Analysis of the Existential View of Freedom in Camus' The Stranger

Abstract

Camus The Stranger is a classic literary work that portrays an existentialist view of freedom. The protagonist of this book is not bound by social and moral constraints. He views the world and his own existence with a detached attitude. The theme of this paper is to study the connotation of existential freedom in The Stranger and its expression in literary works. The text interpretation method is adopted to conduct a deep analysis of the behavior, language, and thoughts of the protagonist in the novel. At the same time, it also referred to the theory of existentialism to further elaborate on the connotation of existential freedom. Through analysis, this paper concludes that the existentialist view of freedom in The Stranger is reflected in the protagonists independent and free understanding of the self and the objective world. This view of freedom contrasts sharply with traditional morality and values, showcasing a detached attitude towards life.