IOSR Journal of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS)

Volume 26, Issue 4, Series 3 (April. 2021) 34-38

e-ISSN: 2279-0837, p-ISSN: 2279-0845.
www.iosrjournals.org

Alienation in Albert Camus’ the Stranger

M Adam Abdullah, Suryo Tri Saksono
Universitas Trunojoyo Madura

ABSTRACT
The deaths that happened during the world wars of the twentieth century caused people's feelings of fear and
despair. Many people no longer believe in God. This led to rebellion in the system of society. The existentialists
try to answer society's anxieties by looking for meaning for human existence. This phenomenon also influenced
literary works of that era. The Stranger novel was chosen as the object of research because Mersault as the main
character describes the existentialist philosophy in social life.
The literary review used in this research is the concept of character and characteristics and Sarte's theory of
existentialism such as existence precedes essence, radical freedom, bad faith, alienation, and death. The design
of this research uses qualitative methods. Primary data sources were obtained from The Strangernovel by Albert
Camus. Data were collected using condensation techniques, data presentation, and verification of conclusions.
The results showed that the character Meursault in The Stranger experienced alienation from himself and his
society. Meursault's alienation is illustrated by the habits, jobs and responses of other characters to his presence.
Mersault also has a tendency to reject the values of his societies. Meursault's radical freedoms made him
confused about determining the limits of freedom. Meursault's all kinds of alienation were a form of Camus
existentialism.
KEYWORDS: Existentialism, Alienation, The Stranger.
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Date of Submission: 25-03-2021 Date of Acceptance: 09-04-2021
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I. INTRODUCTION
Literature is part of work that cannot be separated from the life of the society where literature was born.
Literature and philosophy are different in the focus of their studies. Philosophy studies human concepts and
emphasizes the living human, while literature emphasized its study on the character created by the author.
However, both of the studies have a close relationship as literature is often made as to the manifestation of
philosophy‟s idea. Even using Anthony Burgess‟ term, novels are not expected to be didactic but fictional works
convey a philosophy of life.
Existentialism could be defined as one of historical convenience. According to Steven Crowell (2017)
in his journal, he also noted that existentialism was as much a literary phenomenon as a philosophical one. It
was adopted as a self-description by Jean-Paul Sartre through his dissemination of the postwar literary and
philosophical output. Jean-Paul Sartre becomes the most iconic and one of the most famous among the
existentialist because of his contribution to the existentialist philosophy. Jonathan Webber (2009) in
„Existentialism In Two-Player‟s points out themes of Sartre‟s existentialism: existence precedes essence,
absolute freedom, the responsibility of choice, anxiety, subjectivity, despair, anxiety, and abandonment or
alienation.
Albert Camus is an author who was born between two world wars in the colonialized country in
Algeria. He was also a journalist, editor, playwright, director, novelist, and author of short stories. But he denied
being called a philosopher because he did not write his thought systematically and also opposed systemic
philosophy. In his novel, Camus describes absurdism to expose the realization of the meaningless of human life
in literary work. Those points are compatible with the existentialism of Sartre that the researcher has cited from
Webber above. Although he separated himself from existentialism, he posed one of the best-known existentialist
questions in The Myth of Sisyphus, “there is only one really serious philosophical question that is suicide”
(Camus, 1942: 3).
The researcher decided to study Meursault character in The Stranger novel as the object of this research
because Meursault was depicted the existentialist philosophy in social life. Meursault as the character is
described as an honest man, unwilling, and anti-social person

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 Alienation in Albert Camus’ The Stranger

II. LITERARY REVIEW

1. Philosophy and Literature
Philosophy and literature have a close relation. Iris Vidmar (2014) in her journal state literature and philosophy
can merged togather. Because many literary theme such as freedom of will and determinism also found in
philosophy (Vidmar, 2014:8).Some philosophers such as Sartre and Camus uses literature as a medium of their
thought. Kitcher also added that sometimes literary works are used to explain any philosophical thought such as
Camus did in The Stranger. Camus gives an example how absurdism is applied in real life.

2. Character and Characterization

a. Character
Characters can be understood in two contexts. First, character refers to the individuals in the story. Second,
character refers to various mixtures of the interests, desires, emotions, and moral principles of these individuals.
The main character is the dominant character that can be found in a story that is found in all story events
(Stanton, 1965: 33).In a novel, the character is one of the most important elements for developing a story. In a
novel, a character is the one who makes the story in a novel alive like a reflection of real life. Characters show
certain behaviors such as reactions to the situations contained in the story.
b. Characterization
In literature, characterization is the process of the writer developing characters and creating character images for
the audience. In other words, it is the author's way of showing his character through a work of fiction or
depicting a character. There are two different approaches in the characterization process, namely direct
characterization and indirect characterization (Bennett and Royle, 2004: 65). Direct characterization usually
used in novels and indirect characterization model is usually used in films.

3. Existentialism of Jean-Paul Sartre

Jean-Paul Sartre is the founder of French Existentialism The philosophy of existentialism is a thought
that prioritizes authenticity. Sarte states that “conflict is the original meaning of being-for-other” (Sartre, 1952:
386). He also maintains that humans can be authentic or inauthentic. According to Hubert in Zekkour
Mohammed‟s thesis, Sartre expresses his conception of authenticity by “advocating a constant effort to avoid
self-deception and bad faith” (Hubert, 2006: 217).
One of the well-known a branch of Sartre's existence is that existence precedes essence. According to
Sartre, the first man existed, faced with himself, entered the world, and only then did he define himself (Priest,
2002: 44). Therefore, Sartre's existentialism is an ideology that denies the existence of God. Sartre argued that
God has no right to human freedom. "Man becomes what he wants" (Sartre, 1946) because only man who will
responsible for his act. This is where the role of existentialism ideology for humans places it as a subject.
Existentialism discusses the way a person finds his existence through emotion, responsibility, behavior and
freedom. In the concept of existentialism according to Sartre, someone who punches another must be because of
emotion, someone's beating is impossible without cause and purpose.

4. Values of Sartre’s Existentialism

The concept of Sartre‟s existentialism has some points that have been collected by the researcher from several
references explaining Jean-Paul Sartre‟s existentialism.
a. Existence Precedes Essence
Every object in the world should have the essence, whether it is an object created by humans or an object that
has existed on earth since humans did not exist. There are differences in opinion among existentialists. An
existentialist who believes in the existence of God believes otherwise. Sartre believes that there is no inherent
essence in humans instead, what comes first is existence. “A person who first exist: he materializes in the world,
encounters himself, and only afterward defines himself” (Sartre, 1946: 490).
b. Radical Freedom
Sartre in Basic Writing by Priest (2002) states that there are two ways in which humans live their lives,
authentically or mauvaisefoi – live with bad beliefs. An authentic life is a human life with all its freedoms, life
without any bound. Sartrean freedom can be understood by understanding the situation because human is not
separable from the situation. In Being and Nothingness, Sartre explains that freedom cannot be separated from
human reality. “There is no difference between the being of man and being free” (Sartre, 1949: 25). Sartre
believes that human possible to do anything, this possibility is called freedom. As a human, people possible to
being whatever they want through the daily act.
c. Bad Faith
Leaving from anguish is the biggest threat to human existence. Sartre defines it as close nothingness because
this attitude could make the individual unable to develop as a character. Inner contradictions caused by bad faith

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 Alienation in Albert Camus’ The Stranger

can destroy human existences that have been formed and made by humans themselves. Generally, humans tend
to generalize individual opinions about the world with habits and norms. Even though this generalization is what
prevents humans from achieving what they might do as intact character.
d. Alienation
Alienation occurs when the individual is simply alienated from what is considered to be his authentic self. The
consequences of alienation are social alienation, mental illness, crime, and general subjective disappointment
with the world. Sartre also explains the concept of alienation in Being and Nothingness that is ignorance of
inter-human relations. It is refusal in the sense that to be judged ignorant by others acts as a cause does on the
freedom. (Sartre, 1949: 294). Alienation comes since the character replaces constant norms and people's natures
with a different one, in favor of an authentic behavior and an affirmation of the way we are.
e. Death
Death or what Sartre calls nothingness is the biggest enemy of human existence. Sartre mentions death is an
absurd thing, as absurd as birth. It suddenly came, “robs us of the ability to give meaning to our own past
behavior by our present action” (Sartre, 1946:561).

III. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The design of this research uses qualitative methods. Primary data sources were obtained from The
Stranger by Albert Camus. The key instrument of this study is the writer himself. in doing the analysis the
writer analyzes the characters‟ utterances and the author‟s narration to establish the meaning and interpretation.
Data were collected using condensation techniques, data presentation, and verification of conclusions.

IV. FINDING AND DISCUSSION

1. The Existentialism in Meursault
Existentialism deals with values, attitudes, and relationships, which determine the man's role in society
and the freedoms or ties he experiences. After the second World War, existentialism became popular in the
world. After this important phenomenon, many things happened such as chaos, destruction, annihilation, fear,
frustration on the one hand, and the collapse of traditional values on the other. The loss of the old worldview,
faith, God, and belief in the human self together with suffering, anxiety, alienation, and loneliness makes life
utterly senseless, meaningless, directionless, and pointless. Camus calls it a Sisyphean act.
The protagonist of The Stranger is Meursault, an absurdist who rejects the social construction and
meaning of life. Problems started when Meursault left his mother at the nursing home. Meursault experienced
alienation as a direct consequence of his individualistic, absurdist nature and rejecting the traditional views that
developed in society. The author describes him as someone who does not care about the death of his mother and
the values or traditions that run in his society. His nature and actions alienated Meursault from those around him,
especially his mother's close relatives. In The Stranger, the characterization carried out by Albert Camus is
direct characterization. Camus builds the character of the story in detail. Camus' absurdity can be seen from the
characterization depicted in the character Meursault.

a. Absurdist
Meursault‟s first characteristic is absurdist. Absurdist or „the absurd‟ means a conflict between the
human tendency to seek inherent value and meaning of life. It refers to the human inability to find any in a
purposeless, meaningless, or chaotic and irrational universe. The characteristic is represented in the first part of
The Stranger. At the beginning of the story, Meursault‟s Mother passed away. Meursault feels the people around
his mother alienate him from their society, because Meursault did not take care of his mother for the rest of her
life.
Then, Meursault interpreted his mother's death as normal, because the death will happen to anyone.
Therefore, Mersault felt the natural sadness as a child. Even Mersault violated some actions that were
considered unethical to be carried out when there was a death from a religious perspective, such as smoking.
Such actions are considered disgraceful and do not indicate sadness.
Even more extreme, absurdities say that death is freedom. Mersault interpreted the death penalty which
befell him as a freedom. A person who dies on death row is better off than someone who takes the act of suicide.
This intersects with the meaningless life that Mersault feels. Death is the main path to radical freedom. At this
stage, humans reflect on the limitations they have. There is a phase where humans reflect themselves to desire
immortality. This is what Mersault experienced before his execution

b. Radical Freedom
Based on Sartre‟s argument that there is no fixed morality or human nature to determine human action,
he believes that humans have radical freedom. This means that people have the absolute power to choose how
they will act in any given situation and in their lives as a whole. Radical freedom can take from The Stranger. In

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 Alienation in Albert Camus’ The Stranger

the first part, Meursault showed how his radical freedom attached to him from his mother‟s funeral moment till
he was caught by the police because of the murder tragedy in the bungalow. Meursault is not really caring about
the norms adopted in his society. Meursault has his views and standpoint.
In the second part, Meursault realized his careless actions could lead him to prison. And, in the prison,
Meursault did not feel complete. However, at the end of the story, Meursault realizes that radical freedom is the
freedom he gets after he is in prison. The freedom he fought for before was just his ego. His decision to accept
the death penalty was a form of radical freedom. Thus, for Meursault, death is true freedom, whereas life is only
transitory and artificial. Life does not give freedom fairly. Meanwhile, with death, humans are only confronted
with God's law. From there, man will be immortal with the freedom he has. Thus, death has freed Meursault
from the social alienation and self-alienation that shackled him.

2. Alienation In The Stranger

Alienation is the state of being alienated or estranged from something or somebody; it is a condition of the mind.
Finkelstein (1965) defines alienation as “a psychological phenomenon, an internal conflict, a hostility felt
towards something seemingly outside oneself which is linked to oneself, a barrier erected which is no defense
but impoverishment of oneself. In The Stranger Novel, alienation can be seen in Meursault‟s life.
a. Self Alienation
In The Stranger novel, Camus describes the problem of the essence of life. This problem Camus always
brings up in Meursault's thoughts; the description of humans in interpreting life. This intersects with Camus'
idea of absurdity and human existence. For Meursault, life is nothing more than a series of activities that must
be lived. This is the view of the figure of the absurdity. Life is true death.
Meursault lives his personal life in a monotonous and mechanistic manner. This can be seen from his
habits. Meursault never thinks about dreams, desires, or goals in the future. The death of his mother, the
presence of his girlfriend, and his friends could not totally touch his feelings. He refused promotion. However,
Meursault felt something different on the first day she was imprisoned. However, this feeling did not last long.
Meursault then returned to his idealism of not caring about what happened to him.

b. Social Alienation
Meursault lives in a very ethical social life. His society is adherent to traditionalist religious beliefs. It
relates to the values, norms, and ethics of life which are quite strong. In this life society, someone‟s actions and
behavior are linked to the way that has been established and governed by the agreed values, norms, and ethics.
However, Meursault has committed actions that are contrary to the norms or values adopted by society in
general. Another immodesty, which made him look like a stranger to others, was the way he treated others.
This characteristic of Meursault is one of the reasons which strengthens the alienation of Meursault.
His way to become an existentialist cannot be accepted by his society or society‟s views totally in general.
Selfishness is one of Meursault‟s expressions of his society as an absurdist. It relates to Sartre‟s concept about
alienation: “each expression of the estranged state contradicts man‟s essential being, his potency for goodness”
(Sartre, 1963). From his egoism, it means that Meursault has been shackled by his self-alienation. Meursault
couldn‟t control what‟s inside of him. The alienation will trigger his social alienation. Meursault was trapped by
his own egoism, Even though he had good intentions not to interfere with other people‟s business.

V. CONCLUSION
The alienation and existentialism in Albert Camus' The Stranger are embodied in the character
Meursault. The Stranger is Albert Camus's thought about absurdism and existentialism which is presented in the
form of literary works. Meursault, an indifferent French-Algerian is a serious attempt to sketch the confusion,
frustration, alienation, disintegration, and estrangement of modern man.
In The Stranger, the characterization carried out by Albert Camus is direct characterization. Camus
builds the character of the story in detail. Regardless of the sentences that indicate the Meursault officer.
Meursault‟s character is also depicted through habits, jobs, and other characters' responses to his presence.
Furthermore, Meursault chose alienation as his way of life with no ambition. Camus‟ absurdity can be seen
from the characterization depicted in the character Meursault.The character development carried out by Camus
serves to strengthen the theme of alienation and the absurd fiction that he has created.
The alienation is portrayed in Meursault‟s character, according to Sartre's concept, is divided into two
forms: social alienation and self-alienation. By „social alienation‟ it means: “the sense of estrangement brought
out by the sudden discovery that the social system is either oppressive or incomplete with their desires and ideas.
„Self alienation‟, however, means the loss of contact of the individual selves with any inclinations or desires that
are not in agreement with the prevailing social patterns, as a result of which the individuals are forced to
manipulate in accordance with the social demands or feel incapable of controlling their actions”.

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 Alienation in Albert Camus’ The Stranger

The following character is some characters who foster alienation to the Meursault. These characters are
absurdist, indifferent, careless, selfishness, and radical freedom. Meursault, as an absurdist, lacked the zeal for
life. Then, Meursault‟s alienation is reinforced by Meursault‟s attitude of being indifferent, careless, and also
selfish.
These three characters were considered negative value because it had an impact on Meursault‟s future,
which is shown in the second part. The self-alienation is shown by Meursault is a tendency to reject the
traditionalist views and values of Mediterranean society. Meursault didn‟t like spiritualities that are related to
the supernatural and absurdity. The second is the radical freedom that Meursault embraces which makes him
confused determine the actual limits of freedom. In conclusion, the form of alienation that has been described
above is a form of Camus‟ existentialism depicted in the character Meursault.

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M Adam Abdullah, Suryo Tri Saksono “Alienation in Albert Camus‟ the Stranger.”IOSR Journal of
Humanities and Social Science (IOSR-JHSS), 26(04), 2021, pp. 34-38.

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