Gonzalez1

VivianaGonzalez
Mrs.Morris
APLiterature&CompositionD
March2,2016
KnockingOnDeathsDoor
AlbertCamusandJeanPaulSartrewereundoubtedlytwoofthemostinfluentialfigures
inearlyExistentialistliterature.Throughdramaticandintrospectivenovels,plays,andessays,
thesetwoauthorswereabletoillustrativelyexploresomeoftheintricateworldviewsof
Existentialthought.Oftheirworks,Camuss
TheStranger
andSartresTheWallbothpresent
thatsignaturecircumstancethatiskeytoachievingtruecomprehensionoftheuniverseasthey
understooditcertaindeath.Whiledealingwithinternalizedguilt,indifference,and
grief/acceptance,thesestoriesmaincharactersarephysicallyandpsychologicallycorneredinto
lookingdeeperintothemselvesandtheworldaroundthemthaneverbeforeinabrazenattempt
tofindsomecomfortingconclusionaboutthesignificanceoftheirlives.
ThemostrelevantdistinctionsbetweenMeursaultof
TheStranger
andPabloIbbietaof
TheWallareintheirapproachestotheideaoflifesmeaningtotheindividual.Asafreeand
selfsufficientadult,Meursaultdoeswhathewantswhenhewants,whichiswhatultimately
landshiminaprisoncellawaitinghisexecution.Ibbieta,ontheotherhand,ispartofagroupof
rebelscaptured,interrogated,andsentencedtoexecutionbytheenemyforces.WhileMeursault
useshistimeandisolationtocometotermswithmeaninglessnessandultimatelyembracesthe
ideaofbeingexcluded/hatedbysociety,Ibbietasufferswiththeothermembersofhisgroupand
isabletofindsomecomfortinthepurposehecreatesforhislifeanddeath.Hecomestothe

Gonzalez2
realizationtheyweregoingtoslapamanupagainstawallandshootathimtillhedied,
whetheritwasIorGrisorsomebodyelsemadenodifference,which,althoughasolemn
thought,bringshimadrollsortofgaiety(Sartre16).Hisstory,however,doesnotendat
peacefulacceptancelikeMeursault's,whoopenshimselfuptothegentleindifferenceofthe
world(Camus132).Themeaningorweightthathegiveshisexecution,thegreatcauseby
whichhefoundhimselfincarceratedinthefirstplace,isultimatelydestroyedbythediscovery
thatnotonlyhehasbeenreleased,andathisowndoing,buthehasbeencounterproductiveto
thecausebyexposingGris.Thisdiscovery,asopposedtotheideaofcertaindeathitself,iswhat
sendsIbbietaovertheedgeofattemptingtomakesenseofhislife.Heis,inaway,punishedfor
havingtriedtodieinsomefantasticandmeaningfulway.
Intheend,though,bothcharactersdoreachachieflyExistentialistconclusionof
absurdity,theridiculousnessofessencethatcomesbeforeexistence.Neithergetstonecessarily
liveafulllifeorexperience"happiness"astheaveragemanwoulddefineit,buttheirrespective
authorseachsuggestthattheyareintheirownwaycontentintheirfateoratleastthecertainty
ofitandtherebyovercometheirsuffering.Meursaultinparticularexperiencesareleasefrom
theburdenoflifeCamusexplicitlydescribesthisoverwhelmingsenseofliberationviacertainty
inhisfinalhoursbeforetheexecutionintheselfassertion,Iwassureaboutme,about
everything,...sureofmylifeandsureofthedeathIhadwaitingforme.Yes,thatwasallIhad.
ButatleastIhadasmuchofaholdonitasithadonme(129).Insteadoffeelingangertowards
therestofthesocietyinwhichheissoevidentlyastranger,heacceptstheconsequencesof
exercisinghisfreewillandthecircumstancesofhisdeath.Whileheisobviouslymuchmore

Gonzalez3
cynicalinhisworldview,Meursaultsphilosophyissupposedtoemphasizerealismby
establishingastarkcontrasttotheimpliedsuperficialityofMarieandRaymond.
Itseemsthatwhiletheyalltrysohardtoignoreimpendingdeath,itisonlywhenhumans
areentirelycertainofithappeninginthenearfuturethattheyletitaffecttheirconsciences,
words,andactions.Thiscomprehensionofanendtoawarenessandmeaningcansendone
desperatelysearchingforsomeescapeorattheleastsomeultimatesignificance,asinIbbietas
case.Whenconfrontedwiththeideathathisentirelifehasbeenalie,particularlybecauseof
howheisabouttodie,herealizes,Ihadspentmytimecounterfeitingeternity,Ihadunderstood
nothing...deathhaddisenchantedeverything(Sartre11).ThisisthefirstmomentIbbieta
beginstoconsiderthepointlessnessofhisactionsuptothatpointintheprisoncell.Evenifhe
believedinthecauseforwhichhewasfighting,theemergenceofmortalityisallittooktospoil
hisfaadeofmeaningandultimatelyhisselfworth.Ibbietadoesnotlearnthoughdespitethis
dishearteningresponsetocertaindeath,hetriestogooutwithabangbythrowingoffthemen
whoofferhisfreedomforGrisslocation.Thishate,thismanifestationofthedesiretofind
significanceinpersonalrighteousnessandamakeshiftvocationistowhatSartreattributesthe
sourceofIbbietasfatetheironyofhissufferingisinhisownroleinit.
NeitherMeursaultnorIbbietaarenecessarilytheidealliteraryherotheydonottakeona
roleofgoodordefeatasourceofevil.Thereisnotevenafixedantagonistthroughouteither
plot.Inaway,though,thesecharactersserveasobjectsoffocusthroughwhoseeyestheauthor
forcesthereaderintoaparticularperspective.Thisviewissomethinghumansarepractically
incapableoffullyunderstandinguntilexperiencingitthemselves:theinevitabilityofmortality.
Forsome,thisunderstandingcomeswiththeideathatlifemustbeassociatedwithapurposeand

Gonzalez4
ameaninginordertobeworthwhile,hencetheunspokenhumanfearoffutility.Buttheabsurd
hero,thetrueExistentialist,overcomesthisurgetofulfillsuchsuperficialdesiresandisthereby
invincibletoworldlysuffering,angst,anddespair.

Gonzalez5
WorksCited
Camus,Albert.
TheStranger
.TranslatedMatthewWard.NewYork:RandomHouse,1988.
iBook.
Sartre,JeanPaul.1969.TheWall(Intimacy).TranslatedLloydAlexander.NewYork:New
Directions.1969.GoogleBook.