Exploring the Absurd: Murder and Miscommunication in Camus’ Le Malentendu Antara Vashistha College

”How I hate a world which wears us down until we scream for salvation! But I shan’t kneel.”
(Martha)

First published in 1943, Camus’ Le Malentendu (or The Misunderstanding, or Cross-Purpose) is
a pessimistic dramatization of the absurdity of human condition. Styled in the inevitability of a
Greek tragedy, the play brings forth the motif of murder, miscommunication and
misunderstanding foregrounding the absurdity and anguish that is deeply entrenched in the
human condition. Through the tempestuous mode of livelihood followed by Martha and her
mother, Camus brings forth the dilemma of whether or not life is worth living. The dilemma is
rejected by the two characters, who justify their actions and lack of remorse through the assertion
that life is not worth living, “Ours suffered less. We’re kinder than life.” The theme of absurd is
further explored through the conflicts in language; with most of the characters speaking in a
‘strange’ language; fully unconscious of the effect produced through their speech; unable to find
the right words. This conflict produces an ambiguity of the characters revealing both too much
and too little; which can be seen in Jan’s character, who embodies the theme of “the sauveur
mansque”, who continually...