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                               THE EXISTENTIAL WORKS OF CAMUS.

                 In Albert Camus’ novel, The Stranger, and in his play, The Misunderstanding, he presents existentialism as a theme. In the face of the absurd, people’s actions create meaning or purpose. Individuals have the freedom of choice and also the responsibility to accept the consequences of their choices. Existentialists believe that the absurd universe is harsh/indifferent and individuals must recognize their complete accountability in creating meaning in a universe that does not care.

                  In The Stranger, the sun represents the ever present universe which is harsh/indifferent to Meursault. Meursault is conceived as withdrawn and taciturn by the public long before he is on trial for murder. The court also perceives Mersault as strange and awkward; they hate and dislike him. He is guilty in their eyes even before they can prove him otherwise. As a result, speakers on Meursault’s defense are disregarded and he is sentenced to having his head cut off. Just like the sun, the Old Man in The Misunderstanding also represents the harsh/indifferent universe. When Maria discoveres that her husband is dead, she is in despair and pleads for help, but receives nothing but indifference.

          Maria        :    “……Have pity on me! I need your help. Please help me !”

          Old Man   :    “No” (50).

Under the influence of the sun, Meursault becomes weak and gets sleepy; Camus softens that by showing how Meursault sleeps at the strangest times. For example, during his mother’s funeral, Meursault begins to get drowsy, tired and sleepy. This is his way of escaping emotion in a universe that he does not care about. Just like Meursault, mother would like to have her chance of sleep; a way out of the hostile universe. Even though the world is indifferent to Meursault, Maria, and mother, they all have the freedom of choice.

                 During the funeral of Meursault’s mother, Meursault has the choice to “fit in.” He has a choice to cry, sulk or even pretend to care but he chooses to be emotionless. He is passive during the funeral and has cigarettes by his mother’s coffin. To further his insensitivity towards his mother’s death, Meursault chooses to go swimming with Marie the following day. “I probably did love Maman, but that didn’t mean anything. At one time or another all normal people have wished their loved ones dead” (65). Camus further illustrates Meursault’s freedom of choice at the beach. “It occurred to me that all I had to do was turn around and it would be the end of it” (58). He has the choice to walk away from the Arab, but he chooses not to. Just like Meursault, Martha has the chance to spare Jan’s life, but she chooses not to as well. Further more, after discovering that Jan is her brother, she says, “if I had known who he was, it would have made no difference” (42). Unfortunately for Jan, his choice to leave the boarding house is made too late because he has already had the poisoned tea. Jan could have avoided all this, if he had chosen to reveal his identity as soon as he arrived at the boarding house. Making choices gave Meursault, Martha and Jan a meaning to life. Unfortunately, with the choices made also came circumstances.

                 If Meursault had chosen to “fit in” by showing emotion to his mother’s death, and walk away instead of killing the Arab at the beach, the court could have been less harsh towards him and maybe granted him a few years in prison instead of a death penalty. But Mersault accepts his fate; he knows what he has done and he knows he has to face the consequence of his actions.  “So close to death, Maman must have felt free then ready to live it all again. Nobody, nobody had the right to cry over her. And I felt ready to live it all again too” (122). Camus further stresses the consequence of choice in The Misunderstanding. When Martha and mother discover that Jan is their brother/son, they are shocked that they could kill their own flesh and blood. “This is punishment, Martha. Our punishment.” “…….I have lost my freedom and hell has begun” (41), mother says to Martha. She accepts the fact that she cannot go on living; it’s her punishment for what she has done. Martha accepts the fact that her mother, the one and only person she can kneel down to is going to kill herself... She has been denied everything, and stripped of her mother’s love. She has no home but she will not capitulate. “I’ll leave this world the alien that I have always been” (44)!

                 Meursault, Martha and mother think of the world as absurd and indifferent, however they all do the things that give them purpose and meaning to life but later on face the consequences to their actions. It is evident that Camus presented existentialism in both The Stranger and The Misunderstanding.