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  • Essay / The effectiveness of brutality as depicted in The Stranger

    Albert Camus's novel The Stranger is an extremely explicit work describing acts of violence witnessed by a narrator who seems completely unaffected by their brutality. The novel begins with death – “Mama died today” (3) – and ends with the presumed disappearance of Meursault, the main character. The body of work contains many bloody acts: premeditated abuse against an ex-girlfriend, wanton cruelty toward a pet dog, a street brawl, and a disagreement that ultimately culminates in a murder on an Algerian beach. The Stranger presents a gripping look at what it means to be human, to live, and to have the ability to take the lives of others. Camus's unflinching depiction of violence reveals his characters' inner attitudes toward life and death. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"? Get the original essay The Stranger is categorically absurd: Camus conveys the idea that human existence is without order, and his work critiques a culture who seeks to find meaning in a meaningless world. Camus reveals two contrasting visions of human life: that of society and that of Meursault. Society seeks to find explanations for unanswered questions. In the microcosmic courtroom of Meursault's trial, for example, jurors and lawyers continually focus on why Meursault killed the Arab and why he is so indifferent to his mother's death. "For what?" » asks the magistrate: “You must tell me why? (68) Meursault, knowing he can offer no real answer, provides an absurd explanation simply to stem the flow of inquisitive questions: “it was,” he says, “because of the sun” (103). If society represents the quest for the “normal” and the “correct,” then Meursault represents the absurd. Meursault differs from the other characters in the novel (he is in fact “a stranger”) in that he is extremely far from reality. He enjoys the physical, like food and sex, but doesn't seem to feel what other people feel. Contrary to society's faith in the value of human life, Meursault asserts that "everyone knows that life is not worth living" (114) and that "one life is worth another" (114). 41). When his mother dies, he shows little regret or loss, except for his physical discomfort from the heat and sun. Camus juxtaposes two contrasting ideals: one which judges life to be good, healthy and meaningful; another that classifies human existence as pointless, absurd and chaotic. It is because of this theme – of meaningless nothingness versus validity and value – that Camus's use of violence is so effective. How characters react to violence reveals their inner thoughts and outlook on life. Meursault, for example, is a “detached” character. There are several examples in The Stranger that echo the idea of ​​estrangement and apathy towards human life, particularly when it comes to violence. When Raymond asks Meursault to help him carry out a plan to humiliate and assault his ex-girlfriend, Meursault does so "because [he] had no reason not to please [Raymond]" ( 32). In another incident, Meursault alludes to the mistreatment of his neighbor's dog, but does not suggest any emotion, either for or against the violence. Raymond is another detached character; he freely beats a woman and shows no regret. He seems to share Mersault's distance from violence and death. Raymond nonchalantly remarks about the death of Meursault's mother that "it's one of those things that had to happen.."