The Meaninglessness of Justification

Amoia, Alba. "Indifference as the Guiding Principle of The Stranger." Readings on
The Stranger. (2001): 52-60. Print.


Alba Amoia describes Meursault by saying, “he lives in his own private world, indifferent to the opinions of others, without regard for social mechanisms” (Amoia 52). Amoia argues that Camus uses the character, and 1st person narration, of Meursault as a symbol that expresses “the meaninglessness of the values that govern life in the pre-WWII world”, and that Meursault’s display of indifference expresses Camus’s “lack of faith in concepts such as justice or perhaps even truth” (Amoia 52). In addition, Amoia argues that “the principal leitmotiv throughout the novel is ‘it’s not important’. Nothing is important except what Meursault himself, in his aberrancy, considers meaningful” (Amoia 53). Amoia discusses the beginning of the novel, when Meursault goes to his mother’s geriatric home for her funeral, and instead of following the tradition of staying awake and keeping watch over his dead mother all night, Meursault dozes off. Amoia states that Meursault’s actions and attitude during this scene make it seem as if his dead mother was of no importance to him. Amoia argues that Camus uses the 1st person narrator of Meursault in order to say that “contemporary man feels himself to be in an absurd situation because, even while he seeks value and justification for his existence, he discovers that society and events defeat his purpose” (Amoia 59). He then claims, however, that the significance of Meursault’s experience is something that each reader must determine from an individual perspective.

Alba Amoia’s point of view demonstrates a deeper understanding to why Camus uses 1st person narration, and why he displays Meursault as an unconcerned, uncaring human being. Amoia’s explanation of Meursault’s behavior suggests that it reflects Camus’s views on justice and truth. Amoia’s point of view argues that Camus feels as if there is no point in man justifying himself to society, because society will always view man based on their own justification or opinion, therefore a reader determines their own explanation for Meursault’s experience based on their individual perspective. This point of view explains that Meursault is, in fact, indifferent, and the reasoning behind his attitude comes from Camus’s deficiency of the same values the world has when it comes to justification. Amoia’s argument brings up points that may make it easier for readers to fully understand the reasoning behind Meursault’s indifferent attitude, which can change the extent to which a reader is able to relate to Meursault as a character and narrator.