The Topic of Defiance of Societal Rules in The Stranger...

All societies have societal norms and rules that citizens are expected to follow. Those who don’t, are either labeled as defiant or as a non conformist. One who defies societal rules doesn’t necessarily disobey deliberately, but rather because one’s own beliefs dont parallel. In the novel The Stranger by Albert Camus there is a prevalence of characters breaking societal rules, but as a result these characters face the consequences. Albert Camus connects these actions to the overarching themes of the books in order to convey his message more effectively. To what extent does the topic of defiance of societal rules in The Stranger convey the theme of Absurdism in the novel? The sub-themes of femininity, individuality, and isolation connect†¦show more content†¦Meursault isolates himself from the lifestyle that the society attempts to condition him, but this pressure from society isn’t understood by him. One will not realize that they are breaking s ocietal rules if they are entrapped into a world of their own and believe that that world is perfectly fine the way it is. The sub-theme of femininity is prevalent throughout the novel, however it is much more minor compared to the larger ideas Albert Camus shares. Femininity is a theme that goes hand in hand with Absurdism throughout the novel. It is through Meursaults indifference to love and women that this theme becomes present. It is not a directly expressed much like the others. Not only Meursault expresses this, but also Raymond. At the point in the novel after Raymond finds that his â€Å"girlfriend† cheated on him and used Meursault to write the letter, Raymond shares with Meursault the actions he took upon his â€Å"girlfriend† as if it were a righteous act. Raymond had â€Å"smacked her around. And then I told her exactly what I thought of her. I told her that all she was interested in was getting into the sack.’... He’d beaten her till she bled†¦.What bothered him was that he ‘still had sexual feelings for her.’† (Camus 34) And the m ere fact that Raymond only had sexual feelings shows the lack in value of women. Meursault also shares this attitude towards women, specificallyShow MoreRelatedMeursault Is An Absurdism1499 Words   |  6 Pagesan explanation, whether justified through social, scientific, or religious means. This notion creates expectations for how people should emotionally respond to events around them. However, when one does not conform to these expectations, a complex conflict arises between that individual and the surrounding society. The Stranger, a translated novella by Albert Camus, takes place in the early 1940s and revolves around Meursault, a French Algerian. Developed through a presentation of his own thoughts