The Strangest Existentialism

Patrick capital of Mississippi Advance English 2 Mr. E. Hardy December 9, 2012 The Strangest Existentialism To experience how existentialism is present in The Stranger, written by Albert Camus in 1946, we root consent to escort what existentialism is, and originally being written in French, the book presents some troubles in understanding and compreh block uping the existentialism that is present. Existentialism is a philosophical approach to understanding hu musical composition existence and experiences.It is based on the assumption that individuals are free and responsible for their own choices and actions. Acting on your own experiences is essential in arriving at the truth and macrocosm is condemned to be free. (Sartre). Existentialism is present in mainly two events that occur in the novel, when Meursault is on the brim, and he shoots the Arabian. And when he is about to be killed at the end of the accounting. One part of the novel that displays existentialism is when Meursault shot the Arab on the beach and how he handled the position afterwards.The Arab drew his weapon, and in this case it was a lingua and held it up to Meursault, but that occurrence was not what bothered Meursault at all, it was the percipient from the sun that shot off the Arabs knife, and along with the intense genus Oestrus along with the salt from his sweat in his eyes that was bothering him before. Meursault shot the Arab mainly because he was uncomfortable with the heat and sunlight shining off the knife, not because he felt threatened.In the following pages, Meursault cant understand why he would need an attorney for his case because its simple to him, he had murdered a man and was now ready to pay the consequences. It exemplifies existentialism because it shows the power of free choice, which is what existentialism solely is. Being able to choose ones essential as a way of free choice. The other part of the story that displays existentialism is at the end of the n ovel when Meursault is sentenced to death.In my personal opinion, I do not think Meursault was an existentialist, until he faced his death the way an existentialist mightve. Taken from page 123, Meursault says, I felt that I had been euphoric and that I was happy again. For him, there was no difference between keep and death, everything was the equal to him. It could be argued that he felt no emotion for either such thing, such as when Marie asked if he would marry her and he give tongue to it didnt matter and that it was up to her.In this moment, for the first time in the book he realizes what his mother mightve felt before she died, only to be hurtle in the same situation. This point helps to understand existentialism because throughout the entire book his mothers deathwhich is the first event to occur in the storyhad absolutely no meaning to him at all until he is put in the same situationfacing deathhe in the end realizes what it must have been like for her and for th e first time in the whole story thinks about her feelings.From the existentialist point of view you must accept the risk and responsibility of your choices and follow the commitment to wherever it leads, as Meursault displays at the end of the story. Someone that is put in a particular situation understands it far more than someone looking in on that same situationcould be shown when the man is talking Meursault just before his execution. The man doesnt understand why Meursault wont pray to the Nazarene for him to save the man.With Meursault constantly refusing, the man will never truly understand why he wont because he is not in the situation himselfone commonly used situation that appears often in existentialist writing is that of death. Bibliography Ankrom, Sheryl. Existentialism What is Existentialism. About. com Health. N. p. , 27 Jan. 2009. Web. 9 Dec. 2012. Camus, Albert. The Stranger. Trans. Matthew Ward. New York vintage Books, 1989. Print. Sarte, Jean Paul. Philip Mai ret, trans. Existentialism is a Humanism. Lecture given in 1946. Web. 10 October 2012