The Stranger: Final Chapters

     As Meursault gazes at the changing sky overhead, he begins to come to terms with his execution. He remarks how he would enjoy to see an execution if he is ever freed, and I think that the sense of relative freedom would bring him joy experiencing the dictated death of another. Meursault feels that even if he were to escape his execution, he "would just be caught up in the machinery again" (109). It is the feeling of loneliness, utter despair, and helplessness that allows Meursault to accept his death. Just like Hamlet, Meursault realizes that all organisms are alike in that they come to a similar end: "we're all elected by the same fate" (121). Regardless of whether he lives for twenty more hours or twenty more years, he will eventually reach the same point prior to his death where he acknowledges that "life isn't worth living" (114). This is where my personal philosophies differ from those of Meurusault. Meursault is saying that regardless of the lives we lead, we will all end in nothingness, so there is very little point to our existence on Earth. I disagree. I believe that every person is united by our common beginning and ending, but what defines us as humans is how we chose to live our lives. We govern our own set of actions, and through our thoughts and decisions we create our identities. When Meursault says, "Marie meant nothing to me. I wasn't interested in her dead," (115) I was able to see why our opinions about death vary with such a degree. Meursault thinks that when the body dies, so does the soul, the memory, and everything else that goes along with it. I may not believe in 'God,' but I do believe that there is a separation between your body and your soul. Whereas Meursault sees death as a termination, I see it more as a transformation. Your body may no longer function, but your memory or impact can still exist without your physical presence. Meursault may consider me an ignorant optimist or a hopeful fool, but I would prefer to live my life with purpose and ambition rather than doubt and despair.