It’s a Conspiracy!: Using Physiological Criticism in the Stranger.

1230 Words5 Pages
In his novel, The Stranger, Albert Campus attempts to express Absurdism through his protagonist, Meursault. To be absurd,means that to have no motivations whatsoever. An Absurdist believes that there is no meaning in the universe, and it would be worthless to try to find meaning. While Meursault seems to be a prime example of an Absurdist, when you analyze him physiologically, it is evident that his actions are motivated by his fear of feeling alone. When you look at a book’s physiological characteristics, it is referred to as Physiological Criticism. This literary theory is inspired by William Freud. Freud believes that everything you do is motivated by the subconscious, whether you know it or not, thus making it impossible for Meursault to be a true Absurdist. Every choice you make, and everything you think, is shaped by the subconscious. When you analyze the choices and thoughts of Meursault, you will begin to notice his avoidance of aloneness. He constantly needs company, no matter who or what it is, which is how he remains sane throughout the novel. The Stranger opens up with Meursault talking about his mother’s death, “For now, it’s almost as if Maman weren’t dead. After the funeral though, the case will be closed and everything will have a more official feel to it.” (3) Meursault has that Absurdist point of view, where his mother’s death is almost insignificant to him. Although in the second sentence he recognizes that later he will come to feel the loss. When he arrives at the funeral he has the opportunity to see his mother, multiple times. Each time Meursault is offered he replies with a simple “no”. This makes it seem like he doesn’t care, when in reality, he is just afraid of loosing his mother. It does not make much of a difference with her not being around, she was in a home, and he didn’t get the opportunity to see her much anyways. If he

More about It’s a Conspiracy!: Using Physiological Criticism in the Stranger.

Open Document