Albert Camus 2

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The Antithesis of Absurdity 55

The Antithesis of Absurditythrough the Characters Characterization

in Albert Camus The StrangerF.X. Lilik Dwi Mardjianto and Dewi Widyastuti

Abstract

The Stranger is a philosophical novel elaborating the authorsthoughts through the intrinsic elements contained within it.Meursault, the main character seems to be the representation ofthe author in the way he thinks and does things. Nonetheless,the novel contains ideas opposed to the authors own concept oflife. These kinds of ideas are closely related to Camus concept ofabsurdity, meaning that these opposing ideas (expressedthrough the characters and their characterization) seem to bethe antithesis of Camus concept. Those characters, throughtheir speech, way of thinking and ideas represent different typesof ideas. Starting from that idea, it is relevant to analyse thenovel by focusing on those opposing ideas in the light of the

antithesis of absurdity theory.

Ke ywo r d s : antithesis, absurdity

Introduction

Philosophy in many books tends to be the subject that deals with theconcept of life. People try to know more about the philosophers conceptof mind and way of thinking, of course from the perspective of their own

considerations, reasons, and consciousness. Some say that philosophersactually convey interesting messages about what the universe really is.This is what becomes the writers first background of study: curiosityabout what philosophers, especially Albert Camus with his concept ofAbsurdity, actually try to say, since this concept is greatly concerned withhow we ought to face life.

Indeed, the writer is interested in Camus because he was not only aphilosopher but also a novelist. Through his novel The Stranger, the writermakes certain points expressing ideas that are the opposite of absurdity.The exploration of the ideas will eventually form the second background ofthis study.

Starting from this point, the writer is confident to raise the issuerevealed in this study; the antithesis of absurdity. The study is an urgent

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F.X. Lilik Dwi Mardjianto & Dewi Widyastuti56

one since it puts the attention on the authors antithesis of his own theory,not only on the description of the theory. Moreover, it does not onlyexplore the main character like other ordinary studies usually do, but alsopays great attention to the minor characters.

This study tries to reveal how the characters are characterized andhow the characterization becomes the antithesis of Camus idea ofabsurdity.

Identification of Related Theories

The Stranger is the story about a man named Meursault who lives inAlgiers and faces so many unpredictable and uncertain events. Firstly he isfaced with the death of his mother within the experience of which he findsso many things (sad atmosphere, peoples point of view, etc.) that aredifferent from his own philosophical views. Then, he finds himself as astranger in his own social life. His relationship with his girlfriend Marie andwith other characters really brings him to a point of deep concern andconfusion; his confusion about the meaning of existence and absurdity. Asthe plot rises, he really gets into trouble; he becomes a murderer andfaces trial.

In order to have stronger grounds for exploring the idea of absurdityand its antithesis, the writers try to describe the theory of both absurdityand antithesis.

1. Absurdity

Talking about absurdity means talking about Camus idea of life.Here the writers will entirely use Camus theory of absurdity since themain point explored in this thesis is the antithesis of Camus personalconcept.

The idea of absurdity begins with the idea that life is not worthliving; that this world is peopled with such irrationals (Camus, 1955: 20).Camus in his book entitled The Myth of Sisyphus states that one of the

examples of these irrationals is the monotonous life we face each day(Camus, 1955: 10).

This inexplicable and irrational condition supports the fact that lifeis purposeless. Without any purpose means there are no moral values thatare recognised as the standards people expect to attain. Starting from thispoint, God who is known as the highest moral value in any society isnothing. Camus insists on arguing that there are two possibilities related tothe existence of God; either God has the power or we are the ones whohave the power.

For in the presence of God, there is less a problem of freedomthan a problem of evil. You know the alternative: either we are



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not free and God the all-powerful is responsible for evil. Or weare free and responsible but God is not all-powerful (1955: 42).

The confrontation between the human desire for a clear explanation

of this life and the inexplicable condition of the world produces the idea ofabsurdity (Camus, 1955: 21). Human needs the clarity and justification ofthis irrational condition, but on the contrary, the world remains silentwithout any explanation. Thus, the concept of absurdity itself depends onmen and the world entirely.

Since there is no clear explanation and solution for this absurdity,death is the best way to end all of this uncertainty. Camus illustrates lifeas a journey of which the end is death. Men will realize that everything isuseless when they are near to death. It is all the matter of killing time,waiting for death and by then the absurdity is over (Camus, 1955: 23).Death is different from committing suicide. Suicide is not categorized as asolution for it does not have the essential values of revolt and seems likethe attempt to give up. Therefore, the main point is revolt. This meansthat we should stay alive and keep the absurd alive; we should acceptabsurdity. Dealing with absurdity means facing the confrontation betweenhumanity and obscurity (Camus, 1955: 40).

2. Antithesis

According to Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, the wordantithesis means the exact opposite; contrast; opposition. While anothersource, A Glossary of Literary Terms, states that the word means acontrast or opposition in the meaning contiguous phrases or clauses thatare emphasized by parallelism- that is, a similar order and structure in thesyntax. An example of this explanation is in Samuel Johnsons prose fictionRasselas, marriage has many pains, but celibacy has no pleasures

The writer, in this case, tends to use the first definition since itmeets the requirements raised in this study that the word antithesis hereis used merely as an ordinary daily word not as a term in certain subjects

only.

Analysis

Talking about Camus idea means talking about the way we face thislife. His idea is firstly started through the concept of absurdity that finallyends in the idea of human existentialism. The idea of absurdity itself startswith the idea that life and the world is have no worth, no orientation(absurd), and will be stopped by death. Here, in this case, death is so

important in stopping the absurdity and is not a thing to cry about. Havingno orientation means having no standard from which to justify somethingas good or bad; everything depends on the human struggle and therevolt toward absurdity. Starting from this point, Camus stated that God,



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the standard of moral values by which we justify the quality of things isnothing.

Those reviews reveal certain key concepts about absurdity, namelylife (related to human existence, purpose and orientation), death,

judgement, (whether something is good or bad) and religion (aboutGods existence). Having analysed the novel and these key concepts ofabsurdity, the writer found that there is a movement towards antithesis ofabsurdity theory through characters and characterization. This study ofantithesis will be based on those key concepts for both main and minorcharacters.

1. Main Character

The story is built from first person point of view. The maincharacter, Meursault plays an important role in bringing the reader into adeep understanding of the atmosphere. Through his use of the word I, itseems that the main character knows everything around him. Furthermore,through his description of what is happening, Camus idea of absurdity iswell developed though there are some weaknesses, or in other words:antitheses, which will be discussed in the next part. Mostly, the maincharacter is characterized through his deeds, speech and thoughts andsometimes through other characters judgment and appreciation of him. Itis told in the story that one day Meursault, the main character, is

swimming together with his girlfriend, Marie. After swimming they go tothe movies and stay in Meursaults apartment afterwards. When he wakesup, Meursault realizes that Marie has gone. After that, he stays in hisapartment doing only what he wants. We then know that he is a lazyperson by his speech:

I dont like Sunday. So I rolled over, tried to find the salty smellMaries hair had left on the pillow, and slept until ten. Then Ismoked a few cigarettes, still in bed, till noon (p.21)

Also, we will recognize that he is an atheist and at the same timethe representation of Absurdity when he says:

He wanted to talk to me about God again, but I went up tohim and made one last attempt to explain to him that I onlyhad a little time left and I didnt want to waste it on God(p.120).

Meursault, the main character, is undoubtedly the depiction andrepresentation of Albert Camus idea. Most of his deeds, speeches and

thoughts are closely connected to Camus idea of absurdity. Despite thisclear depiction, there is also something about Meursault that contrasts



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with Camus. We can understand this contrast as Camus denial of his owntheory.

a. Life

Facing life means having the opportunity to live by focusing greatattention on now not on tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. Itmeans that life is today and we should not have any hope for the future.Life is absurd, and there is no absolute value or purpose that we can relyon. As stated by Camus, this absurd world is peopled with men who acceptAbsurdity and who have ceased to hope (Camus, 1955: 68).

On the contrary, Meursault emphasises that there is the possibility ofalteration, meaning that he hopes that there will be a better situationreplacing his unpleasant life in prison.

In fact, I wasnt really in prison those first few days: I was sortof waiting for something to happen (p.72).

This act of hoping shows that Meursault, in some ways denies Camustheory that one should not have any hope.

b. DeathDeath is the only thing, according to Camus, that can stop this

absurdity. This uncertain and inexplicable world will finally end when

humans die. Hence, death is a normal process in this life. Meursault is therepresentation of this idea, meaning that he was not sad at the death ofhis mother.

Nevertheless, he once says something different from those concepts;he is sad and he wishes that all those things had not happened. His firstreaction to death supports the theory of Absurdity. However, we know thatMeursault eventually regrets his mothers death.

What I can say for certain is that I would rather Mamanhadnt died (p. 65).

This final reaction or wish that his mother is still alive is evidence ofthe antithesis of Absurdity. It is possible that this denial is derived from hisconscience or from the pressure of society, represented by the court in thiscase. As we know Meursault is eventually brought to court and condemnedto death for killing an Arab.

c. Judgement

The main issue under discussion is related to the justification of the

belief that one has the right to judge the quality of someone or something.Since it is the expression of each persons human freedom to faceabsurdity in his or her own way and since there is no absolute standard of



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moral value, a person may not judge someone else by her or his ownstandards. Everyone is special and cannot be blamed; they are the mastersof their own lives (Camus, 1955: 87).

Meursault experiences social pressure which excludes him and makes

him feel estranged and because of this he turns against those whocriticised him for ignoring his mother. This action of blaming others is inopposition to Camus concept.

Then he said, very quickly and with an embarrassed look, thathe realized some people in the neighbourhood thought badly ofme for having sent Maman to the home (p. 45)

From this quotation, we learn that Meursaults action is opposed toCamus theory. Therefore it becomes the antithesis of the theory.

2. Minor characters

Despite the main characters importance in establishing theatmosphere and Camus hidden message, the minor characters are alsogiven, more or less equal status since there is enough exploration of andattention paid to them. This exploration and attention are closelyconnected to the way the author characterizes them. They arecharacterized by both their own actions and by other characters,

especially Meursaults description of them. Say for example we willrecognize that Marie, Meursaults girlfriend, as a loving person with anoptimistic view of the future. She keeps on arguing that life is soworthwhile because of its purpose, which is marriage. We will know laterthat this characteristic is the antithesis of Camus view on Absurdity. In histheory, he says that life is purposeless since humans should put theattention on today, the present and should not have any hope for thefuture.

Then she pointed out that marriage was a serious thingso she took

my arm with a smile and said she wanted to marry me. (p.42)

Raymond Sintes, his neighbour is also characterized as a cheerfulperson when he, together with Meursault and Marie are in Meursaultsroom (p.47). This description shows other characters significance indrawing out ones characteristics.

a. LifeThe antithesis of Camus concept of life is mostly related to the

understanding of the purpose of life and the counter argument from

society indicating that Meursault is a stranger because of his extraordinarythoughts. This opposing idea is clearly represented by Salamano (hisneighbour), Marie (his girlfriend), and the prosecutor.



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Salamano represents the reality that most people have their ownpurpose and ambition which will influence the final destination of theirlives. Here in the novel, Salamano is characterized as a person whoseentire life has been dedicated to his dog since the death of his wife.

Obviously, the dog has become Salamanos sole purpose and destination inlife. It is an obvious contradiction of Camus concept of absurd life inwhich we cannot find any hope.

I asked him in and he told me that his dog was lost I told Salamanothat he could get another dog, but he was right to point out to me thathe was used to this one. (p. 44)

Like Salamano, Marie is a clear contradiction of Meursaults idea infacing life. She is very much interested in marriage and she considers it an

important thing that she should experience in the future (p. 42)The last one person to stand in contradiction to Meursault is the

prosecutor. He emphasises the fact that Meursault is alienated because ofhis way of thinking.

He stated that I had no place in a society whose most fundamentalrules I ignored and that could not appeal to the same human heart

whose elementary response I knew nothing of. (p. 102)

From the quotation, we learn that the prosecutor implicitly states

that society with its fundamental rules opposes Meursaults concept ofmind. The prosecutor, in this case is the antithesis of Absurdity since he,on behalf of society blames Meursault for ignoring societys fundamentalrules.

b. DeathThe exploration of this subject is more or less the comparison

between the concept of death according to Absurdity and the reality ofdeath. People see death as desperation, meaning that one will be sad if heor she is faced with the death of friends or the things he or she loves. One

of the representations of this concept is the woman who is crying beforeMeursaults mothers body. She is very sad because she was a close friendof his mother (p. 10). Crying over a dead body indicates the antithesis ofAbsurdity since Absurdity itself teaches us to accept death as a normalprocess of life.

c. Judgement

Raymond Sintes is the one who represents the concept that is in

direct opposition to Camus idea. By exploring Sintes hatred of his girl forcheating him (p. 30), we are taught to be aware of the reality that thereare a lot of judgements of good and bad in our society. It brings us adirect antithesis of Camus concept, because, according to the theory of



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Absurdity, one has no right to judge others quality since everyone is freeand cannot be blamed.

d. Religion

The main topic related to religion is the existence of God. Camusdenial of God is broken solely by the chaplains statement indicating thatGod is trusted by society; His existence is absolute for everyone. Absurditybelieves that God, the highest moral value on earth is nothing because Heis unable to handle the irrational.

Then God can help youEveryman I have known in your position hasturned to Him. (p. 16)

The antithesis related to this key concept (religion) is not found inMeursault, the main character since he is the only one who does not

believe in God.

Conclusion

Philosophy has been a challenging field of study for years. One thingthat makes it challenging is that philosophy seems to be difficult since itanalyses and explores how people think. At a certain stage, this way ofthinking will influence how people act. Sometimes the way a philosopheracts and thinks is commonly considered as freakish and abnormal. They

usually think and act on the basis of their own principles, which aredifferent from public opinion.Camus lives his life according to his own principles. He, through the

novels main character, feels like a stranger because his extraordinarythoughts lead him to a state of alienation. Camus way in characterizingthe characters is mainly dedicated to conveying his concept of absurdity.The ideas are represented by the characters deeds, thoughts, speech andfeelings.

Apart from the facts previously stated, the writer recognizes Camusawareness of being a stranger through his exploration of opposing ideas

coming from society. This exploration is also visualized within charactersand their characterization. Having compared the characterscharacterization with Camus concept of Absurdity, the writer separatesthe antithesis of Absurdity into four groups, namely life, death, judgementand religion. In each successive group, the characters represent opposingideas to Absurdity. Some characters insist on arguing that life is worthyand is dedicated to a final goal at the end, others feel regret over death,judge others qualities and totally believe in God.

These opposing ideas known as the antithesis obviously expressCamus awareness of social pressure and his evaluation of his own theory.

In brief, we may say that characters and characterization in Albert CamusThe Stranger are both imitation and antithesis of his theory.



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References

Abrams, M.H. A Glossary of Literary Terms. New York: Holt, Rinehart andWinston, 1981.

___________. The Mirror and The Lamp: Romantic Theory and The CriticalTradition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1979.Camus, Albert. The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays. trans. Justin

OBrien. New York: Vintage Books, 1955.___________. The Stranger. trans. Stuart Gilbert. New York: Vintage

Books, 1946.Collins, James. The Existentialists, A Critical Study. Chicago: Henry

Regnery Company, 1952Guerin, Wilfred. et al. A Hand Book of Critical Approaches to Literature.

2nd ed. New York: Harper and Row, Publisher, 1979.Hornby, A.S. Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary of Current English.

Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995.Klarer, Mario. An Introduction to Literary Studies. London: Routledge,

1998.

Murphy, M.J. Understanding Unseen: An Introduction to English Poetry andthe English Novel for the Overseas student. London: George Allenand Unwin, 1972.

OBrien, Conor Cruise Ed, Frank Kermode. Camus. London: Collins Sons &Co. Ltd.,1970.


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