Kunzmann 1

Belle Kunzmann

Mrs. Morris

AP Literature

15 February 2019

Facing the Inevitable

In order to live a purposeful life, one must define their own meaning in an irrational

universe. The Stranger and “The Wall” are two works that explore this and other tenets of the

philosophy of existentialism. The authors, Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre, explore the

absurdity of life in these and their other works. The main characters of each experience this

absurdity, and come to understand that life has no purpose. Meursault and Pablo are

disconnected from society because others do not understand their way of thinking and

acceptance of death, representing the existentialist idea that life is absurd.

Meursault and Pablo both have a stronger connection to the physical world than to

emotions. When speaking about normal events of the day, Meursault is blunt and undescriptive.

However, when describing his physical surroundings, such as the unbearable heat of the sun on

the beach, he creates vivid images and several literary devices. The sun and its heat are

continually referenced throughout the novel, and it most often makes Meursault feel

overwhelmed. On the beach, he finally reacts to the violence that he feels from the sun by

shooting the Arab. The circumstances of that moment are what caused him to act, not his nature.

He seems to be capable of appreciating nature, but is detached from other humans. In “The

Wall”, Pablo frequently describes the appearances of others, constantly referring to “tender

flesh” and “grey faces” (Sartre). As the story progresses and his impending death comes closer,
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he loses his connection to any emotions but still describes his physical surroundings. Meursault

and Pablo are strangers to society as they do not see the world as other people do, ultimately

giving them the ability to accept their deaths.

The lives of both characters demonstrate the existentialist idea of the absurd—that there

is no answer or purpose to life, so looking for one is futile. Existentialism is based on the

principle that “existence precedes essence”, that one defines oneself at each given moment by

acting in that moment. When Meursault is on trial, the prosecutor argues that there is a

relationship between Meursault not crying at his mother’s funeral and killing the Arab. However,

there is no connection between the events and Meursault is being defined simply by these two

unrelated actions. At the end of “The Wall”, Pablo spontaneously lies about Ramon Gris’ hiding

spot, never planning to have done this. About to face his death, Pablo was not being guided by

his conscious that would have allowed him to overcome this absurdity. Meursault is emotionally

indifferent throughout the entirety of the novel, even creating the understanding of himself that

he was “being odd man out, a kind of intruder.” (Camus 84). After receiving his death sentence,

Pablo becomes so disconnected from his physical being that he even refers to himself as being

dead. Camus and Sartre emphasize the idea of radical free will, because at the end of each story,

the characters become aware of their ability to choose what they do with their lives.

While both Meursault and Pablo accept their deaths, they take different approaches based

on their circumstances. Meursault attempts to defend himself in trial while Pablo silently accepts

his impending death the entire time he is in prison. It is not until the end of the novel that

Meursault confirms his belief that existence has no true meaning and opens up to the “benign

indifference of the world” (Camus 122). Pablo is separated from his companions because Juan
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and Tom are scared of death while Pablo does not make any attempts to change his fate—he has

the understanding that what they are facing is inevitable. He says that he has “spent [his] time

counterfeiting eternity” (Sartre). Pablo never fights to prevent his death, and finds peace in

understanding that he has the free will to choose to die for something. Ironically, by revealing

Ramon’s location, Pablo is left having to accept the consequences of a decision he believes is

irrelevant. One’s circumstances can lead them to approach death in different ways, but ultimately

finding peace in death enables one to truly live.

Meursault and Pablo both experience the absurdity of life as the circumstances that lead

them to their actions allow them to understand that one must create their own life’s purpose.

While their different situations lead them to approach death in their own ways, both Meursault

and Pablo are separated from the rest of society as they are the only ones in their environments

who are willing to face the inevitable.

Works Cited
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Camus, Albert. The Stranger. CreateSpace Independent Publishing, 2015.

“The Wall (Short Story) 1939 | Jean-Paul SARTRE.” The Wall (1939) | Jean-Paul Sartre,

chabrieres.pagesperso-orange.fr/texts/sartre_thewall.html.