M Ali's English Literature Notes

There is an obvious debate if Camus is an existentialist and his The Stranger or The Outsider promotes existentialism, because Camus himself disclaimed the label of being an existentialist. Yet we will not be discouraged to evaluate existentialism in The Outsider : very few "existentialist" philosophers were willing to accept the label of "existentialist," starting with "The Father of Existentialism," Søren Kierkegaard . There are two classes of existentialism: the atheistic or secular existentialism and Christian existentialism. Since Camus is an Atheist, he must fall into the category the atheistic existentialism which is seen as a revolt, rebellion, or dissatisfaction against the suffering in human’s life. Sartre, the pioneer of atheistic existentialism, states his famous proposition, "existence precedes essence", ( Quoted in Ahmed, 113) This statement has deep implication to some basic themes of Atheistic Existentialism: Atheis...

Title:  L’étranger (translated as  The Stranger or The Outsider ) Author:  Albert Camus Language:  English - Translated from French Genre(s):  Philosophical novel ,  Existential novel; Crime drama Publication: 1943, French 1942 Exploration: The novel explores different philosophical schools of thought, including   absurdism , as well as determinism , nihilism , naturalism, and stoicism . Setting: a) Time:   Slightly before World War II b) Place:   Algeria Themes :  The irrationality of the universe; the meaninglessness of human life; the importance of the physical world ; free will; colonialism Narrator and Point of view: Meursault narrates in the first person and limits his account to his own thoughts and perceptions. His description of the other characters is entirely subjective—that is, he does not attempt to portray them in a neutral light or to understand their thoughts and feelings. Tone:...