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Subtropical_Blues t1_jal4qfg wrote

Absolutely not, nor are you "too stupid". The beauty of reading is in individual interpretation. In fact, I'd argue that the forced symbolism you get in English literature classes actually hinders individual exploration of it.

Why did you enjoy it?

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baratoyoso OP t1_jal5pi7 wrote

Without analyzing symbolism or existentialism, I just wanted to keep reading the book to know how far this dude (Meursault) can keep his calmness. Because if I were him, I would go damn crazy.

Is he a sociopath? Was he trying/acting like a sociopath?
Why?

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somepunkwithashotgun t1_jal9on2 wrote

He simply had no fucks to give. He accepted whatever happened without question. It wasn't worth the effort for him to question things.

That was my take on his Strange behaviour.

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theDreamingStar t1_jala5rz wrote

He could be called many things. Camu intended that we see him how he is seen by society, as a stranger, but also be able to realise that each and every one of us could be a stranger on our own.

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Mississimia t1_jali679 wrote

You can't act like a sociopath if you're not one. But I would guess Meursault is a psychopath, not a sociopath. While both are antisocial, there has been some talk of prosocial or maybe neutrally social psychopaths who still don't feel things but also don't go out of their way to hurt people. They generally just want to leave people alone and be left alone in turn. But as you see in the novel, that's really not an option in our very social world.

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closeface_ t1_jams4zd wrote

I haven't read it in a long time, but the impression I was left with is that Meursalt is existential in philosophy. But he takes it to a place of nothing matters so I'll just swim through life and what happens happens. (As opposed to a more positive form of existential philosophy - nothing matters and therefor I get to create my own meaning)

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