Reader Response for Camus' the Stranger

Throughout Camus' novella The Stranger, the careful reader can find allusions to another of his works, an essay titled "The Myth of Sisyphus." Perhaps the strongest tie between the these two works, which were written within a year of each other, is the poignancy of the last line of "The Myth of Sisyphus," which connects the common themes of the novella and the essay. That line reads: "The struggle itself...is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy." It is rather difficult to think of Sisyphus as being a happy person-being forced to endure mundane, physical labor is usually not the way to make a kingly person happy, but in his way, Camus is right. In linking the myth with the novella, Camus brings a pagan message to mind, along with his existential leanings (Peyre 21). As a self-identified pagan, I discovered a kinship with the symbolism and ideas Camus set forth in his novella, The Stranger. In this paper, I will explore Camus' pagan leanings through his own work and that of others, and show how the novella might find better and more understanding readers of the pagan mindset than in a Judeo-Christian, Hindu, or Muslim ideology.

In one of Camus' early essays, titled Noces, he gives us a paean, a triumphal, grateful song to the wedding feast of the sky, the sea, and the Algerian earth. This rhapsodous verse is followed by equally beauteous prose hymns of summer (Peyre 21). It is apparent throughout Camus' works that he believed the natural world, including our own lives, contained intrinsic beauty and value-possibly the only intrinsic meaning there was for him (Simpson 1). Also apparent in his writing, perhaps most notably in The Stranger, is a duality in the influences and ideas presented in the works, especially where his themes lean toward religious thought. It seems that, at times, the Augustinian sense of original sin, along with the accompanying universal guilt, was at odds with his personal ideal of pagan primitivism, or universal innocence (Simpson 1). As a modern pagan, I can personally identify with the problems which can stem from this cognitive dichotomy, as I am often out of the loop of the majority of my peers and colleagues-the realm of Judeo-Christian or even Eastern religious thought.

Along with his other non-traditional ideas and beliefs, it seems that Camus may have modeled his protagonist in The Stranger on his personal beliefs and non-transcendental or pagan view of faith, home, and charity (Corbett 1). For many pagans, these Judeo-Christian concepts are entirely unlike our own beliefs, though in some instances, they are not that far off the mark. It is far more likely, for example, for a pagan family to include non-relatives or polyamorous relationships, where such ideas are taboo in most, if not all, Judeo-Christian circles. From Camus' ideas that come through in his work and from his own words on his beliefs, I find it rather difficult to believe that he wouldn't applaud the pagan beliefs of open homes and hearts. As far as faith, the pagan idea is not far removed from the Judeo-Christian model, though pagans are not as likely to allow their lives to be overtaken or overshadowed by the worship of a deity-an idea Camus would, no doubt, approve of, given that he acknowledged the basic human need to look for meaning through emotional connections (Baum 1).

Contrary to what some of his peers would have their readers believe, it is unlikely that Camus would have ever joined the Catholic church as was rumored around the time of his death. In truth, he was not against religion, and even disapproved of anti-clericalism. Actually, Camus often denied any rumor regarding his belonging to or planning to take part in any form of organized religion (Corbett 2). In September of 1965, he make the statement that he "[did not] believe in God, that is true, but [he was] not thereby an atheist" (Peyre 20). This statement, along with others Camus made regarding his stance on religion, aim to remove his works and himself from the realm of the existential atheists, like Nietzsche. He makes his thoughts on this matter apparent on several occasions, which is interesting on many levels. Nowhere, though, has there been any statement by Camus or any of his contemporaries in which the idea that he may have been more pagan, even if only in theory and not practice, than not. In a letter to a friend, Camus wrote that he "continue[d] to believe that this world has no supernatural meaning...but [he knew] that something in this world has meaning-man," which is a large part of paganism for many who follow pagan ideals. Camus himself was a nature lover, even worshiper, though he respected Judeo-Christian philosophy and literature, even though he did not hold their ideals in high regards (Simpson 2). His 'ultimate' was not the Judeo-Christian idea of an omnipotent God, but man and existence-namely a life fully lived by his standards (Corbett 2).

As previously stated, The Stranger parallels Camus' essay "The Myth of Sisyphus" in many ways. One of the chief parallels lies in his analogies illustrative of the absurd way of life. In these analogies, Camus gives real-life examples of people who live an absurd lifestyle. These people are not restricted to existence in the pagan community, but they are present there, as they are in other spiritual communities. The general idea that is pushed to the forefront for all of Camus' analogies is that mankind does itself no favors in submitting to false hope, as it is in opposition with the potential for us to fully live (Baum 2). The first of Camus' analogies is Don Juan-the womanizer. This stock character represents not just the men, but also the women, whose reputation in their communities revolves around their 'love lives' and their belief that there is no substance tied to the emotions of love. Those who fall in this group believe that superficial, unemotional, unsubstantial love is the only real or meaningful sort of love. According to Camus, the Don Juans in life would call any other kind of connection irrational (Baum 1).

The second analogy is similar, but still different from the first. Again, Camus places significance in the ideas of the absurd-especially the idea that emotions hold no intrinsic meaning or value for people. The second person, the actor, lives an absurd life because he or she has the ability to demonstrate outwardly realistic and genuine emotions and feelings-an expressiveness that has no depth beyond the role they currently play. The fact that some people are able to use this type of ability is proof of the fragility of the human mind. It also illustrates Camus' belief in the near non-existence of anything of value beyond concrete reality. The actor's ability to manifest emotion with no real ties to other people or relationships as well as their reputation for being free-spirits and having care-free lives reinforces the idea of the absurd life as the only way to truly live life (Baum 2).

Third on the list of true-to-life analogies is the conqueror. This person exerts power and holds influence over many people, but places no value on thoughts and feelings, whether they are their own or those of the people around them. The conqueror is well aware of the mortality of man, and it is this heightened awareness of the importance of life and death, and the disregard for the emotional roller coaster many associate with the realization that both are quite real, that gives him his power. He is the epitome of this awareness, as he lives completely in the present, disregarding the past, both distant and recent, as well as the impossibly futile future (Baum 2).

As poignant as these analogies are, the most prominent and important of them all is that of Sisyphus himself. A brilliant man, deceiver of the gods, Sisyphus is sentenced by Zeus to a non-life, an existence spent forever toiling aimlessly, pushing heavy boulders up the steepest mountain, only for them to roll back down. No breaks, no vacation, simply rolling his stone, chasing it back down the mountain, and pushing is almost all the way back up again. As previously stated, Camus' last line of "The Myth of Sisyphus" speaks of the happiness of Sisyphus-perhaps it is in his endless mundane toils that he finds himself at leisure to free himself from all emotional attachment and simply work upon the earth. His acceptance of his lot along with his acknowledgment of the futility of life negates the impeding force of the very futility in which he is enveloped, leaving him with nothing but the futility and his earned entrapment.

This acceptance, this acknowledgment are present at the end of The Stranger as well, as evidenced by Meursault's outburst at the presence of the priest who is attempting to 'save' him by religious means (Camus 74). Much like the closing of "The Myth of Sisyphus," in which Camus asserts that Sisyphus is, at last, happy-for all he has left is what was set upon him, his mountain, his stone, and his work-just as Meursault finds some sort of happiness in knowing that his life is at an end, know that he has no regrets for the choices that he'd made (Sisyphus 1). For both Meursault and Sisyphus, hope becomes synonymous with avoidance-of life, of happiness. In Camus' writings, a person who hopes or wishes for meaning, in any form, does not have the ability to force said meaning into existence. Any attempts at this lead to the person living a life devoid of any sort of real pleasure, trading it instead for a substanceless, and truly meaningless fantasy. Avoiding the rational truths before one's eyes does not make them disappear-this truth is one Camus displays prominently (Baum 1).

Other values present in Camus' Stranger come from Romantic and Greek ideals. The Romantic idea of passion, for example, is extolled in The Stranger, especially in the beginning of the story wherein Meursault beds his love interest rather than mourns the loss of his mother. By taking part in carnal pursuits rather than more socially acceptable modes of mourning, Meursault exemplifies the absurd lifestyle still further. His adamance that the reality of his mother's death had not yet sunk in after having read the telegram fits perfectly with Camus' theory of the absurd-it lacked the physical element that would make it real for Meursault and allow him to process and accept it as fact. Even as the man travels to his mother's wake and sits his vigil, the fact that he never glimpses the stillness of his mother corpse removes that physicality from him (Camus 7-9). Along those same lines, the Romantic notion of reveling in each moment as it comes matches up with Camus' thoughts on the absurd-and Meursault continues to live in this fashion, even after his arrest and during his subsequent jail time. Greek heroic values are illustrated by his pessimism with regard to the priest's ability to 'rescue' him through religious salvation as well as his display of honor and courage as he lives through his incarceration and trial without incident.

Throughout The Stranger both pagan and Judeo-Christian imageries are present, sometimes simultaneously. The most significant symbolism-description of the sun, moon, and stars-is used throughout the novella, though most notably at the time of the killing of the Arab (Camus 39) and in the last pages where Meursault declares his happiness (Camus 76). For him, the sun, with its heat and spreading fire, is strongly correlated with violence. Any place in which Meursault describes himself as warm, hot, or blinded by the sun is a moment in which his temper flares out of control. Likewise, his greatest happiness comes from watching the stars above him, beyond him, in the night sky. This duality of light and dark is yet one more of the dichotomies present in this work. Meursault is at once sinner and saint, demon and angel, outcast and brother-these dualities play out in his friendships and other societal connections throughout the novella, even through to the day of his execution-an even we readers are not made part of as we're left with the simple truth that, despite everything that had transpired and everything left to happen in Meursault's last hours, he, like Sisyphus before him, found happiness. The opposition of Judeo-Christian and pagan principles is best displayed in the juxtaposition of the ideals and values associated with guilt and innocence. This dichotomy is apparent throughout the novella, namely in the scenes in which Meursault is accused of wrongdoing, such as the nearly completely one-sided conversation, and the subsequent outburst, with the priest (Camus 74), and the 'evidence' against him regarding his lack of remorse over the death of his mother (Camus 56). In fact, the word 'guilt' appears, in some form or other, only 10 times in the text itself-and it is almost never Meursault's mind that brings up the idea. The first instance is the moment in which he relays the news of his mother's death to Marie. Then, he felt a sense of guilt, most likely for having not mentioned such news to her earlier in her visit (Camus 14). Subsequent references to guilt illicit varying responses from Meursault, namely shock at the realization of his own guilt, and disbelief that intelligence and the fact that differences in moral values between himself and others in the courtroom made his guilt more real for the others (Camus 56, 63).

In the end for both men-Meursault of The Stranger and Sisyphus of "The Myth of Sisyphus"--there is not middle ground. There is only happiness or unhappiness, life or lifelessness, all or nothing. These ideals, including those borrowed from other ideologies, demonstrate beliefs that many pagan groups hold to be true, as did Camus. The reality of the flesh, the intrinsic beauty and value of nature, the meaninglessness of materialistic relationships, and the futility of living or striving for anything outside of the concrete are all exemplified and proven time and again throughout Camus' novella.

Works Cited

Baum, Adam. "'The Myth of Sisyphus' by Albert Camus." 9/21/2007. Accessed 25 April 2009.

Camus, Albert. "The Myth of Sisyphus." Accessed 23 April 2009.

Ibid. The Stranger. Translated by Stuart Gilbert. Vintage Books, Random House: New York. 1946.

Corbett, Bob. "Notes on Camus: A Collection of Critical Essays." June 2003. http://www.webster.edu/~corbetre/personal/reading/bree-camus.html>Accessed 23 April 2009.

Simpson, David. "Albert Camus." The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2006. >Accessed 25 April 2009.