My mother died today… or maybe yesterday. I don’t know.
Did the above statement shock you? Did you feel a chill terrorising your vertebral column? Well, let me spare you the botheration- my mother is hale and hearty, its The Outsider, that begins with this statement. Yes, you read it right; it is the opening line of one of the most extraordinarily astounding books I have read thus far- a splendiferous story with a high velocity progression.
THE LIFECYCLE, IF YOU PLEASE
If the opening line stunned you even an iota, then reading this book is reading the story of a man who utters these words and has a belief system that just does not conform to the norms that the society mandates. Let me tell you right away that I am not giving away the plot at all. However, I shall try my best to bring out the essence of this book in as crisp a manner as possible.
Enter Meursault, the principal protagonist of Albert Camus’ The Outsider, a young clerk residing in Algiers. Unmoved by his mother’s death, he visits the Old Age home at Morengo to attend her funeral. It is here that you begin to learn Meursault’s way of life and his belief system. His reactions to the people at the Old Age home, the priest and the warden gradually expose you to the fact that he happens to be a person who doesn’t portray false emotions, reacts as he honestly feels. In short, Meursault is a man who ‘will never lie’. From here on, you will notice acutely that the entire book is a narrative account of his thoughts, beliefs as also his examination, view and reactions to the people he interacts with and the situations he encounters.
After the funeral, he returns back to Algiers and gets on with his life. In a short time he is into a relationship with Marie. Soon enough, a new friend, Raymond, enters his life. Though the society does not hold Raymond high on the ladder of esteem and character, Meursault opines that he judges people in his own way. He even helps Raymond inveigle his ex-mistress back to teach her a lesson for having walked out on him. The friendship soon leads to Meursault and Marie accompanying Raymond to a holiday spot at a beach, on a weekend. It is at the beach that they encounter some Arabs and the ex-mistresses’ brother and a small fight ensues. A little later, Meursault commits a murder.
DID I SAY ‘MEN’?
He is summoned by law and thereafter starts the fight between his belief system and the societal norms. In the court of law, the actual homicide takes a back seat and he is chided and disparaged time and again for not expressing his grief on his mother’s demise. Questions are raised and tossed from corner to corner, gradually culminating into a coruscating and impactful climax. The denouement never ceases to amaze me.
Did I say ‘Men’ in the title? Of course, I did. When I say men, I am referring to the society at large. The overpowering and imperious mandates and beliefs of the society that surrounds Meursault, is in many ways questioned to, in this masterpiece by Albert Camus. Meursault has simple basics that govern his existence, which are cold bloodedly wrestled with in the court of law. The fact that his belief system does not conform to the directives of the humanity jungle makes the society condemn him for what they call, a heinous crime.
The story brings the naked face of the societal base that points fingers at a man who does not live a life guided by pretensions, subjecting him to introspection and classifying him as an outsider. Imagine, a man completely ostracized in hostile space.
THE ART
Without a doubt, the art of weaving such a magical story that equips your imagination with wings that take you beyond the obvious can only lie with a master writer like Albert Camus. In a characteristically simple manner, Camus takes a look at the society through the belief ‘support’ system of Meursault. Parallely, he brings to the fore some of the ludicrous ways of life, in an impactful manner.
Albert Camus was born in 1913 and was educated at the University of Algiers. While at the university, he supported himself doing a whole host of jobs like taking tuitions, working as an assistant at the Meteorological Institute and vending spare car parts. While he did all this, he together with a few like minded people, started the Théâtre du Travail in Algiers.
He graduated from the university with a degree in philosophy and moved to Metropolitan France and started working as a journalist. In 1938, he was hired by the newspaper Alger-Républicain where he worked as an assistant editor and also doubled up as a social and political reporter. During the Second World War, he used his pen in support of the French Resistance. Post the war, he decided to pursue writing. He won accolades for The Plague (1948), The Rebel (1954) and The Myth of Sisyphus (1955).
Though he earned repute as a writer, he had tremendous inclination towards theatre. He has scripted, directed and even acted in many of his plays. His plays, State of Siege (1948) and The Just Assassins (1949) were highly appreciated. In 1957, Camus was decorated with theNobel Prize for Literature. In early 1960, Camus was killed in a road accident, at the age of 46. Just two years before his death, he was recorded quoting “I continue to be convinced that my work has not even begun.''
THE MAINTENANCE CHECKLIST
Meursault as a man never gives up on his beliefs. No matter how heavily the society comes down on him he maintains his faith in what he thinks and believes. It is this very element that serves as the journey-fuel to this story. To marvel at the beauty that the book The Outsider is, set your imagination free and mull over the following:
a. The confessional revelations of Meursault of his beliefs.
b. The presentation of Meursault’s observations of life and his logical deductions.
c. Read the afterword by Camus and define for yourself the meaning of the words, truth and lie.
d. The relationship between Mary and Meursault.
e. The reproaching and condemning of the law, questioning Meursault if he regretted the crime.
f. The thoughts running through Meursault’s mind just before the murder.
g. Meursault’s belief system as his life support system.
h. And finally, Meursault’s explanation of his beliefs to the priest, towards the final pages.
MEN & THE ART OF LIFECYCLE MAINTENANCE
One of the prime reasons, I recommend this book highly is because its gives your imagination a lot of exercise to do. The book takes your imagination on a journey where men condemn a man not for a wrongdoing alone, but for the very existence of his life support system- his values and beliefs. And I urge everyone who read this book with no preconceived notions. Set your imagination free as you leaf through this 116-page master piece.
“Imagination sees the complete reality- it is where past, present and future meet. Imagination is limited neither to the reality which is apparent, nor to one place. It lives everywhere. It is at a centre and feels the vibrations of all the circles within which east and west are virtually included. Imagination is the life of mental freedom. It realizes what everything is in its many aspects. Imagination does not uplift, we don’t want to be uplifted…We want to be more completely aware.” – Kahlil Gibran.
Read this book with KG’s words in mind. If offers an entirely new perspective and registers a deep impact on one’s imagination. Gotta go now. See you all around.
