Who Is Marie A Foil To The Protagonist?

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Albert Camus was a passionate political journalist and novelist, best known for his works, The Stranger and The Plague, both structured around the philosophical theory of Absurdism. Absurdism is explained as a philosophy that holds the effort of humanity to find meaning or explanation in the universe that ultimately fails because no such purpose or meaning exists. The protagonist of The Stranger, Meursault, is a character structured to live life through the philosophical view of such beliefs. Through the course of the book, his persona is emotionless and nonchalant about the events that occur. However, a certain character, Marie, is introduced in order to balance out Meursault and his habitual patterns . Marie is the foil to Meursault and also …show more content…
The Protagonist states “I don't quite follow his remarks at first, as he kept on mentioning “the prisoner’s mistress” , whereas for me she was just Marie.” (Camus 10) Meursault has been imprisoned for murder, yet Marie is present throughout his trial. She is dedicated to the up-keeping and perseverance of her relationship, despite the obstacles that she faces with the protagonist. “....Her eyes were sparkling. I kissed her ; after neither of us spoke for quite a while.” Even as she receives nothing from Meursault but a physical connection she is still willing to stay attached to Meursault or the idea of becoming more to him regardless of his demeanor. In reference to this relation between Marie and Meursault, she develops an attachment to this dysfunctional love that is presented as one sided, meaning she is the only one who seems to be in …show more content…
Marie is the complete opposite of the views weaved through the book, thus giving the reader a sense of reality to an exotic book that possesses beliefs different from majority of readers. She basks in the moments of life believing that she will reach an end goal and thus a purpose. The Stranger is a very distinctive book with a very unique philosophy, based upon people reaching to find meaning when there is none, which many are not familiar with. Marie ultimately helps with that as she incorporates a light and a sense of humane innocence. Due to her personality and aura that she reflects through The Stranger, she balances out Meursault's viewpoints. Due to him playing such and intense role, Marie is the character that ultimately balances that out. With the absence of Marie, the theme of romance and the opposition of Absurdism would not have been present. Marie is important to The Stranger as a result of her acting as an anchor; she was the “normal” that is an important feature that was absent through the course of the reading. As a result of being the foil to Meursault, Marie also acts as the opposite to the views of the philosophy Absurdism. Absurdist, people who believe in or follow Absurdism, believe that no such purposes of finding meaning to life exist or has ever existed. Marie believes that she ultimately has an end goal or is
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