The Stranger By Albert Camus - 1358 Words

In Albert Camus’ The Stranger, main characters Raymond Sinters and Meursault possess vastly different personalities and mindsets: one is indifferent to just about everyone and everything while the other is full of intense emotions. Despite being totally opposite mentally and emotionally, both Raymond and Meursault are guilty of committing heinous crimes. In this essay, I will argue that Meursault’s inability to feel significant emotion unless a situation directly and significantly affects him coupled with his lack of concern over the consequences of his actions make him more likely to harm others than Raymond, who actually experiences emotion in response to circumstance that do not necessarily affect him along with concern over his†¦show more content†¦Thus, how can he experience regret in response to harming others? The inability to feel regret over how he treats others means there is nothing stopping Meursault from going around harming others time and time ag ain. Therefore, Meursault’s inability to feel emotion in response to external situations makes him a highly dangerous individual. Meursault’s lack of emotion in response to the condition of others prevents him from feeling any concern over anything, particularly over how his actions and the actions of others might affect others, make him a dangerous individual. Early on, Raymond asks Meursault if he could do him a favor as a part of his plan to â€Å"punish† his girlfriend, and Meursault readily agrees without even considering how his actions might affect those involved in the plan (32). Meursault does not care how his actions might affect others since he will not be affected. Meursault’s lack of concern over the consequences of his actions make him a dangerous individual as he does not if his actions are harmful to others or not. Furthermore, this instance shows how easily others, such as Raymond, can control Meursault into doing what they want. Meursaul t will practically do anything anyone asks him to because does not care about the possible consequences of doing so. Therefore, Meursault’s blatant lack of concern over how his actions might affect others as a result of not feeling emotion for others along with the ability of others to easilyShow MoreRelatedThe Stranger By Albert Camus1391 Words   |  6 PagesThe Stranger â€Å"The Stranger,† written by the Algerian writer Albert Camus, is a novel about Meursault, a character who’s different and even threatening views on life take him to pay the highest price a person can pay: his life. This was Camus’ first novel written in the early 1940’s, in France, and it reflects the authors belief that there is no meaning in life and it is absurd for humans to try to find it places like religion. 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