Comparison of Camus and Dostoevsky Essays - 1467 Words

Raskolnikov-A â€Å"Stranger† to Mersault? Though written by completely different authors in completely different times and places, the works The Stranger and Crime and Punishment show many similarities in the actions and views of the protagonists. Raskolnikov and Meursault show similarities through their existentialist views of life, actions towards others, and wanting of escape from the real world or conscience world. These character similarities suggest similarities in the views of the two authors Fyodor Dostoevsky and Albert Camus. The two authors are trying to convey slightly different, yet almost identical existentialist views to the reader. These views can be seen very much in the characters of Meursault and Risk. Both†¦show more content†¦Then to the reader’s surprise, Meursault goes swimming with a girl the day he gets back as if nothing had happened. While most would be in mourning, Meursault is already looking to forget this burden on his plans by totally disregarding it and completely moving o n with no remorse or regret. Meursault is also very carefree when talking to the people who are deciding the fate of his life. The statements â€Å"I thought my case was pretty simple.† (Camus, 63) and â€Å"I said no-and that in a way, I was even interested in seeing the trial† (Camus, 83) show that Meursault talks to the police as if it were a normal thing to him. He doesn’t care that these are the people that are putting him in jail for the rest of his life. To him, jail is freedom and freedom is jail. Both Raskolnikov and Meursault share the feeling that time and freedom are the only things that can burden them. They are both faced with the option of suicide as a substitute for incarceration, but neither of them accepts this fate. This is because they are really just as happy in jail than they were in the outside world. They don’t choose suicide. This is not because they are afraid of death, but because they are only certain of the uncertainty beyond it. This again reinforces their existentialist views. Raskolnikov and Meursault both have similar actions towards others. Raskolnikov is at times annoyed with everyone, from his closest friend RazumihinShow MoreRelatedEssay on myth of sisyphus975 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿How was the text borrowed from other texts, and with what effects? how has he borrowed from other texts and to what effects? Introduction: Thesis: Camus has borrowed philosophical ideas from other writers which has influenced his interpretation for the existence of an individual mostly described within his works with The Myth of Sisyphus as well as his other well known novels. Prominent in Europe in the 19th and 20th century Existentialism is defined by the slogan Existence precedesRead MoreCrime and Punishment vs. The Stranger1438 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout the novels Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky and The Stranger by Albert Camus, sun, heat, and light play a significant role in the development and understanding of the novel and the characters in it. Upon the initial reading of The Stranger, the reader may have a general acknowledgment of a relationship between the novel’s protagonist, Mersault, and the sun and heat, either proceeding or following one of the novels significant events. What is harder to understand on the first readRead More Hopeless and Absurd - Existentialism and Buddhism Essay1536 Words   |  7 PagesBuddhism in a manner helpful to the understanding of existentialist viewpoints on the same. Though these two perspectives elicit no fewer contrasts than comparisons, their juxtaposition highlights the workings of the futile human quest for meaning.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One key factor in the existentialist framework is the acceptance of hopelessness. As Camus presents metaphorically in The Myth of Sisyphus, there simply is no real goal towards which we strive. Though humanity is characterized by consciousnessRead MoreExistentialism vs Essentialism23287 Words   |  94 Pagesamp; Phenomenology * Existentialist Philosophers * ------------------------------------------------- Absurdism * The idea of the  absurd  is a common theme in many existentialist works, particularly in  Camus. Absurdity is the notion of contrast between two things. As Camus explains it in  The Myth of Sisyphus: * The absurd is born out of this confrontation between the human need and the unreasonable silence of the world. * This view, which is shared by  Sartre, is that humanity