Albert Camus in the Book Corner

Last Sunday’s gathering about "L’Étranger" by Albert Camus was an amazing meeting where we dived into the depth of this masterpiece and discussed its importance in today’s world.

Miss Emmy Fricke, an experienced French teacher, led our discussion. She began by introducing us to Albert Camus, the famous French journalist who later became an author.

Camus lived through both WWI and WWII, witnessing the cruelty of life, which led to his philosophy: ‘Absurdism’. Miss Fricke then introduced us to the book "The Stranger" (or "L’Étranger"), written in 1942. This book centers on a peculiar and controversial character, Meursault, exploring his relationships with others and his views on love, life, and family.

Following this introduction, we debated the themes of the book, such as indifference, human nature, emotions, and logic. We started by answering the question: Meursault is a stranger to what? Culture, society, religion? Why is he the stranger? One captivating answer was that he is a stranger to himself and his human nature.

Ms. Fricke popped the question: if Meursault were a woman instead of a man, would his actions have differed? Some argued that women might react differently than men, potentially less violently. Others contended that human nature is the same for both men and women, so their actions would be similar.

We then studied Meursault’s actions and indifference, asking ourselves: how could someone become so indifferent to life? Some believed he was biologically born this way, while others thought life’s troubles shaped him. One intervention we all appreciated was when Georges said people judged Meursault’s actions without considering their reasons, leading to his indifference and hatred toward people, even during his trial.

Our discussion continued with Meursault’s lack of emotions, where he only followed reason to console himself. Elie mentioned that Meursault was neither surprised nor sad about his mother’s death, as it was logical that she would eventually die. Ibrahim countered by arguing that Meursault is not a logical man but rather highly emotional, letting his emotions control him.

We concluded our meeting with someone asking a profound question: don’t we all deserve another chance in life? We agreed to have a future book corner gathering to discuss this question and the topic of the death penalty.

"I am in love with our Book Corner! I enjoy every meeting and every book we discuss. Last Sunday was particularly touching for me because we talked about a book I adore and have been attached to since high school. Discussing it with others, listening to new thoughts and opinions, and seeing people communicate about a book in this hot weather, as well as encouraging a lot to read the books next to their bed; books they forgot about, is a miracle—a dream come true!" - Marina, the coordinator.

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