A Life of Disarray Anonymous 12th Grade

The intrinsic human ability to recognize order has often been a foundation of proof that a higher purpose exists. Many people believe that sequences and patterns in the universe are evidence that human life was intended to have meaning. However, in Albert Camus’s The Stranger, exactly the opposite idea is explored. The main character, Meursault, lives with the belief that life cannot and should not be organized. In The Stranger, Meursault exemplifies how human attempts at imposing order are futile because the universe is innately illogical.

For instance, when Meursault is offered a job opportunity in Paris, his declines the offer with the assumption that it will make no difference on the outcome of his life whether or not he he accepts the job. After his boss asks why he rejected the offer, Meursault responds: “I wasn’t interested in a change of life. I said that people never change their lives and that in any case one life was as good as another and that I wasn’t dissatisfied with mine here at all,” (41). Individuals who feel a sense of purpose might see this possibility as a chance to experience life in a new city, make more money, or move up in their career. To many, it would seem like a logical step in achieving a higher...