Chapter III

CONCLUSION

The Outsider is a novel about a man who lives in an absurd life. Meursault as the main

character in the novel lives his life differently. He is different from other characters in the

way he sees life. His being different has a significant role in delivering the ideas of

absurdism. Through his speech, action and other character’s point of view about him, the

ideas of absurdism are revealed. The base idea of the absurd is rooted in the after effects of

the world wars. The First World War brought a terrible shock to the minds of the people who

led a very peaceful life. Scientific inventions and great medical achievements seemed to

guarantee a better, a safer and more comfortable existence. But the world war shattered all

the hopes of men. And the Second World War started creating confusing and shattering

Europe altogether. The whole Europe was overcast with dark clouds and here was no light

within sight. The European social life plunged into deep despair, horror and gloom. In such

an atmosphere of society, the new generation faced a tremendous shock in the minds and lost

sensibility and balance of minds. Writers of the age began to think in the new directions in

this atmosphere of social life. The objective to analyse the absurd from The Myth of Sisyphus

is achieved through how Camus sees the Absurd in the book.The concept of absurdity as

suggested by Camus is an experience which a man gets in the world in the most conflicting

situation. Man is born with hopes and aspirations but they are frustrated by the nature of

existence and these desires cannot be satisfied in a human life. Camus approaches the absurd

from an existential standpoint. For him, the absurd arises from the relation between man and

the world, between man's rational demands and the world’s irrationality. The war-torn world
which has brought deep distress, anxiety, anguish and hopelessness has made the lives of men

absurd. Men are puzzled, baffled and bewildered. Awe and fear has made life uncertain and

the only certainty is death. In such circumstances the situations and characters of the novels

of Camus clearly indicate the notion of absurdity. Absurdity is a passion, the most heart

rending of all. To Camus, life will be lived all the better for its being devoid of meaning. In

the novel, Meursault is described as a man who has unique characteristics. There are three

points that have been discussed in relation with the ideas of the Absurd Camus tries to offer.

The first is his honesty. He is ready to upset anyone to be true to his feelings even if that

anyone is a loved one. The second is Meursault’s view towards God. Meursault is someone

who denies the existence of God. In his point of view, a man who believes in God is not sure

about himself. God cannot be felt by human’s senses, meaning to say that God’s existence is

deniable.

The last is Meursault’s being a social rebel. He breaks social values not to be someone

different but to be himself even if it means that he can be considered a stranger in the society.

He acts according his will regardless of thinking about the proper social reaction to anything.

The Outsider is a novel of development. Meursault reaches some realizations and

recognitions at the end of the novel that he was not aware of in the beginning. Meursault, in

fact, rebels against the conventions of society. In the first part, he is not aware of his

rebellion. He just lives his life, in a way he likes and enjoys.

In the second part, especially in prison, he begins to think about his life philosophically, and

he shifts to being an absurd hero when he becomes aware, like Sisyphus. Through assessing

the similarities in the situations of Sisyphus and Meursault, the likeness of the two characters

from different works is established. Though he is out of sorts from the start, Meursault

eventually lands on the right track towards the end of The Outsider. He does not cross the line
by accepting neither suicide nor religion as a philosophical solution, rather he reconciles with

the most certain truth of life to actually become happy like Sisyphus.

A sense of alienation springing from social factors is primarily responsible for his isolation

and emotional detachment from social life. But for having distinctiveness as an individual, he

neither plays the games of society nor accepts the vague appearances and values

manufactured by society. Consequently, his existential crisis intensifies. Yet, he is not

confined within any structure rather he goes beyond. The study finds that Meursault is

equally an existential hero and a mirror reflecting the ugly truth of society.