Meursault’s Humanity 02-2005

PHL 200

Existentialism
02-2005

Meursault’s Humanity

What is the relation between physical needs and circumstances on the one hand, and feelings on the other? I believe it is the difference between animal instinct versus what makes us human. It is the dividing line that separates us from other animals. If you strip a man of his name, his language, his environment, and all possessions that tie him to his life as a human in society, he will cease to feel. He will act on all he has left: his instincts. He will simply survive.
In The Stranger by Albert Camus his main character, Meursault, reminds me of this condition. He expresses indifference regarding morals and emotion. He simply survives. He seems resigned to the idea that life is simply ‘going with the flow’ and acting on whatever impulse presents itself at the moment. He seems able to easily adapt to any change in his environment. For example, when he goes to jail he doesn’t much complain about being locked in a small space. He remarks more on the simple absurdity of it all.
At one point Meursault states “all night I felt bugs crawling over my face… I had a bucket for a toilet and a tin washbasin”, but he never states discomfort or panic. He says “apart from these annoyances, I wasn’t too unhappy. Once again the main problem was killing time.” Most people would have started crying and express a feeling of impending doom. But not Meursault, he simply accepts his fate as yet another inconvenience in life.
I believe it is our emotions that give meaning to life. Without them we would all be like Meursault; indifferent, of no particular use or benefit to society, and practically indistinguishable from each other and other animals. It is our emotion, not our needs or circumstances, that make us unique.

Further Study:

http://www.camus-society.com/the-stranger-albert-camus.htm

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/stranger/summary.html

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/stranger/canalysis.html