Existentialism: When the evil is good

The other day, I brought up the concept of existential nihilism to my mother, stating that it essentially means that “there is no meaning to life”. She responded with a quip about how I was being “morbid”, which, of course, I quickly responded with the statement that a meaningless life is not necessarily morbid. The Stranger, a novel by Albert Camus, at first glance by a high schooler, seems to be an ‘easy read’, with its clearly worded sentences, lack of confusing language, and simple description of actions, rather than mindless thoughts. Unfortunately, or fortunately (you choose), the Stranger has thousands of nuances, each leading to a new connection, making you question your every action and thought, or in my case, your entire existence, making it easy for one to consider the story itself, and the concept of existentialism as morbid.

For more context on the existential crisis, which the Stranger is plenty capable of sending one into, please reference my abundance of knowledge which I have unlocked from my AP US History knowledge: 

Absurdist fiction became more prevalent in the 1950s, leading into the ’60s. Unfortunately, there is no set time period regarding the questioning of the meaning of life, but the treacherous demise of millions of soldiers all over the world led to an era with an utter lack of connection to the rest of society. The “Lost Generation” of post-World War 1 allowed writers to pour their thoughts and absurdist ideals into their art, as Albert Camus did. 

This type of literature, as explained by Ana Mikatadze, is filled with irrationality and a lack of story structure, as the author writes in order to exemplify the concept of absurdity and existentialism within every aspect (Mikadze). Camus’s inability to find meaning after World War One prompted him to merge his own difficulties with the character he began to create: Meursault. 

Essentially, the overwhelming absurdity felt by the “Lost Generation” led to these feelings being poured into literature, as the Stranger was created. As I turn back to the legitimate substance of the novel, I’d like to remind you that each point made correlates not only back to Camus’s isolation decades ago, but the isolation of every single one of us throughout society. We are each “The Stranger”, estranged by our own thoughts. The overwhelming mindset of existentialism throughout the Stranger eventually leads to an isolated main character as he ponders the meaning of life with a nihilistic approach. 

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The Six Themes of Existentialism, according to From Socrates to Sartre: The Philosophic Quest by T.Z. Lavine

1. Existence:

According to existentialism, we are nothing but our conscious existence (Lavine).  Taken literally, our existence means ‘to each their own’. Existence described as “the awareness of our choices” (UK essays), Meursault wants his life to be a simple chain of events, based upon his own actions. We are in control of ourselves, not one to be influenced by others. We are in power of our own destinies, as Meursault is throughout the novel.

Sometime within their relationship, Marie asks Meursault if he would like to marry her. His response was less than satisfactory, clearly full of ambivalence towards the decision, which clearly correlates to his innate nihilism. He told her that “it didn’t make any difference to [him] and that [they] could if she wanted to” (Camus 41), as his approach to love and marriage became clear. His choices in this situation, though his own, did not make any significant alteration in his life. His existence, at its core, does not change, though many would consider marriage a life-changing act because Meursault is aware of his actions. His monotone way of narrating additionally adds to the idea that his ambivalence stems from his true character- his nihilistic outlook. 

2. Absurdity:

Absurdity as a theme of existentialism focuses on the fact that we have been placed in this world at a certain time and situation, regardless of whether there is reasoning. The fact that we are a part of the world around us is showcased by Meursualt’s obsession with the physical world. Apparent through infrequent examples throughout the novel, Meursault’s thoughts oftentimes are engulfed by his physical needs, reminding us that though he may sound like a robot while narrating, his needs and wants are all evidently human. Meursault’s disconnect with his own emotions contrasts his desire for water, food, temperature, and sex. Even at his mother’s funeral, when emotions should be peaking, Meursault’s descriptions circle around the fact that he is sleepy, repeating this fact multiple times. Later held on trial for the very fact that he does not refuse coffee when offered, his inability to ignore or lose focus on his needs, even during times of crisis, is portrayed as abnormal. Upon being showcased to the jury, which represents what is normal in society, Meursault is deemed as ‘weird’. He is overtaken by the physical world, relating back to the fact that he is consciously aware of his presence on Earth, but not his emotional presence in the lives of others.

3. Nothingness:

Though existentialism may not be morbid, as many think, the idea is immensely dissatisfying. With no purpose, every action becomes pointless, leaving one alone and unmotivated. Though this is not the cause with Meursault, he feels as if being pushed into a void. He moves through his days with no direction. He is a part of society but finds no use in passions that many hold close: religion, science, philosophy. Meursault is firmly against God and all religion. Days before his death, a Priest comes to see him, pronouncing that he should look to God in his last moments. Meursualt continues to describe believing in God as wasteful, saying that he had “only a little time left and [he] didn’t want to waste it on God”(Camus 120). To existentialists, one must reject these ideals because humans are purely their own existence, which is ‘nothingness’. In addition, Meursault does not feel the typical emotions associated with others, including love, telling Marie he “probably didn’t love her”, but “that it didn’t mean anything”. Because of this mindset, he is unable to connect not only with himself, but also others, hence the title of the novel: The Stranger. Shifting from this focus of Meursault, our own lives similarly belong in this void. Our lack of purpose disconnects us from the trivialities of human life, including love, religion, and societal norms. Perfectly stated by Feuerlicht, “Camus holds that man is an eternal stranger to himself, that he cannot grasp and define his self integrate its different aspects.” This relates to the general theme of the story, how isolated one can be from the rest of society, unintentionally, but simply because of our innate individuality. 

4. Anxiety/Anguish: 

Life is oftentimes a funny thing. Not only are we told to find a purpose to live our lives, if we conclude that our life is meaningless, we have no other choice but to continue living our lives as they are. Despite solidifying the “nothingness of human existence” (Lavine), we must continue to live each day out, following society’s rules as they are presented. This feeling of dread is named anguish, present in all existentialists including Meursault. His constant confusion and oblivion to everything around him turns into dread and anxiety when faced with his impending death. The severity of everything occurring to him finally becomes visible as he realizes the brutality of the capital punishment he is not facing. He is overcome with dread as he analyzes every moment he could possibly go to while under the guillotine and how he could be affected. Eventually he comes to the conclusion that the worst thing about this punishment was the “moral collaboration” which the condemned was forced to go into. The man is manipulated into wishing for his own death, hoping that nothing will go wrong in his own execution. Absolutely distraught with this idea, Meursault’s true existentialism characteristics come to light.

Now, if we look back at an earlier theme of existentialism we see that one theme, existence, specifically states that the man is not used to being manipulated, and has control over his own existence. Unfortunately for Meursault, he loses this control, as he is forced to accept the terms which he has been given. He is forced to drag out his own life with no control or meaning, as we all do every day, with much dread in our hearts. 

5. Death:

Ah, we’ve now reached the true morbid subject. Death. For centuries, people have looked for the cure to mortality. Frightened at the mere thought of death, they would do anything to escape the inevitably of their life ending, including wasting their own lives away. But to an existentialist, death is simply another step throughout the journey we embark on when we are born. Simply put, “Death is as absurd as birth—it is no ultimate, authentic moment of my life, it is nothing but the wiping out of my existence as conscious being” (Lavine). Death is simply the ending to one’s existence, a wave ending when it hits shore, and the completion of a series of actions. It is a reminder that we are powerless to the universe. 

Meursault’s view on death is not regarding the action itself, but the timing. From the beginning of the novel, Meursault’s mindset at his mother’s death represents existentialism. His shows little to no emotion, whether it be sadness, anger or regret. Rather he believes that her life existed for no further meaning, therefore her death would not either. Death is the one certainty of life, and his mother’s death, the death of the Arab, and even his own life, seem to have no large impact on Meursault. This is appalling to the typical reader, but if you look at it on a broader scale, millions of people die every day. Each one impacts a few, but eventually any remnants of their existence will be wiped from Earth, including your own. Rather than dwelling on the inevitable future, coming to peace with the unavoidable is the only way to truly accept life as it is. To Meursault, “it doesn’t much matter whether you die at thirty or at seventy, since in either case other men and women will naturally go on living” (Camus 114). Everyone around him will continue unbothered after his execution, so to him, there is no point in continuing this meaningless life. 

6. Alienation: 

In elementary school, our classrooms used to be covered with posters with quotes, encouraging individuality. A laminated bee would tell us to “Be(e) unique”, and a sea of blue umbrellas would have one red, teaching us to stand out from the crowd. The themes of our favorite Disney shows and movies would tell us that we are all special, and we would be able to find our place in society regardless of who we were. Unfortunately over the years, a reality check seems to hit every one of us. While those posters may have been telling us to be ourselves, they mean ‘If you like drawing, you should draw!” and “Yes, your obsession with soccer is totally okay!”. They are there simply for the validation that, as little kids, we craved for. As we grow older, society desperately tries to shape us into the ideal human. Now, I’m still not exactly sure what these ideals entail, because I’ve never quite seen anyone live up to them. Instead, we all pretend that we understand each other, that we fit in, and shape ourselves to the person that is ingrained into our brains that we must be. That statement sounds a bit overdramatic, I know, but if you look around at the world around us, it is clear that we are all strangers to not only each other, but to ourselves. 

Meursault rejects all what makes us similar and, in response, is alienated from everything. His trial is not one of life or death, but one of him and society. When put to analysis, the public finds not only his actions, but his entire mindset guilty for the crimes he has committed. He rejects all what makes us similar and in response, is alienated from everything. As the embodiment of absurdism, Meursault’s values align with our reality, where society isolates those it can not understand. Existentialism is what makes Meursault, seemingly evil, into good right in front of our eyes.

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So whether or not Meursault and the Stranger have sent you to an existential crisis, pondering if life matters, it sure does get one point across: We are alone. Isolated by our own thoughts, there is no true understanding of one another. As Meursault was cast aside as a defect in society, one day the world will move on from its current set of inhabitants, and our existence will come to an end. Not the best ending to this blog post, but look on the bright side. If nothing we do matters, then why not enjoy yourself? Whenever you feel like the weight of the world rests too heavy on your shoulders, watch this video. Remind yourself that the small things don’t matter. Make the most of what you have. And remember, Carpe Diem. Life is short.