Guilt and Responsibility

Paper Summary:

This paper introduces, discusses and analyzes three books, "Song of Solomon," by Toni Morrison, "The Stranger," by Albert Camus and "Siddhartha," by Hermann Hesse. Specifically, it asks fundamental questions about the meaning of guilt and responsibility. Using these three stories, the paper shows the difference between guilt and responsibility.

From the Paper:

"By the end of the novel, he becomes an existentialist hero. He has discovered the meaning of life, and it is the indifference of the world, which means there really is no meaning to our lives. If our lives are to mean anything, we have to create the meaning in ourselves. When he finally realizes this, he knows he has been happy in his odd life, and does not want to die, but it is too late for him. For him, guilt and responsibility have no meaning, and this is one of the reasons he is such a tragic character. Guilt and remorse exist when one feels something, and Meursault feels nothing, he is empty and therefore he is nothing."

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