Essay on Camus’ The Stranger (The Outsider): Conformity

Conformity in Camus The Stranger (The Outsider)  Camus novel The Stranger presents the record of Meursault who, after killing an Arab, is sentenced to death. This conflict portrays the stark contrast between the morals of society and Meursaults evident lack of them he is condemned to death, less for the Arabs murder, than for refusing to conform to societys standards.Meursault is an anomaly in society he cannot relate directly to others because he does not live as they do. Meursault is simplistic, even detached he speaks of his mothers death without regret for her loss, merely stating Maman died today. He goes on to mention that perhaps it was yesterday - he is not sure which. He cannot abide by the same moral confines as the abatement of the world because he does not grasp them he is largely indifferent to events occurring around him. Meursaults entire being is sensuous, yet unemotional. He derives a certain take aim of pleasure from eating and drinking, smoking cigarettes, sitting on his balcony to watch passersby. He likes to wash his hands, especially at work in the morning, when the roller towel is dry. He likes sex. When Marie leaves, he lies in bed and tries to get the salty smell of her hair from the pillow. Yet all these things are tactile Meursault derives physical satisfaction from them, but on that point is no emotion attached.This is in direct contrast to society, whose strict guidelines focusing on right and wrong depend on the individuals sense of these concepts. Meursault is perfectly subject of analyzing the situation, but not of responding to it as society wishes him to. Life or death, and anything in between, makes no difference to him. The nurse at his mothers funeral had warned him that if h... ...re is no inherent meaning in life - its entire value lies in living itself. Meursault feels he has been happy, and longs to live. When he must die, he wants a crowd to greet him with cries of hate they are scream because they want lif e and the world to have meaning they need this because that is what their entire existence is built upon. As the magistrate asked of Meursault, Do you want my life to be purposeless? Meursault understands how estranged the individual truly is from society. Until the conclusion, he was a stranger to himself as well as to the rest of the world. In the end, he opens himself to the gentle indifference of the world, and determination it so much like myself, - like a brother really, feels he has been happy, and is again. Society finds this unacceptable, and by refusing to conform to its face-value standards, Meursault must die.