The Stranger, Albert Camus | Themes of Existentialism

The Stranger, Albert Camus | Themes of Existentialism Existentialism is often defined as a philosophical movement or tendency, emphasizing individual existence, freedom and choice. As a result of the diversity of positions associated with this term it is impossible to define precisely. As is evident through the root of the word, exist, there is a stress on definite individual existence and freedom of choice. Certain aspects of existentialism are witnessed in The Stranger. Existentialists attempt to direct our attention to ourselves as individuals. They force us to think about our relation to such topics as the existence and nature of God, what it is to be Christian, the nature of values, and the fact of ones own death. Man is the only known being, according to the philosophers, that defines itself merely through the act of living. In other words, first you exist, and then the individual emerges as life decisions are made. Many existentialists believe the greatest victory of the individual is to realize the absurdity of life and to accept it. Existentialism is liberating for those of us who do not rely on fate, God, or chance to guide us through the path of life. One aspect that is questionable is our ability to continuously reinvent ourselves through our actions. While this is possible, the majorities of people stick to old ways of doing things, or follow others blindly. Despite encompassing a staggering range of philosophical, religious, and political ideologies, the underlying concepts of existentialism are simple. Mankind has free will. Life is a series of choices. Few decisions are without any negative consequences. Some things are irrational or absurd, without explanation. If one makes a decision, he or she must follow through. The decisions you make are whom you are, so decide accordingly. In The Stranger Meursault embodies all of the six existential themes. The first existential theme is freedo m. Freedom means that whatever happened prior to now do not influence what your next choice in life will be, we are free to make any choice we want. Meursault displays Freedom by just doing as he wishes to do. In part one of the novel Maman dies so he attends the funeral, nothing out of the ordinary. While attending his mothers funeral, Meursault decides to smoke cigarettes, drink a cup of coffee, and he fails to show emotion. This just shows how Meursault is displaying his free will; he does not let the influence of his mother dying effect what he wants to do. The second and the third themes Meursault displays together. These themes are existence which is the awareness of our choices, and passion which are psychological feelings that we understand before thinking kicks in. Meursault displays both of these themes at the end of the novel. Meursault wants his life to be here and now, he is not concerned with the hereafter. Meursault wants the remembrance of his life. Through this thinking Meursault displays Existence and Passion. The fourth theme is contingency. It basically says that life is unpredictable, prone to chance happenin gs, also to the unexpected. Meursault displays this theme at the very end of part one of the novel. Meursault is so content with walking back down to the spring unaware that he is going to end up destroying his happiness by shooting the Arab. This is a very unpredictable event because Meursault is just so happy and content with the sun shining on him, then all of a sudden something unexpected happens and his happiness is gone. I knew that I had shattered the harmony of the day, the exceptional silence of a beach where Id been happy. The fifth theme is individuality. An individual is a single unique member of a collectivity. Meursault lives out his individuality. The strongest display of individuality is at the very end of the novel when Meursault wants a large crowd of people to witness his death, and he also wants them to greet him with cries, but those of hate. I had only wished that there be a large crowd of spectators the day of my execution and that they greet me with cries of hate. By being hated Meursault retains his individuality. If Meursault goes out there begging for forgiveness he would just become a member of a collectivity. The final theme is reflection. It refers to the capacity to bring that which we are unaware of into awareness. Meursault leads a pre-reflective life. He goes through his daily events and is so absorbed in each moment that he never reflects on them. Meursault does this until he looks at a reflection of himself for the first time in prison. Meursault looking at himself shows his transition from pre-reflective to reflective. He begins to become aware of what he was unaware of. The main theme in The Stranger is that life is absurd. Reason is incapable of explaining human nature. Meursaults absurd beliefs are that life is meaningless and without purpose. The meaninglessness implies absence of any obvious meaning to our life. This cannot be explained, because no one can explain someone elses sense of meaning or meaninglessness towards life . Camus The Stranger presents the character of Meursault who, after killing an Arab, is sentenced to death. This conflict portrays the stark contrast between the morals of society and Meursaults evident lack of them; he is condemned to death, less for the Arabs murder, than for refusing to conform to societys standards. The discussion of Meursaults responsibility takes place at the end of the novel. Meursaults execution symbolically brings forth emotion, as Meursault confronts his nothingness and the impossibility of justifying the immoral choices he has made, he realizes the pure contingency of his life, and that he has voided, in essence, his own existence by failing to accept the risk and responsibility that the personal freedom of an existentialist reality entails. Meursault never really takes responsibility for his actions, all Meursault does is wish that his life could go back to the way it used to be. Meursault is an anomaly in society; he cannot relate directly to others bec ause he does not live as they do. He cannot abide by the same moral confines as the rest of the world because he does not grasp them; he is largely indifferent to events occurring around him. Meursaults entire being is unemotional. He derives a certain level of pleasure from eating and drinking, smoking cigarettes, sitting on his balcony. Yet all these things are tactile; Meursault derives physical satisfaction from them, but there is no emotion attached. This is in direct contrast to society, whose strict guidelines focusing on right and wrong depend on an individuals sense of these concepts. Meursault is perfectly capable of analyzing the situation, but not of responding to it as society wishes him to. Life or death, and anything in between, makes no difference to him. Meursault sees the outcome as inevitable. He cannot perceive any right or wrong in killing the Arab. The action in itself was not out of deep hatred for the man but, as he reveals at the trial, because of the sun. The sun at the beach, similar to the sun at his mothers funeral, was beating down on him. The sun represents Meursault emotions, which he cannot deal with. Likewise, he cannot deal with the intense heat, the light reflected off the Arabs knife which seems to stab at him. Meursaults senses are being overwhelmed, and the only way to handle the situation is to end it so he fires the gun. The death of the Arab in itself is not crucial to Meursaults fate. Meursaults true undoing comes from his lack of emotion. At the beginning of the novel, Meursault sits at his mothers funeral, quietly analyzing det ails of the scene. The onlookers present do not understand him; in fact, they are afraid of him. The prosecutor says, I look into a mans face and all I see is a monster. What Meursault has realized, by the end of the book, is that any meaning he finds in life he must create. Meursault is the absurdist, explaining the philosophy of existentialism: Mans isolation among an indifferent universe. There is no inherent meaning in life its entire value lies in living itself. Meursault feels he has been happy, and longs to live. When he must die, he wants a crowd to greet him with cries of hate; they are screaming because they want life and the world to have meaning; they need this because that is what their entire existence is built upon. As the magistrate asked of Meursault, Do you want my life to be meaningless? Meursault understands how estranged the individual truly is from society. Until the conclusion, he was a stranger to himself as well as to the rest of the world. In the end, he o pens himself to the gentle indifference of the world, and finding it so much like myself, he feels he has been happy, and is again. Society finds this unacceptable, and by refusing to conform to its face-value standards, Meursault must die. Albert Camus believed that to be a true existentialist you had to remove yourself from society as much as possible since a belief in the foundation of government was to conform. Conforming to society norms is considered bad, it doesnt allow the individual to progress and reach his own decisions Camus realized, however, that restricting himself from all social conformity was impossible. Camus depicts a man with very little emotion. Once in a while he shows a bit of heart, but for the most part, he gives a robotic appearance. The character expresses no feeling about anything except that light is a sign of evil or annoyance, while the dark becomes a place of calm and seriousness. In society, the common idea is that light is good and evil grows in the darkest of places, but in Albert Camus novel, evil is good and the light is bad. In The Stranger, Albert Camus uses Mersault and his experiences to convey the philosophy that man is full of anxiety and despair with no meaning in his life ex cept for simple existence. The concept of existentialism is reflected through Mersaults experiences with his mothers death, his relationship with Marie, the killing of the Arab, and his own trial and execution. Camus uses the death of Mersaults mother to convey his existentialistic philosophy. He seems more concerned about the time of death, and not the fact that he just lost a loved one. It also conveys the existentialist idea that reason is powerless to the idea with the depths of human life. Furthermore, Mersault shows no compassion at his mothers funeral either. He does not cry or behave the way that society expects him to. This leaves the impression that Mersault is insensitive, or that he did not love his mother. As an existentialist, he accepts life as it is without seeking deeper meaning. Mersaults murder of the Arab is another example of existentialism. The absurdity of the murder is what makes it a good portrayal of the concept of existentialism. This part of the novel sho ws how Mersault is not only a stranger to his experiences in life, but also to nature. For the first time, the sun and his sensual pleasures begin to act against him, and cause him to lose control. Most of Mersaults actions have no true conscious motives. Mersault shoots the Arab because of his physical discomfort with his surroundings, but in any case he consciously makes the decision to shoot the Arab. When he is taken into police custody and is asked if he would need an attorney, he is genuinely confused. It is simple to him: he murdered a man and is now ready to face the consequences. The second half of the book begins after Meursault is put in jail and is awaiting his trial. Rather than being on trial for the crime, he is on trial for his values, like the lack of grievance of his mothers death. Meursault is found guilty and he is convicted and sentenced because of his lack of moral feeling. While awaiting his execution, he thinks about how his life has no meaning besides just living and how death does not scare him. He realizes that life is meaningless and the world is irrational. This suddenly makes him happy and he accepts his death. There are numerous meanings to the title, The Stranger, one is that if you live a life different than what society accepts, then you are a stranger; an outcast, and will be punished by the rest of society. In other words, the title means that Meursault is a stranger to society. Nothing discussed in the trial had anything to do with the murder. It was all about the way he acted and how different he was. This was used to prove that p eople who are different are judged by their character over their actions. Also, most of the society was Christian in the book and held Christian values. They believed in an afterlife and a heaven while Meursault did not, since he was an atheist. Since society does not understand him, they cannot know him and therefore hes a stranger. Another meaning of the title is that he is also a stranger to himself. He did not make any personal connections to the things he has done, only indifferent observations. He seemed unaffected by his mothers death, the killing of the Arab, and his trial. Being a stranger to himself leads to the final meaning, which is a stranger to life. At the end of the novel Meursault is able to understand the meaning of life. He was able to do so because he was approaching death, which is an existentialist principle; death is the one certainty of life. Before, when his mother died or when he killed the Arab, he did not have any feelings. When he thought about his own life and that he was about to die, he accepted it. He realizes that one can truly enjoy their lives when they approach and accept death. The understanding of this allowed Meursault to be at peace with himself. Albert Camuss philosophy in the novel can be related to the philosophy of existentialism, which stresses that the individual is solely responsible for the choices they make, there is no predetermination and there is no supreme being who decides morality. This philosophy is extended with the philosophy of the absurd, which states that human beings live an essential isolation in a meaningless and irrational world and people being able to accept that everything cannot be controlled in your environment, which is how Meursault live his life. In existentialism, you believe that there are some things that cannot be rationally explained and just happen out of your control. The Stranger was an unusually good book, which made me think. A majority of the book made me feel like the rest o f society, which was not accepting Meursaults behavior. However, the ending changed all of that and further analyzing gave me the real reasons for his actions. When I started reading the book for the first time I jumped in right away and didnt want to close it because I never read anything like it. I had to go back a few times to re-read it to understand it better and every time I re-read it, I got a different message. Meursault was an interesting character to read about. His ideas and beliefs seem wrong but are very right. I was able to understand what Albert Camus was trying to say with his philosophy. In fact, I have never heard of existentialism or absurd philosophy until I researched the author to see what he wanted to tell us. Meursault is able to accept the fact that everyone dies and realizing this allows you to live a better life. He lives a life that he controls and accepts all his actions that he does. I cant say that I understand everything about him, like how he uses Marie for sexual reasons even if she tells him her love and commitment to him. Nonetheless, this character had the most interesting conflicts that kept me reading. I do feel, however, that the second part dragged on and got a bit dull. The first half of the book was filled with action and there were no direct reasons given for certain actions. In the second half, it is mainly of his self-realization about society and life, which I feel, could have been approached another way by the author, like being shortened. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thinking after reading a book or even coming to his or her own realization like Meursault. Work Cited Andrew Irvine, Basic Themes of existentialism, http://people.bu.edu/wwildman/WeirdWildWeb/courses/wphil/lectures/wphil_theme20.htm Crowell, Steven, Existentialism, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2010 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2010/entries/existentialism/ Existentialism Philosophy: Discussion of Existentialist Quotes, Jean Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Albert Camus http://www.spaceandmotion.com/Philosophy-Existentialism.htm/ New World Encyclopedia, Existentialism http://HYPERLINK http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Existentialism/www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/HYPERLINK http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Existentialism/Existentialism/ Solomon, Robert C. Wyatt, C. S. (1999). Existentialists: a primer to existentialism http://www.tameri.com/csw/exist/exist.html

Pride And Prejudice: Five Married Couples Essay -- essays research pap

Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice presents five married couples. No two are alike. From the pure love which was experienced through Elizabeth and Darcy. To the love and attraction shared by Jane and Bingley. The convenience of marriage was portrayed through Charlotte and Mr Collins while Lydia and Wickham’s marriage was based on their desire, attractions and financial status. Mr and Mrs Bennet’s marriage was for their necessity. Austen reveals many messages through her characters on her major theme, being marriage. Elizabeth and Darcy share common interests that help reflect their love and marriage. During Elizabeth’s stay in Pemberly while Jane is ill, Austen reveals to the readers, that Elizabeth and Darcy share a common interest. For example, Miss Bingley states that ‘Miss Eliza Bennet†¦ is a great reader†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ p34. While in a conversation between Darcy and Miss Bingley, it is stated, ‘What a delightful library you have at Pemberly,†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ p34. This illustrates to the readers that the two share the same interest of reading. Having the interest reading portrayed to the readers as an interest, reveals that Elizabeth and Darcy may be suitable match for one another. It clearly shows how common interests can increase the chance of marriage as it makes the bond for one another stronger. Thereby demonstrating that the love between Elizabeth and Darcy reflects on their interest shared by each other. The marriage of Elizabeth and Darcy was also pure love for one another. Though this is not established until the end of the novel. Darcy’s love for Elizabeth is expressed from his heart. Austen illustrates this when he states to Elizabeth, ‘You must allow me to tell you†¦ I admire and love you,’ p157. Austen portrays Darcy’s character as being very proud, so they way he expresses his love for Elizabeth seems pure and genuine. A proud man would find hard to express such feelings in that manner. Thus it proves his love for Elizabeth is clear. Elizabeth also shows her love towards Darcy. Mr Bennet calls Elizabeth into the library after his proposal. In a conversation between the two Elizabeth states, ‘†¦I do like him,†¦ I love him.’ P303. She is aware that her feelings towards Darcy haven’t always been this positive, but she believes that he is able to make her happy. Elizabeth believes happiness is the first sign to a good m arriage. Therefore, this reflects Elizabeth and D... ...n a man of large fortune should be in want of a wife. Though Mr Bennet was not a man of large fortune, he did however, need a wife so that in the event of his death, he had a heir to pass of family fortune to. Mrs Bennet married Mr Bennet simply because women wish to get married. It seemed a perfect match, Mr Bennet had to marry someone to pass on family heritage whilst Mr Bennet married for her own needs. Those being, for connections and fortune of another man. This reflects how marriage between Mr and Mrs Bennet is conveyed to the readers as entirely different reasons. Thus showing how Mr and Mrs Bennet married for necessity. Five married couples are married together for different reasons Austen’s major theme discussed during the text is marriage. Many messages are put forward to readers as to what an ideal reason for marriage is like. For instance, Elizabeth and Darcy marry for love and interests. Jane and Bingley marry for love and attractions. Charlotte and Mr Collins marry for convenience. Lydia and Wickham marry for their desire, attractions and financial reasons, while Mr and Mrs Bennet marry for necessity . This is established in Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice.

Discussion questions about India and Afghanistan

1)How have geographical features influence the political social and cultural development of India?The Himalayan mountains in the north of India act as a natural buffer from China. This is important, because China to the North has been a powerful country in history. The natural break has caused both nations to be separate and free from war. The Ganges river is one of the longest in the world and has been used to cultivate crops. The Ganges is the 7th longest in the world. The Ganges river becomes all the most important, because India is also home to huge stretches of deserts. The Thar is also the 7th largest desert in the world. Another important point is that India is not landlocked. So, it has had good contact with other people groups and developed a fishing industry. India also have some good natural resources – oil, metals and natural gasses.2) What factors made it possible for the Mauryan and Gupta empires to unite substantial parts of the subcontinent?One factor that made it possible for the Mauryan and Gupta Empires to unite the substantial parts of the subcontinent was that the Mauryan Empire were a highly centralized and hierarchical government with a large staff, which regulated tax. They both blossomed under the control of their rulers. They both had a large army to take over. And lastly, they both fell under the army of invaders. Both of the army used lots of war elephants and advance weapons. Gupta India (320 B.C.E-550 C.E.) and Imperial Rome (31 B.C.E.-476 C.E.) both had very distinctive methods of political control based on everything from cultural reasons to geographic limitations.3) What do the textbook authors mean by theater state?Historians' term for a state that acquires prestige and power by developing attractive cultural forms and staging elaborate public ceremonies (as well as redistributing valuable resources) to attract and bind subjects to the center.4) What are the origins of varna and jati, and why has the varna-jati system of social organization lasted so long ?What social needs did try serve, and how are these social functions addressed in out culture?Two of the most important parts that make the constitution last so long are guaranteed freedoms and ability to be adaptable. The varna system of Hindu society is described in the various Puranas and Smritis, among others. Manusmriti, is one of many Dharmashastra texts reflecting the laws and society of Maurya period India and being a reference work for the Brahmins of Bengal especially.5) What are the similarities and what are the Difference Between Jainism, Buddhism, & Hinduism?HInduism is considered the oldest religion, and encompasses all strata of society. Jainism is based upon 24 principle beliefs of hinduism and was set up as a scholarly hierarchy. Buddhism is a Philosophy of Wisdom, based or derived from the scriptures of Hinduism sans Deity worship, considered superfluous to the intellectual pursuit and application of the tenets. Buddhism is by fa r superior in its substance of followers of the three with advocates all over the world.6) What factors might explain srivijaya ability to organise a number of ecological zones into a single kingdom?Naval military forces, Srivijaya's maritime was constantly managing their trade network and always wary of potential rival ports of neighboring kingdoms. 12 months ago. Srivijaya or Sriwijaya was a powerful ancient Malay empire based on the island of Sumatra, modern day Indonesia, which influenced much of Southeast Asia. The earliest solid proof of its existence dates from the 7th century.

How to Write and Format a Business Case Study

How to Write and Format a Business Case Study Business case studies are teaching tools that are used by many business schools, colleges, universities, and corporate training programs. This method of teaching is known as the case method. Most business case studies are written by educators, executives or heavily educated business consultants. However, there are times when students are asked to conduct and write their own business case studies. For example, students may be asked to create a case study as a final assignment or group project. Student-created case studies may even be used as a teaching tool or a basis for class discussion. Writing a Business Case Study When you write a case study, you must write with the reader in mind. The case study should be set up so that the reader is forced to analyze situations, draw conclusions, and make recommendations based on their predictions. If you arent overly familiar with case studies, you may be wondering how to best organize your writing. To help you get started, lets take a look at the most common ways to structure and format a business case study.   Case Study Structure and Format Although every business case study is a little different, there are a few elements that every case study has in common. Every case study has an original title. Titles vary but usually include the name of the company as well as a little info about the case scenario in ten words or less. Examples of real case study titles include Design Thinking and Innovation at Apple and Starbucks: Delivering Customer Service. All cases are written with a learning objective in mind. The objective might be designed to impart knowledge, build a skill, challenge the learner, or develop an ability. After reading and analyzing the case, the student should know about something or be able to do something. An example objective might look like this: After analyzing the case study, the student will be able to demonstrate knowledge of approaches to marketing segmentation, differentiate between potential core customer bases and recommend a brand positioning strategy for XYZs newest product. Most case studies assume a story-like format. They often have a protagonist with an important goal or decision to make. The narrative is usually weaved throughout the study, which also includes sufficient background information about the company, situation, and essential people or elements. There should be enough detail to allow the reader to form an educated assumption and make an informed decision about the questions (usually two to five questions) presented in the case. The Case Study Protagonist Case studies should have a protagonist that needs to make a decision. This forces the case reader to assume the role of the protagonist and make choices from a particular perspective. An example of a case study protagonist is a branding manager who has two months to decide on a positioning strategy for a new product that could financially make or break the company. When writing the case, it is important to ensure that your protagonist is  developed and compelling enough to engage the reader.   The Case Study Narrative/Situation The narrative of a case study starts with an introduction to the protagonist, her role and responsibilities, and the situation/scenario that she is facing. Information is provided on the decisions the protagonist needs to make. Details include challenges and constraints related to the decision (such as a deadline) as well as any biases the protagonist might have. The next section offers up background information on the company and its business model, industry and competitors. The case study then covers challenges and issues faced by the protagonist as well as the consequences associated with the decision that the protagonist needs to make. Exhibits and extra documents, like financial statements, might be included in the case study to help students reach a decision about the best course of action.   The Deciding Point The conclusion of a case study returns to the main question or problem that must be analyzed and solved by the protagonist. Case study readers are expected to step into the role of the protagonist and answer the question or questions presented in the case studies. In most cases, there are multiple ways to answer the case question, which allows for classroom discussion and debate.

Jack and Ralph Lord of the Flies Essays

Jack and Ralph Lord of the Flies Essays Jack and Ralph Lord of the Flies Essay Jack and Ralph Lord of the Flies Essay Essay Topic: Lord Of the Flies In the novel The Lord of the Flies, Jack and Ralph represent two separate entities that increasingly butt heads with each other as the novel progresses. These two characters have completely different viewpoints on what should be happening while they are in the situation that currently has a grasp on them. Ralph tries to lean towards a more civilized route on the way things should be and what everyone should do to get out of the situation they are in on the island that could easily mean life or death. Jack isn’t as focused on getting things organized and sorted out for a chance of rescue off the island. He leans towards a savagery and barbaric like way of things as he is presented with different situations that he could be civilized about but instead acts with an opposing force to Ralph and his way of how things should be. With these two characters being so different from one another it is hard for everyone else because they must make a choice on who to follow and take orders f rom. How do these two entities represent human nature and what defects it may really have? Ralph represents leadership, the properly socialized and civilized young man. This is the presumably good and just side of humans that most attribute to as good and well-behaved. Normally you’d see these types of people curing diseases and creating things that before were said to not be able to be created. These traits make for a good leader who will usually take up a task that someone else would never even want to be presented with. Even though these traits and qualities seem great and almost perfect, there is a side to these kinds of people that might make you second guess on your current thoughts about the â€Å"properly socialized and civilized man. This side is what I callsurvival. The survival trait among humans is hereditary to all as it is what we were forced to reside to always in the ancient times. But this trait for this type of man can be harmful as it has the

2full page reflection paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Mao Zedong Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mao Zedong - Essay Example He used the communist ideology as a rallying point for the Chinese people and prevailed against Chiang Kai-Shek in the Chinese Civil War. Although China became more insular in the early years, it was able under Mao's leadership to gain a greater degree of political and economic independence. It would never again become a colony of foreign powers, it would decide its own internal affairs, and it would begin the political process of reclaiming lost territories such as Macau and Hong Kong. It is hard to argue that Mao's unification of China, and his role in reestablishing sovereignty and political independence, were not beneficial for China and the Chinese people. Despite these superficial achievements, however, the methods employed by Mao to achieve certain goals have been heavily criticized. From 1958-1960, for example, Mao spearheaded a national economic campaign designed to transform a predominantly agrarian Chinese economy into a more modernized industrial economy. He called this the Great Leap Forward and it has been judged an utter failure by historians.