Comparing Camus 'Grendel And The Stranger'

Vince Caruso
Mr. Alderson
English IV
September 29, 2014
Akin of Characters Across the ages, existentialism has shaped the nature of humankind. Every human has the choice to build their life through choices to rebuild themselves. The monster named Grendel in the novel, Grendel, by John Gardner, and Meursault in the novel, The Stranger, by Albert Camus, both have similar life experiences that change their views of the world. In both stories, the main characters resort to evil options throughout their lives. Although there are many similarities between Grendel and Meursault, there is an even more important difference in that, whereas Grendel is compelled by circumstances to become a symbol of evil, Meursault chooses it. Both Grendel and…show more content…
After his mother dies he states that he never visited her, “…because it took up my Sunday- not to mention the trouble of getting to the bus, buying tickets, and spending two hours traveling”(5). He wasn’t even willing to go she his mother when she was in a rest home. He tries to excuse himself by blaming it on technicalities. However, no Sunday is as important as bonding with an aging mother. He obviously was never close to her, due to his lack of wanting to visit her. He describes visiting her as a strenuous task. She is almost like a random person in his mind. The rest home director describes Meursault behavior the day of the funeral, “… I hadn’t wanted to see Maman, that I hadn’t cried once, and that left right after the funeral without paying my last respect at her grave”(89). A man who loved his mother would have cried a little bit at her funeral. Unlike Meursault’s behavior of being calm and distant at his mother’s funeral. It was unheard of to not have an open casket, but he did not even want to she his own mother one last time. He was not connected with his mother. He seemed to have never been close with her. During his pretrial interrogation, he was asked if he loved Maman and answered, “I probably did love Maman, but that didn’t mean anything. At one time or another all normal people have wished their loved ones were dead”(65). He isn’t even certain on if he even loved his own mother. Any…show more content…
When Meursault is interrogated about the murder, leading to him being questioned about his religious beliefs, “ ‘You do believe, don’t you, and you’re going to place your trust in Him, aren’t you?’ Obviously, I again said no”(69). After Meursault murders a man, he still has no interest in believing in God, the only man who can save him from a life of pushing the rock endlessly up a hill. He never has any interest throughout the novel to ever have any faith in God. Although he is a lost soul and God was a chance to reconnect with life. Meursault chooses not to have any faith in the world or God, leading to his devilries. He never shows any interest in anything that happens to him, but rather just lets things happen. His lack of religious belief shows in his lack of morals. As the chaplain talks to Meursault, he is shocked to hear, “ ‘Have you no hope at all? And do you really live with the thought that when you die, you die, and nothing remains?’ ‘Yes,’ I said”(117). A man with no ambition is man without a reason to live. Meursault doesn’t care about murdering a man in cold blood, because to him it really made no difference in his life. He didn’t believe in God, where a lot of people find their reason to live life as an excellent samaritan. However, Meursault decides not to