A Society in Danger Essay -- Literary Analysis, The Stranger

In the book The Stranger, Camus characterizes Meursault as an atheist, an unemotional robot, and an outcast to demonstrate how he threatens society. The way Camus characterizes Meursault impacts the book in views to which he threatens society, like when he seems useless, has no compassion or feelings, and when he does nothing to help society, making him seem like society’s worst enemy. How he characterizes Meursault proves how he becomes a threat to society through the use of syntax by displaying insensitivity, and diction to prove his atheism. He also only focuses on physical objects, and the way he sees life causing him to be a stranger. Meursault can be a threat to society by just not fitting in with everyone else and preventing everyone from being united, so he continues to be seen as a threat. Camus manipulates syntax to show how Meursault’s insensitivity symbolizes danger to society. When Camus makes Meursault be an insensitive person that does not care or feel anything for anyone else, he puts society in danger. When Meursault says, â€Å"I had never been able to truly feel remorse for anything† he never reveals any emotion at all even though the sentence sounds a little long and he also never gives a sign of compassion (Camus 100). Also, the very first sentence that Meursault states in the book only contains three words, which reads, â€Å"Maman died today† (Camus 3). No matter how long or short the sentences are Meursault never shows a little bit of compassion or feelings for her mother’s death. He just states it all plain and unemotional with only three words almost making it a fragment. For example, when Camus writes this long sentence, â€Å"He said the truth was that I didn’t have a soul and that nothing human, not one of the mo r... ...or a second I had the ridiculous feeling that they were there to judge me† which tells that he does not feel security of himself because he always thinks people are judging him (Camus 10). This thought of insecurity can be dangerous to society because Meursault will not trust the people in any way because he thinks they will always be judging him for any little thing. In conclusion of how Meursault threatens society, Camus does an outstanding job. The insensitivity and focus of physical objects only threatens the good of society by letting Meursault be part of them even though he has no feelings to offer. The atheism and way he sees life threatens society in different ways but the main one keeps society form reaching unity because they cannot exclude him from everything just because he does not believe in God and because he has a different view of seeing life.