Meursault’s Indifferent Stance: A Conscious Acceptance of Capitalism

Abstract

This paper aims at determining how Meursault’s conscious acceptance of capitalism in The Outsider turns out to be “inevitability” in a society automated by pre -set rules and conventions. This inevitability springs directly from his perennial concern for upholding his identity as a free human being through “assertion of one’s own individual choice”. Through an intricate discussion of the text, the paper will trace that most of Meursault’s decisions taken in the course of the novel are often stimulated by external factors. The major objective, however, is to prove that whereas most of the characters are simply performing roles even without understanding them, Meursault’s case is a deliberate one as a silent protest against the unconscious and essential acceptance of Capitalism. Unlike others, Meursault stands apart with his own conscience and the philosophy of indifference always motivates him not to be one of those who follow the ‘conventions’ without question. Hence, the absurdities that make him a stranger to his fellow people transform him into a human being, a man with freedom of choice who acts only if he really understands.