Chris Stanley and
Albert Camus The Stranger and The Fall
Table of
II. Summary of The Stranger
III. Summary of The Fall
IV. Overview/Identification of Camus’ style
V. Critical Reads
i. Philosophical Read
ii.
Feministic Read
iii.
Biographical Read
iv.
Historical Read
v.
Reader-Response Read
VI. Quiz
VII. Works Cited
VIII.
Albert
Camus was a famous French writer that was born on November 7, 1913. While
attending the
Perhaps the first sign of his
philosophy was his belief that marriage was an unnatural and unnecessary bond
between two people. His beliefs would later be demonstrated throughout his
literature, including his most famous novel The
Stranger. This novel was completed in 1941 along with The Myth of Sisyphus, beginning his career as a world renowned
writer and philosopher. Eventually Camus would meet Jean-Paul Sartre, who would
become a close friend and fellow philosopher. The difference between the two
was that Sartre would profess Existentialism, while Camus would attempt to
spread his philosophy of Absurdism. The one philosophy that Camus was devoutly
against was Nihilism. His legacy in the literary world will always remain, and
his philosophy continues today to have relevancy towards how people choose to
live their lives.
Albert Camus died on January
4, 1960 in a car accident in
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II. The Stranger Summary
Albert
Camus’ most famous novel The Stranger
centers around the idea of Absurdism. It is told from the first person
perspective of a man named Meursault, whom in the very beginning of the novel
announces that his mother has died. The significance of his mother’s death is
not necessarily that the mother is gone, but in that Meursault seems to have no
real remorse or sorrow. The novel continues to follow Meursault throughout his
daily life and his observations about the people around him and the world.
Eventually he becomes friends with a man who is an enemy of a family of Arabs.
One day Meursault goes with his friend to the beach, only to be confronted by
the group of Arabs. Due to the heat and brightness from the sun, Meursault
kills one of the men, and is arrested and placed on trial for murder.
The rest of the novel follows
Meursault throughout his trial and eventually up to the evening before his
death penalty. During the trial he is repeatedly attacked for showing no
remorse when his mother passed, and that he was a man of no emotions. The
people viewed this as a danger to society, when in actuality, Meursault is a
man that is affected by the physical aspects of life, and not the emotional.
Thus, the reason for killing the man was due to the sun, not necessarily any
hatred he felt. After he receives his sentence, the remainder of the novel is
from his prison cell. This is where Camus begins to really show his philosophy
of Absurdism. It is in his prison cell that Meursault is confronted by a
clergyman and told to find God. Meursault responds by saying that he does not
have much time left, and he does not want to waste it on God. He then has an
epiphany in which he realizes that all of mankind is equal, in that everyone
lives and everyone dies. It does not matter the life you live, because
eventually you will die. At the end of the novel Meursault chooses to accept
the gentle indifference of the world, and acknowledges that when he dies, life
will continue for everyone else and that nothing has ever really changed.
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III. The Fall Summary
Another famous novel by Albert Camus is The Fall. This story centers around a man named Jean-Baptiste Clamence, but the story is told from the first person perspective of a person listening to Clamence speak to the reader. The story is essentially told through a dialogue, although only one side of the conversation is shown. Clamence is a man who had at one point held himself up to be a very noble and honest person. He believes that he would help the poor in times of need, and provided an example of how mankind should behave. Eventually though Clamence begins to realize that he is not a genuinely good person, and thus begins his fall towards reality. This fall begins while walking one night by himself near a bridge. He hears a woman jump off the bridge and begin to drown, in an act of suicide. Clamence could have easily saved the woman, but decides to continue walking and leave her to die. Throughout the night he hears a laughter that appears to come from behind him, but whenever he looks around, there is no one there. He then discovers that the laughter he is hearing is coming from within, and mocks how he once held himself so highly. After this event, there are a few others that occur to demonstrate how Clamence is essentially a meaningless person in a world of no meaning. He allows a man to abuse him in public, and instead of fighting back, he allows the moment to pass.
There are numerous themes presented
throughout The Fall. The most common
are the themes of guilt, freedom, and the meaninglessness of human existence.
By the end of the novel Clamence conveys to the reader how mankind is alone in
their existence, that a benevolent God does not exist, and that people are not
essentially good natured. Camus once again presents his philosophy of
Absurdism, reflecting on the absurdity of existence and life itself. Camus
shows how any attempt to find a meaning in life is absurd, and that it would be
impossible to understand the reasoning for man’s existence in the world. Also
any attempt towards the discovery of a God would be absurd as well, because it
would hold no relevance towards a life on Earth.
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IV. Camus’ Style
Camus utilizes a unique style of
writing in first person, from a limited perspective throughout both of his
novels. Between the two, The Fall has
more of a unique style, in that it is written as if listening to only one side
of a conversation. The narrator repeatedly asks the reader questions, and receives
answers, although no other form of a dialogue is shown. Such an example would
be when the narrator asks, “Do you have any possessions? Some? Good. Have you
shared them with the poor? No?” (Camus 9). This is unique in that it offers
some authenticity to the novel’s character. It makes it appear more as a more
realistic conversation. There is also an extensive amount of imagery used
throughout Camus’ writing. This especially applies towards The Stranger, in which the protagonist is affected by the physical
aspects of life and must convey these aspects to the reader. When walking on
the beach, the protagonist is affected by the sunlight and the reflection of a
knife and states, “The scorching blade slashed at my eyelashes and stabbed at
my stinging eyes” (Camus 74). Later in The
Stranger, the protagonist has an epiphany about life, right before he is
going to be executed. He finds out how life is meant to be lived, and that
people should live without certain cares, and pursue happiness. His epiphany
begins, “As if the blind rage had
washed me clean, rid me of hope; for the first time, in that night alive with
signs and stars, 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” (Camus 119). It is at the end of the novel
that Camus allows his protagonist to be content with life and with his
impending death. There are numerous religious aspects presented throughout both
novels, but more prevalent in The
Stranger. Before the protagonist has his epiphany, he wonders, “What did
other people's deaths or a mother's love matter to me; what did his God or the
lives people choose or the fate they think they elect matter to me when we're
all elected by the same fate? (Camus 116). He reflects upon the possible
afterlife, and the love of a supposed God, and comes to the conclusion that it
is really meaningless. There is also an extensive amount of conscious knowledge
revealed throughout Camus’ writing. An example would be in The Fall, when the protagonist hears, “I have forgotten what I
thought then. ‘Too late, too far…’ or something of the sort” (Camus 70). By
allowing the reader to see the thought of the protagonist, the author’s purpose
and message can be more easily conveyed and understood.
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V. Critical Reads
A Philosophical Read
The reasoning behind man’s
existence and philosophical outlook at life has been debated for centuries. Many
have found that mankind does not truly have a reason for existence, and that
life is to be interpreted by the individual. This belief finds that there is no
God, and that each person is essentially alone in life and the universe. The
philosophical outlook that holds these statements to be true is known as
existentialism. One main “branch” of this philosophy is Absurdism. This claims
that man’s existence and being is absurd, and that any attempt to find a reason
for one’s being, is absurd. Albert Camus is the famous author and philosopher
who brought this form of thinking to the attention of the world. It is
through Camus’ writing in The Stranger
and The Fall, that one can easily
identify his outlook on life. Absurdism is demonstrated through Camus’ characterization,
his style of writing, and his ability to place his ideology in his work.
In both of Camus’ literary successes the characters demonstrate a profound understanding of life and their predicaments. In The Stranger, the protagonist appears to be un-emotional, and only affected by the physical aspects of life. When the protagonist’s adulterous lover, “… asked me (the protagonist) if I loved her. I told her it didn't mean anything but that I didn't think so” (Camus 45). This is a direct demonstration of Camus’ belief that only the physical aspects of this life on Earth will have an impact. The protagonist appears to feel a mutual love for this woman, despite having multiple affairs with her. Instead of having an emotional attachment to her, he instead enjoys the physical pleasure he receives from her. This is similar to The Fall in that the protagonist fleas from an opportunity to help a distressed woman. The woman jumps from a bridge late at night while Clamence, the protagonist, is walking by. He clearly hears the woman hit the water and begin to drown, and yet he does nothing. After that night, Clamence comes to the conclusion that the reason he failed to act, was that he would have received no physical gain from doing so. It is from this moment, that Camus expresses how man instinctively places little value on moral objectivity. Instead, he finds that people act based upon the physical rewards of life. Camus is able to express his ideals through a unique style of writing, along with his characters’ actions.
Between
each of Camus’ novels, The Fall is
clearly written to show the thoughts of one man as he comes to the realization
of the “truth” in life. The format for the novel places the reader into the
persona of a character listening to one side of a conversation as he expresses
his experiences and outlook on life. Camus is able to directly place his own
personal views by using this form of a writing style. The character shows open
honesty, and allows the reader to make their own judgments in regards to the
philosophy presented. It is from the protagonist’s complete honesty that Camus
is able to express his philosophy in a seemingly truthful way. The same style
is used throughout The Stranger as
well. At the end of the novel, the protagonist has committed murder and is
awaiting his death penalty, when he has an epiphany. Throughout the entire
story, the character has been completely honest, explaining all the events of
his life, and whether he was justified in his actions or not. Due to this, the
reader will once again be able to understand his reasoning, and perhaps agree
with the ideals presented. Camus’ unique philosophy is expressed in such a way
that it has become a belief for many people in contemporary society.
The ideas presented in
Absurdism are not always easily accepted. One of the main conflicts is the
recognition of the absence of an omnipotent and all-loving God. Camus believes
that the thought of a God will distract from life on Earth. If one chooses to
believe in God, he feels that any attempt to understand a being that does not
have a direct impact on mankind, is absurd. He furthers this by stating that
even if a God were to exist, then there is no reason to study Him, due to his
irrelevant presence in life. In the end of The
Stranger, when the protagonist has an epiphany, he states his belief
towards life and all meaning. When confronted by a priest about life and what
others will think of him he reflects, “What did other people's deaths or a
mother's love matter to me; what did his God or the lives people choose or the
fate they think they elect matter to me when we're all elected by the same
fate, me and billions of privileged people like him who also called themselves
my brothers?” (Camus 115). He believes that the thoughts of others are
regardless, because all people will die, and therefore there is no reason to
place a faith in other’s opinions.
The Stranger and The Fall are both great examples of how Absurdism can be introduced
to mainstream society. Camus uses characterization, style, and ideology to
complement his beliefs and relate it so that anyone can understand it. In both The
Stranger and The Fall a normal
human being is put into a situation of absurdity. In The Stranger, the main character is put to death because he killed
someone. The reason that he killed
someone was that the sun was in his eyes. No one believes him, but the reader
sympathizes with the character because they know the circumstances under which
the murder happened. This is a great
example of how one can be influenced by different philosophies.
A Feministic Read
Perhaps one of the most well known philosophies today is Existentialism, and it’s closely related theory of Absurdism. These ideologies both hold there to be certain truths about life, and are based upon the premise of there being no objective truths, and therefore no meaning to life. Albert Camus is one of the most renowned authors to present Absurdism in his literature. In his two novels, The Stranger and The Fall, it is easy to find his opinions about life and what truths he has found. Although many people have found his literature to be helpful, there is a subtle hint of a depreciation of women. Throughout each of the novels, there occur events in which women are neglected or abused, their opinions are ignored, and there relevance to a man’s life is minimal.
Camus’ most famous novel, The Stranger, has multiple events in which women are shown in a negative light. The protagonist has an epiphany about life, when he is questioned about his love for a woman whom he has been having an affair with. Although the woman appears to love the protagonist, when asked if he returns his love he replies, “I told her it didn't mean anything but that I didn't think so” (Camus 45). The significance of this statement is great. The ideal presented in this statement is that the protagonist has found he does not need the affection or love of a woman in his life. Instead, he uses the woman for his physical pleasures and neglects his emotional feelings for her. In Camus’ other novel, The Fall, a similar plotline develops. The protagonist enjoys a life of womanizing and holds himself in high regard. Eventually though, he comes to the conclusion that he does not need a woman in his life, and that love for one would be absurd in the overall “picture” of life. There are numerous other occurrences in which a woman’s views are either ignored, or found to be wrong.
In another moment of The Stranger, the protagonist is faced with the dilemma of abusing a woman. The reason for this abuse is that the woman cheated on her lover. Instead of recognizing her own will and wants in life, the protagonist allows the woman to be beaten and abused to show a dominancy of men in society. The woman’s opinion or reasoning of her actions is never explained, but instead accepted to be a lie. In The Fall, Camus once again allows a tragedy to occur to a female character. A woman decides to jump off a bridge, and instead of helping her to safety, the protagonist allows the woman to drown. The man reflects that the woman is, “…too late, too far” to be rescued, and allows her death to pass (Camus 63). This can be viewed as a direct reflection of society’s view against women. There was a great opportunity for the character to prove his self-worth to himself, but instead he chooses to let the woman die because he saw no physical reward would come from helping her. Although the character will later come to identify his failure to act as wrong, Camus never places any relevance to the existence of women in either of his stories.
Perhaps the
most famous quote from Camus’ novels occurs in The Stranger when he explains with complete indifference that, “Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday; I
can't be sure” (Camus 1). Although his mother had raised and cared for her son,
instead of grieving for her death, he recognizes it as being relatively
meaningless to his life because there is no reason to grieve over a person that
no longer exists. Camus allows his character to find that only the people in
his life currently, hold any significance. Again, at the end of the novel, the
character comes to another realization about the woman that he could have
possibly loved. While awaiting his death penalty, he reflects about the woman,
Mary. He comes to the realization that although he may have loved her, it no
longer matters. Instead of attempt to tell her his feelings, he allows her to
no longer have any relevance in his life. Once again, Camus is demonstrating
how to completely find the “truth” in life, such as discover Absurdism, a woman
is not needed. Instead, he feels that personal reflection is only necessary.
Although it may not have been his intention, Camus, during multiple occasions, writes about situations where women are degraded by men in both The Stranger and The Fall. In The Stranger, both the main characters girlfriend, Marie, and his neighbor are neglected and abused by men; long with a woman from The Fall, whose suicide is ignored by the main character. All of these events lead one to believe that Camus either believes that women are unnecessary to a male’s life, except for pleasure, or that he subconsciously put these situations in due to past happenings from his own life. Camus could also be using these events to show how women are treated in our world, only furthering his belief that life is meaningless and possibly undeserving as well.
Biographical Read
The Stranger
-Albert Camus placed many of his beliefs into each of the novels
-The protagonist shows no
feeling towards marriage
-Camus, although married, believed
that marriage was unnatural
-“ …A minute later she asked me if I loved her. I told her it didn't mean anything but that I didn't think so” (Camus 35)
-Camus did not believe in God
-“ I had only a little time left and I didn't want to waste it on God.” (Camus 111)
-He viewed life as being absurd
-“ Throughout the whole absurd life I'd lived, a dark wind had been rising toward me from somewhere deep in my future…” (Camus 116).
The Fall
-Camus, once again, did not believe in God or an afterlife
-“ Do not wait for the Last Judgment. It takes place every day.” (Camus 67).
Historical Read
The Stranger
-When written,
-Punishment for the novel was authentic to the time period;
people were hanged in the name of
-The court system is authentic to the French way of
government; a trial by jury with a verdict declared by the jury.
The Fall
-The famous panel, The Just Judges,
was stolen in 1934 and was never recovered; in the novel, the protagonist is in
possession of the panel
-The protagonist was a prisoner of war during World War II,
and was appointed as a chaplain in the camp
Reader-Response Read
The Stranger
-The reader can identify with many of the observations made throughout the
novel
-“ Since we're all going to die, it's obvious that when and how don't matter.” (Camus 104).
-“ Everybody knows life isn't worth living.” (Camus 104).
The Fall
-The philosophies presented can be related to everyday living
-“ Let’s not beat around the bush; I love life — that’s my real weakness. I
love it so much that I am incapable of imagining what is not life. (Camus 56).
-“ To be happy, we must not be too concerned with others” (Camus 32).
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VI. Quiz
1. Albert Camus was a citizen of what country:
a.
b.
c.
d.
2. How did Albert Camus die?
a. Car Accident
b. Heart Attack
c. Suicide
d. Murder
3. What philosophy did Camus practice?
a. Existentialism
b. Nihilism
c. Nazism
d. Absurdism
4. Albert Camus was close friends with:
a.
Jean-Paul
Sartre
b.
Friedrich
Nietzsche
c.
Simone de Beauvoir
d.
T.S. Eliot
5. What year was Camus born?
a. 1914
b. 1917
c. 1913
d. 1910
6. What philosophy did Camus completely disagree with?
a. Absurdism
b. Nihilism
c. Existentialism
d. Idealism
7. What is the name of the protagonist in The Stranger?
a. Meursault
b. Zarathustra
c. Francua
d. Jabba
8. Why does the protagonist murder the Arab in The Stranger?
a. He was a racist
b. The Arab attacked him
c. Because the Arab
wanted to die
d. Because of the sun
9. What continent was Camus born in?
a.
b.
c.
d.
10. Why does the protagonist ignore Marie’s love?
a. Because he does not
love her
b. Because he does not
recognize his emotions
c. Because she does not
truly love him
d. None of the above
11. At the end of The Stranger
the protagonist:
a. Refuses to believe in
God
b. Welcomes Jesus into
his heart
c. Chooses to worship
Satan
d. Prays for forgiveness
12. The main writing style used in The
Fall:
a. First person
omniscient
b. First person limited
c. Third person
omniscient
d. Third person limited
13. The Fall centers around the
protagonist’s
a. Success in life
b. Failures in life
c. His downfall towards
reality
d. Both b and c
14. In The Stranger, the
protagonist’s
a. Girlfriend is killed
b. Friend is beaten
c. Mother dies
d. Father walk out on
him
15. Albert Camus attended:
a. Harvard
b.
c.
d.
16. The protagonist in The Fall
first realizes his cowardice when:
a. He is abused in
public
b. He runs from a fight
c. He refuses to go to
war
d. He does not help a
drowning woman
17. The narrative in The Fall
is:
a. A one sided
conversation
b. A dialogue
c. A journalistic
narrative
d. None of the above
18. At the end of The Stranger
the protagonist
a. Goes insane
b. Accepts the gentle
indifference of the world
c. Runs away from the
law enforcement
d. Commits suicide
19. Although not explicitly described, at the end of The Stranger the protagonist
a. Runs away
b. Commits suicide
c. Is married
d. Is executed
20. Albert Camus received
a. The Nobel Prize for
Literature
b. The Nobel Peace Prize
c. The Nobel Prize in
Philosophy
d. The Metaphysical
Peace Prize
21. How many times was Camus married?
a. Once
b. Twice
c. Three Times
d. Four Times
22. What year did Camus die?
a. 1959
b. 1964
c. 1957
d. 1960
23. In The Stranger, the
protagonist’s lover is named:
a. Marie
b.
c. Jacques
d.
24. In The Fall, the
protagonist has a stolen:
a. Panel
b. Jewelry
c. Television
d. Car
25. Who is the best teacher ever?
a. Ms. M!
b. Chris
c. Kevin
d. Both b and c
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Works Cited
“Albert Camus”. Nobel
Prize.Org. (7 April 2008). http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1957/camus-bio.html
(2008).
“Albert Camus”. Wikipedia.7
April 2008. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Camus (7 April 2008).
Camus, Albert. The Fall.
Camus, Albert. The Stranger.
“The Fall”. Wikipedia.
7 April 2008. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fall_%28novel%29 (7 April 2008).
“Quotes From The
Stranger”. Literary Quotations. (10 April 2008). http://www.literary-quotations.com/s/stranger.html
(April 2008).
“The Stranger”. Spark
Notes. 7 April 2008. http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/stranger/ (7
April 2008).
“The Stranger”. Wikipedia. 7 April 2008. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stranger_%28novel%29 (7 April 2008).
“The Stranger Book Notes Summary”. Book Rags. (10 April 2008). http://www.bookrags.com/notes/str/QUO.htm (April 2008).
VIII. Links
1. Albert Camus
2. The Stranger
3. The Fall
4. Absurdism
http://www.sauguscenturions.com/maghakian/authorprojects.html