English Extension Exploration and Evaluation Laila Chequer de Souza.

Underlying Unconscious Influence: The Impact of an Underdeveloped Unconscious on

Behaviour in Albert Camus’ the Outsider

Research question: To what extent is Meursault’s behaviour influenced by an underdeveloped

unconscious?

Albert Camus' the Outsider is regarded as a text that 'marks a reader's life indelibly', (Boyd,
N.D.). The novella, set in Algiers in the 1940s, follows the story of Meursault, a young clerk,
after the death of his mother. Meursault is an outsider, moving 'beyond the pale of conventional
society around him’ making himself ‘a stranger to these conventions' (Kalu, N.D.). At the end
of part one of the text, Meursault kills an Arab man, 'not dwelling particularly on the act nor
feeling particularly guilty about it' (Kalu, N.D.). He is later executed for his crime.

Many critics of The Outsider aim to explore Meursault's reasoning for murdering the Arab
man. Some attribute it to an attempt to ‘feel misery, or unhappiness’ (Young, J., 2016). Some
even claim it is ‘for no reason at all’ simply because ‘the Sun is in his eyes,’ (Stackexchange,
2017). However, neither of these interpretations account for Meursault’s earlier innate
disregard for all human life, beginning with his dysfunctional relationship with his mother and
his lover Marie.

Those who choose to consider this, claim, ‘it is because Meursault lacks genuine other-
regarding emotions…, [an] aspect of human nature… [and] that he speaks and behaves in the
disconnected, disinterested, depersonalized ways…’ (Webber, 2018). And that this idea of
‘other-regarding’ exists in Meursault throughout the entire text, most notably at the conclusion,
where Meursault states 'for all to be accomplished, for me to feel less lonely, all that remained
to hope was that on the day of my execution there should be a huge crowd of spectators and
that they should greet me with howls of execration' (Camus, 1946). Meursault clearly has a
deep and intrinsic hope to connect, demonstrating a familial unconscious desire to connect with
others. However, ‘Meursault comes to realize, by the end of the tale, that moral value is
grounded in…natural human fraternity that he himself lacks,’ (Webber, 2018).

This idea of the ‘natural human fraternity’ aligns with the findings of various psychoanalytic
theorists, most notably, Carl Jung, and his theory of the collective unconscious. Meursault’s
concluding desire to connect with the people around him, yet his primary indifference to human

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life could be explored by examining his unconscious thought. Meursault, in his erratic
relationships with the people in his life and his general reckless abandon, represented through
his murder of the Arab man, shows this inability to transcend culture and consciousness to
comprehend a common human psyche or empathy. This potentially demonstrates what could
be described as a dysfunctional unconscious. Therefore, this paper aims to evaluate the extent
to which Meursault’s behaviour was caused by an underdeveloped unconscious, making
himself 'an outsider to himself and a stranger to the world,' (Smith, 1942).

Carl Jung is a psychoanalytic theorist whose theory centred around conscious and unconscious
thought. One of his leading theories is the concept of the 'collective unconscious' (Jung, 1959),
found in his model of the psyche. Jung theorized that there are three levels of consciousness:
the ego, the personal unconscious, and the collective unconscious. The ego represents the
conscious mind and acts as the 'point of reference for the field of consciousness' (Jung, 1959).
The ego comprises the thoughts, memories, and emotions that a person is aware of. The
personal unconscious as defined by Jung is the place where temporarily forgotten information
and repressed memories are stored. According to Jung, the personal unconscious contains
different 'complexes' which are defined as 'emotionally toned symbolic material that is
incompatible with consciousness,' (Daniels, 2011). Complexes are characterised as 'psychic
fragments' of disrupted cognitions, impulsive thoughts, and disturbed memories. The final
layer of Jung's model of the psyche is the collective unconscious. The collective unconscious
consists of archetypes, or 'identical psychic structures common to all', which come together to
constitute 'the archaic image of humanity' (Jung, 1956), or what critics have referred to as the
‘natural human fraternity’ (Jung, 1956). Essentially, archetypes are comprised of ancestral
memories, where 'the form of the world into which [a person] is born is already inborn in him,
as a virtual image' (Jung, 1953). Jung therefore theorized that the human mind has innate
characteristics that stem from our ancestral past, and that they direct and influence present
behaviour. In this paper, the concept of the collective unconscious is an appropriate lens by
which to evaluate how Meursault's unconscious motivates his actions in the novel.

Because 'there are no problems without consciousness,' (Jung, 1931) Jungian psychoanalysis
should effectively analyse how 'archetypes of the collective subconscious are at one with
inception,' (Jung, 2013) and therefore determine how Meursault 'traumatic[ally] disconnects'
from the collective unconscious. While initially, one could attribute his behaviour to his nature,

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this theoretical approach determines that Meursault, through the 'inexorable traumatic
incidents' (Jung, 2013) of losing both of his parents, is 'disconnected' from the collective.

Jung theorised that 'the process of individualisation...develops an ego...that is disconnected

from the collective unconscious' (Jung in Owen, 2011). Furthermore, he theorised that
'trauma...impact[s] the intricate world of nascent ego...leading to states of...de-integration'
(Jung in Wilson, 2008). Therefore, it can be said that Meursault's nature as an 'outsider to
society' (Smith, 1942) evolves from the trauma of losing his parents, which 'disconnect[s]’
Meursault from the collective unconscious. This harm to his animus, his ego, leads to this 'de-
integration' and therefore his inability to express 'the sympathy of all things' (Jung, 1961).
Meursault's repressed trauma from his father leaving him leads to him projecting that trauma
on the Arab man when he kills him. Meursault states 'the Sun made me do it' (Camus, 1946) as
his defence for killing the Arab, where the Sun is typically viewed as a masculine energy in
psychoanalytical analysis. Then, this trauma is potentially further resurfaced by his mother's
death. It becomes apparent that Meursault is not necessarily a morally questionable figure for
not feeling remorse for his murder, rather, he is literally incapable of feeling sympathy for the
man he has killed because of his traumatic experiences.

Jungian psychoanalysis further explains that a healthy ego should '[transcend] all differences
in culture and consciousness' (Jung, 1952). Meursault's trauma, stemming from his parents,
'disconnect[s]' him from the collective unconscious, which means that he cannot sympathise
with 'all things'. Jung further theorised that the healthy ego should consist of ‘latent
dispositions towards certain identical reactions’ (Jung, 1931). Meursault's disconnect from, or
in other words, the underdeveloped nature of, the unconscious, certainly explains his
unempathetic feelings and ‘reactions’ towards his behaviour. It also justifies his behaviour
throughout the second part of the book, where Meursault navigates his court hearing, prison,
and his execution with a disregard for the impact his actions have on others, stating 'it was as
if that great rush of anger had washed my clean, emptied me of hope' (Camus, 1946). A prime
example of this is in the court hearing, where the prosecutor identifies Meursault’s lack of
humanity, stating:
‘There have been many times in my career where I have been obliged to ask for the
death sentence, never before have I felt this painful duty so justly counterbalanced or so
strongly motivated…by the horror I feel when I look at the face of this man in whom I can
distinguish nothing that is not monstrous’ (Camus, 1946).
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To this, Meursault feels no upset or remorse, only that he ‘was dazed by the heat’ (Camus,
1946). Meursault’s arguably strange reaction to being condemned to such a great extent
demonstrates that his ego in the sense of the collective is damaged in some way.

The strength of the use of the Jungian approach lies in how it analyses how Meursault’s position
as an ‘outsider’ emanates from his disconnect from the collective unconscious, which is what
stimulates his behaviour in the novel. Therefore, the Jungian approach is evidentiarily
supported to a great extent by the content and context of the novel. However, a critique of the
application of this theoretical approach is that it does not explain how traumatic events during
the ‘process of individualisation’ impact the unconscious. This limits the depth to which
Meursault’s unconscious development can be analysed, since the pivotal stages of individual
development which lead to his underdeveloped subconscious are not theorized on. Essentially,
Jungian psychoanalysis may have determined that Meursault has an underdeveloped
unconscious, but it does not theorize on his personal unconscious, which, according to Jung, is
where also where behaviour, memories and trauma lie. Therefore, an alternative approach must
be considered to determine how the way Meursault’s personal unconscious was developed is
underdeveloped in the same way the collective unconscious is. A key theorist that looked at
the stages of unconscious development is Jacques Lacan; therefore, the Lacanian approach
would be another appropriate lens by which to explore and evaluate the text.

Jacques Lacan is a French psychoanalytic theorist whose theory centred around three key
registers: the real, the imaginary and the symbolic. These registers are often used to describe
the psychosexual development of a child, explaining why certain deficits or traumas impact a
persons' personality and maturity. The main pillar of infant development in Lacan's
psychoanalytic theory is the development of the unconscious, and how the unconscious is
intimately tied and connected to the dynamics of language, as 'the unconscious is structured
like a language' (Lacan, 1949). The first stage of unconscious development as defined by Lacan
is between zero to six months of age where an infant simply exists in the 'materiality of
existence' (Lacan 1949), or what Lacan defines as 'the Real'. This is also where an infant begins
to interpret what they find fulfilling i.e their mother's attention. The second stage begins
between 6 to 18 months of age and is known as the 'mirror stage'. This entails a ‘libidinal
dynamism’ (Lacan, 1949), or the identification of their 'ideal ego'. The child can acknowledge
themself as an entirely separate being from any other person, where 'before it is objectified in
the dialectic of identification with the other, and before language restores to it, in the universal,
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its function as subject' (Lacan, 1970). This is also where a child develops the 'assumption of
the armour of an alienating identity, which will mark with its rigid structure the subject's entire
mental development,' (Lacan, 1999) characterising the ego. Essentially, the creation of the ideal
self and the ego means a child can distinguish between themself and others, and between the
internal and external world. The final stage is reached between 18 months and four years of
age, which is the acquisition of language and therefore a connection to the materiality of things,
although this stage will not be explored in depth in this paper.

Lacan theorised that in the Mirror Stage a child learns to detach itself from the image of the
mother and 'immediately rebounds...in a series of gestures in which [the child] experiences in
play the relation between the movements assumed in the image and the reflected environment,
and between this virtual complex and the reality it reduplicates - the child's own body, and the
persons and things around him' (Lacan, 1977). In the Outsider, Meursault does not demonstrate
this clear separation between himself and the image of his mother, demonstrated clearly
through his lack of consideration for his mother's death. He states, 'mother died today. Or,
maybe, yesterday; I can't be sure,' (Camus, 1946). According to Lacan, his uncertainty and
nonchalant nature opens a discourse for his entire psychological structure being stunted, as 'the
shattering of the Innenwelt (real) to Umwelt (not real) circle gives rise to an inexhaustible
squaring of the ego's audits' (Lacan, 1949). Meursault, because of his inability to differentiate
between what is real and what is not real, has not passed the Mirror Stage of development,
likely due to an 'anatomical incompleteness of the pyramidal tracts,' (Lacan, 1949), otherwise
described as what is potentially an estranged or strained relationship with his mother. Meursault
thereby can be said to have an underdeveloped unconscious. The impact this has on his
behaviour can be further explored by analysing his ego, which can be described as the
manifestation of his unconscious, ‘formed in the Mirror stage’ (Lacan, 1949).

If Meursault can be described as not having passed the Mirror Stage of development, according
to Lacan he would also be unable to distinguish between himself and others, since his ego, or
his sense of self, is thereby underdeveloped. Lacan theorised that 'the ego-ideal...intervenes in
functions which are often depressive, indeed aggressive functions' (Lacan, 1958), where the
'ego-ideal emerges from an identification...linked to the relationship,' (Lacan 1958). Because
Meursault has not passed the mirror stage, he cannot identify his image as separate from other
peoples', therefore, his ego-ideal cannot emerge and intervene in his functions. This means that

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he is open to depressive and aggressive functions with no cognitive functions that would limit
him. As Meursault states, ‘throughout the whole absurd life I’d lived, a dark wind had been
rising toward me, and as it passed, this wind levelled whatever was offered to me at the time…’
(Camus, 1946). Meursault is therefore somewhat aware of his aggressive inhibitions but has
no way to control them. This explains not only why he murders the Arab, but why he lacks
remorse for his actions, as he states, 'I have never been able really to regret anything in all my
life' (Camus, 1946). Meursault's complete inability to feel remorse for his actions emanates
from his inability to control his unconscious inhibitions, due to his non-existent ego ideal. This
is demonstrated during his time in prison, where he states, ‘from the moment judgement was
passed, the evidence my sentence was based on seemed ridiculously out of proportion to its
inevitable conclusion’ (Camus, 1946). Meursault’s inability to analyse the proportionality of
his crime against the Arab man is because his ego-ideal cannot ‘emerge’, meaning that he sees
the Arab man, and all other people, as an extension of himself, as he cannot understand
‘relationship[s]’ in the same way someone who has passed the Mirror stage. Therefore,
Meursault’s underdeveloped unconscious is demonstrated through the expressions of his
broken ‘ego’. These expressions greatly influence his reckless behaviour through his inability
to control his ‘aggressive functions’ (Lacan, 1958).

The Lacanian approach greatly enhanced my initial interpretation of the underdeveloped nature
of Meursault’s ‘personal unconscious’ (as defined by Jung) or ‘ego’ (as defined by Lacan).
While it does not examine his position in society and its impact on his behaviour, it explains in
great depth the leading causes and impacts of Meursault’s underdeveloped unconscious.
Another strength of this approach is how it examines the impact of Meursault’s more intimate
relationships, such as those with his mother, father, and lover, which aids in examining his
behaviour in his relationships. However, this approach alone is limited in that it does not
explore Meursault’s position in greater society, which is significant because of his public
condemnation after he murders the Arab. Overall, the Lacanian approach greatly aided in
providing cognizance to the innerworkings of Meursault’s unconscious.

While it can be said that both approaches provided unique insights to Meursault’s behaviour,
the Jungian approach explained Meursault’s behaviour in terms of his trauma and lack of
sympathy, rather than the nature of his personal unconscious. While Jung analyses how
Meursault has an underdeveloped collective unconscious, the collective does not impact
behaviour to the same extent as the personal unconscious, as the collective is not ‘connected to
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personal life experience’ (Merchant, 2020). In terms of the focus of this paper, while Jungian
psychoanalysis provides meaningful insight to the text, the Lacanian approach certainly
answers the extent to which Meursault’s behaviour is influenced by his underdeveloped
unconscious to a discriminating standard. Lacanian psychoanalysis evaluates the unconscious
stages to development to conclude that Meursault’s behaviour is caused by his failure to pass
the Mirror stage of development, leading to an underdeveloped ego. Therefore, the Lacanian
approach better answers the research question of this paper.

As Camus poignantly puts, ‘after another moment’s silence she mumbled that I was peculiar,
that that was probably why she loved me but that one day I might disgust her for the very same
reason’ (Camus, 1946). Meursault’s peculiarity lies in that which Jung describes as ‘knowing
your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darkness of other people’ (Jung,
1937). While this certainly can be said to hold true in the Outsider, when employing the use of
Lacanian psychoanalysis, the aim of this paper is fulfilled in concluding that Meursault’s
behaviour is without a doubt fuelled by his underdeveloped unconscious psyche. This is
demonstrated both in his long futile attempt to pass the ‘mirror stage’ and his related lack of
an ‘ego ideal’.

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