Sunday, December 16, 2007

"Meursault is "the only Christ we deserve"

Albert Camus prefaced his novel, "The Stranger," with the following note in 1955:

I summarized The Stranger a long time ago, with a remark I admit was highly paradoxical: "In our society any man who does not weep at his mother's funeral runs the risk of being sentenced to death."

... I also say that I tried to draw in my character the only Christ we deserve. It will be understood, after my explanations, that I said this with no blasphemous intent, and only with the slightly ironic affection an artist has the right to feel for the characters he has created.

1. Define the author's worldview -- his judgments about individual and the societal values -- and where he places blame -- based on this statement.

2. Do you agree with Camus' assessment of Meursault as "the only Christ we deserve"?

3. Do you agree with Camus' worldview?