The Stranger: Meursault's Lack of Morality
In Albert Camus’s The Stranger , Meursault is presented as a complex and almost unintelligible character. Seemingly unaffected by the world around him, he lives in the moment and does what comes most naturally to him without regard for the broader impact of his actions. Meursault’s neutrality by itself is no issue, but when he is exposed to certain conditions, he acts in somewhat unthinkable ways, like his seemingly random killing of the Arab man. While some may say that it is Meursault’s inability to perceive the outside world that causes him to act in these irrational and nonsensical ways, I’d argue that it is exactly Meursault’s perception of the outside world that influences his actions. More specifically, while he perceives the outside world perfectly, he lacks serious internal processing that allow for him to react in a sensical manner. While Meursault is being questioned after killing the man, he makes an interesting comment about his nature: “I e...