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A review by emmamedina0515
The Stranger by Albert Camus
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I read this book for my AP English Lit class this year and it was also the first philosophical books that I have ever read and so it was my first time diving into existentialism. I def enjoyed the second part of the book better than the first. It is such a simply written book that I was very surprised by how Camus was able to convey such deep meaning through his simplistic writing style.
While reading other reviews to help me write mine, I read one that talked about how many people don't see past the "life is meaningless" message in the book and see all the other philosophical questions that Camus raises, which I believe is true. While yes, the whole "life is meaningless" aspect is a big part of the book and Meursault's way of thinking, Camus brings up other important philosophical questions about human emotions and the credibility of human judgement when it comes to punishment in the legal system. The latter aspect is one that was very interesting to me and stuck out to me, so much so that it was one of the parts of the book that I chose to do an assignment for in AP Lit. The point that was being made in Meursault's trial by the prosecutor was that he had never expressed emotions during his mother's funeral and because of his apathetic and indifferent view of life this made him "morally bankrupt" and, in the prosecutor's point of view, deserving of the death sentence, not the fact that he had murdered a man. At the end of the novel, it is revealed that the jury finds him guilt and deserving of the death sentence for the same reason as the prosecutor, because his emotions don't manifest the way society deems they should, therefore making him a "stranger" or "inhumane" in the eyes of the rest of society. What I think Camus is trying to say here is that there is a disproportion in the jury's fallibility as human beings and their susceptibility to human error and the fact once these fallible people give a verdict it is treated as infallible and its outcome is certain death. It makes us wonder how we as a society have allowed certain people - who are just like us, equal in the same nature - the power to decide punishment for our crimes, such as the death penalty, regardless of the crime committed.
Another philosophical question that Camus brings up is, to quote from my AP Lit assignment, "the absurdity of the legal system and societal norms, as the prosecutor makes Meursault's trial less and less about his crime and more about his existential philosophy and attitude toward life, which resulted in his conviction being influenced by these factors rather than the actual murder of the Arab." The prosecutor muddies the case by bringing in divine and moral justice when he brings up Meurault's soul and his being "morally guilty."
This book brings up more questions than it answers, as another reviewer said, and I think it is up to us as readers to come up with our own answers to those questions that satisfy them. This book is truly an amazing book and I'm sure that the more I read it I will find more things that I missed the first time and I will be able to reshape and rediscover what each line means to me. This book is definitely a good read and everyone should read it, it's simple and cut-to-the-chase but really deep and just mind-blowing.
Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk :))))
While reading other reviews to help me write mine, I read one that talked about how many people don't see past the "life is meaningless" message in the book and see all the other philosophical questions that Camus raises, which I believe is true. While yes, the whole "life is meaningless" aspect is a big part of the book and Meursault's way of thinking, Camus brings up other important philosophical questions about human emotions and the credibility of human judgement when it comes to punishment in the legal system. The latter aspect is one that was very interesting to me and stuck out to me, so much so that it was one of the parts of the book that I chose to do an assignment for in AP Lit. The point that was being made in Meursault's trial by the prosecutor was that he had never expressed emotions during his mother's funeral and because of his apathetic and indifferent view of life this made him "morally bankrupt" and, in the prosecutor's point of view, deserving of the death sentence, not the fact that he had murdered a man. At the end of the novel, it is revealed that the jury finds him guilt and deserving of the death sentence for the same reason as the prosecutor, because his emotions don't manifest the way society deems they should, therefore making him a "stranger" or "inhumane" in the eyes of the rest of society. What I think Camus is trying to say here is that there is a disproportion in the jury's fallibility as human beings and their susceptibility to human error and the fact once these fallible people give a verdict it is treated as infallible and its outcome is certain death. It makes us wonder how we as a society have allowed certain people - who are just like us, equal in the same nature - the power to decide punishment for our crimes, such as the death penalty, regardless of the crime committed.
Another philosophical question that Camus brings up is, to quote from my AP Lit assignment, "the absurdity of the legal system and societal norms, as the prosecutor makes Meursault's trial less and less about his crime and more about his existential philosophy and attitude toward life, which resulted in his conviction being influenced by these factors rather than the actual murder of the Arab." The prosecutor muddies the case by bringing in divine and moral justice when he brings up Meurault's soul and his being "morally guilty."
This book brings up more questions than it answers, as another reviewer said, and I think it is up to us as readers to come up with our own answers to those questions that satisfy them. This book is truly an amazing book and I'm sure that the more I read it I will find more things that I missed the first time and I will be able to reshape and rediscover what each line means to me. This book is definitely a good read and everyone should read it, it's simple and cut-to-the-chase but really deep and just mind-blowing.
Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk :))))