrum world views. One website, called The Cry, describes existentialism as the belief that man undeniably exists, but through his choices and decisions,man defines his own life. In other words, "we choose, and in choosing... we define ourselves." Whether one's decisions are positive or negative is irrelevant, but the actual act of making a decision allows one to interact with the world. Another website that gives a slightly different twist on existentialism, The Existential Primer, describes the philosophy as attempting to "describe our desire to make rational decisions despite existing in an irrational universe." Each individual knows that he or she is only mortal, and that we are only existing for a dot in the time line of the universe. However, as Camus says, existentialism is "philosophical suicide" if used to ponder life. When one tries to improve his position the world, he or she is ultimately making their life the best it can be. However, a true existentialist knows that perfection is out of reach or man. The Existential Primer quotes Camus as saying, "The existentialists… mock the notion of a complete and fully satisfying life. The life of every man, whether he explicitly recognizes it or not, is marked by irreparable losses. Man cannot help aspiring toward the goods of this world, nor can he help aspiring toward the serene detachment from the things of this world which the traditional philosopher sought; but it is not within his power to achieve either of these ambitions, or having achieved them to find therein the satisfaction he had anticipated."
Absurdism stems from 19th century Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard. Absurdism being related to existentialism and nihilism is a philosophy that asserts that humanity will ultimately fail in its effort to find a meaning to the universe (thus being absurd) because for humanity there exists no such meaning. In this sense absurd refers not to the “logically impossible,” but rather the “humanly impossible.” This traditionally leads to two paths: the conclusion that life is meaningless, therefore all we have is the here and now; or looking for a purpose set by a higher power (usually a god). Kierkegaard believed that faith in God was absurd because as humans his purpose is incomprehensible.
In his own journal Kierkegaard writes:
“What is the Absurd? It is, as may quite easily be seen, that I, a rational being, must act in a case where my reason, my powers of reflection, tell me: you can just as well do the one thing as the other, that is to say where my reason and reflection say: you cannot act and yet here is where I have to act... The Absurd, or to act by virtue of the absurd, is to act upon faith ... I must act, but reflection has closed the road so I take one of the possibilities and say: This is what I do, I cannot do otherwise because I am brought to a standstill by my powers of reflection.” Kierkegaard, Søren. Journals, 1849.
To illustrate this, consider one of Kierkegaard’s famous works “Fear and Trembling.” In the Book of Genesis, God commanded Abraham to lead his beloved son Isaac to a mountaintop to sacrifice him. As Abraham was about to kill Isaac with the dagger, an angel appeared before him to stop him from doing so. Kierkegaard’s analysis asserts that through absurdism, Abraham, “defying all reason and ethical duties (‘you cannot act’), got back his son and reaffirmed his faith (‘where I have to act’).
The Absurd Man
Kierkegaard describes the absurd man as one who embodies the following three traits:
“A rejection of escaping existence” (suicide)
“A rejection of help from a higher power”
“Acceptance of his absurd (and despairing) condition”
"Existentialism on Prom Night" by Straylight Run by Holly
A modern-day take on existentialism through the eyes of a younger generation
MUSIC AND FILM
RECREATED SCENE IN ENGLISH
The first scene of the film Breathless by Godard in 1960
This scene made decades after the Stranger was written has a strong connection to the absurdism that is proposed in the Stranger. The main character in this film kills a cop and then decides to go to Paris to find his American girlfriend. While you watch the film think about the differences and similarities between Meursualt and Godard's character. by Michelle
ACTUAL SCENE IN FRENCH
The first scene of the film Breathless by Godard in 1960
This scene made decades after the Stranger was written has a strong connection to the absurdism that is proposed in the Stranger. The main character in this film kills a cop and then decides to go to Paris to find his American girlfriend. While you watch the film think about the differences and similarities between Meursualt and Godard's character. by Michelle
ACTUAL SCENE IN FRENCH
THE CURE - KILLING AN ARAB by Shawn
The Cure's "Killing an Arab" was released in December 1978 and immediately became the cause of much controversy. The song is based on Albert Camus' "The Stranger". The lyrics outline the moment when Meursault unexpectedly shoots an Arab man on the beach. Camus uses names to refer to every character in his story except the man who he simply referred to as "the Arab". The killing of the Arab allows Meursault to reflect back on the life he has lived. The song (as seen below) is a perfect fit for Meursault's dispassionate demeanor.
The Cure defended their song against the critics, claiming that it did not advocate violence against the Arabs. Though, through time, The Cure has often changed the lyrics of their song to "kissing the Arab" or to "killing another" to avoid any accusations of ill-feelings toward the Arab community.
The Cure's "Killing an Arab" was released in December 1978 and immediately became the cause of much controversy. The song is based on Albert Camus' "The Stranger". The lyrics outline the moment when Meursault unexpectedly shoots an Arab man on the beach. Camus uses names to refer to every character in his story except the man who he simply referred to as "the Arab". The killing of the Arab allows Meursault to reflect back on the life he has lived. The song (as seen below) is a perfect fit for Meursault's dispassionate demeanor.
The Cure defended their song against the critics, claiming that it did not advocate violence against the Arabs. Though, through time, The Cure has often changed the lyrics of their song to "kissing the Arab" or to "killing another" to avoid any accusations of ill-feelings toward the Arab community.
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