Meursault: Camus' Absurd Hero

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how in "The Myth of Sisyphus," Camus identifies the absurd hero who can survive amidst chaos. The absurd hero neither conforms to social rules, and religion as a means to deny the chaos, nor chooses suicide as a means to escape it. In particular, it looks at how Camus exemplifies his hero as Monsieur Meursault in the novel "The Stranger" and how Meursault shows every characteristic of the absurd hero. It examines how he revolts, is free and passionate, but never explains his actions nor those of others.

From the Paper:

"A third characteristic of an absurd hero, as stated by Camus, is that of passion. Camus describes passion as the pursuit of a life rich with diverse experience, the counter to what the French refer to as "metro, boulot, dodo," subway, work, sleep. Meursault lives his life full of experiences. He goes swimming with friends (19-20, 34, 47). He attends movies with Marie and his friend Emmanuel (20, 34). He can be seen hopping on a truck for fun with Emmanuel (25-6). Meursault is not completely wrapped up in his work. He has a rich life with many experiences, not the least of which being killing a man and discovering the beauty of life while in prison."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Camus, Albert (author), Ward, Matthew (translator). The Stranger. New York, NY: Vintage Books, 1989.

More papers on Meursault: Camus' Absurd Hero:

• Analytical Essay # 71139 : "Meursault: Camus' Flawed Hero"
• Essay # 18354 : "Albert Camus' "The Stranger"
• Book Review # 95811 : "The Stranger" by Albert Camus"

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