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Absurdism doesn’t work with logic or reasoning and in literature writers’ chose this to show the meaninglessness of life with the happenings of illogical events. It is definitely a theme of modern plays as it tries to reflect the reality of modern people’s life. But the way modern playwrights Samuel Beckett, Albert Camus, Franz Kafka unfolds and wraps absurdity, is not always of similar kind.

Albert Camus & others

The way Franz Kafka’s novella The Metamorphosis opens itself is the greatest absurdity as Gregor Samsa’s physical transformation is beyond the boundaries of natural occurrence. Samsa was alienated as a human but not in others’ eyes, and that took the physical form when transformed into a bug. His dissatisfying work life drained him psychologically, maybe his this darker side is shown as a bug.

Everything in Waiting for Godot seems absurd to us as a whole. If we contemplate Absurdity in The Outsider, Albert Camus deviates in the representation of a character true to self, his admired personality. He shows how the world, and all part to existence and its people and emotions feel absurd from the protagonist, Meursault’s view point.

Is reality absurd?

How absurd it is that if we show any sort of emotion, in regard to that people are to respond. Meursault very well understood that after he returns, if he mourns, in response to it his boss will pass on condolences. Even the religious funeral rites carried out for his mother seems absurd to him as he never saw his mother being religious her entire life. Then what does it matter carrying them out to a dead body? That’s the absurdity in The Outsider.

Even marrying doesnt matter anything as he is with Marie. Salamano got used to companionship being married, but does marriage and the habit of his wife could stop his wife facing death? Definitely not.

Outsider

As Meursault has accepted the toughest reality of life that the ultimate ending will be death, he thinks everything of this existence doesn’t really mean anything to get so attached and involved with it. He doesn’t involve himself but still gets involved in need as a son, neighbour, friend, a responsible boyfriend but remaining as an outsider in all those relationships. Not only that, Meursault is very much physical in sense and stays in present itself as its absurd for him to think about future, what if he doesn’t exist. No instance of future plan: for instance, when Marie asks him to keep hoping on his trial, and they will get married, he just focuses on his present need and hope, to feel Marie’s shoulder and body as that moment he desires for that urge.

For Meursault, the people and emotions are absurd because what is not felt, why one should pretend doing it so? His mother’s death didn’t have an impact on him so why should he pretend to stop his daily ongoing life. He doesn’t even seem to panic even after murdering someone as its absurd because what is to happen will happen eventually!

Meursault’s indifference

Camus represents a character who takes death in a very realistic way. The ultimate truth, ending of life! The text itself starts with death and probably ends with that. The way we see and perceive death is completely different with that of Meursault. The emotions related with death is completely absurd for Meursault as thats the end of everything. He rarely paid a visit to his mother when at home, then how can he get so curious to see her when she dies as she is no more now.

During his outburst in the last chapter, he makes us realise whats the point of all these emotions as it doesn’t mean anything as even with his death, Marie would be kissing another Meursault. Then why so much emotional attachment when at the end it doesn’t mean anything. If he would be emotionally attached with Marie, would that make Marie stop kissing another Meursault after his death? Marie’s love life won’t be breaking off, Raymond is not going to stop making friends for him and so on.

Hypocrisy or Absurdity?

The greatest absurdity in the text for Meursault is how absurd it is, when you are accused of something but executed for something else! Just because he was true to self and does what he believes? How absurd is that if you fake your emotions your going to gain all sympathy from others and save your life indeed when it will surely end one day! Can we relate to the Absurdity in The Outsider?