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Existentialist works... "No Exit," "The Stranger," "The plight of Sysiphus" - Themes

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Existentialist works... "No Exit," "The Stranger," "The plight of Sysiphus" - Themes

Existentialist works... "No Exit," "The Stranger," "The plight of Sisyphus."

So I have read the above works, some several times, but have never had anyone to discuss them with. I'm curious as to what the important common themes are, and how Sartre and Camus differ, as I know they often claimed they did.

Was the main character in the stranger supposed to be the antithesis of an existentialist? Is the book a satire?

No Exit clearly pushes the idea of hell on Earth, with hell being the "Looking glass self" (explained below) and his prescription is a completely autonomous self defined self.

Created by Charles Horton Cooley in 1902 (McIntyre 2006), the looking-glass self[1] is a social psychological concept that a person's self grows out of society's interpersonal interactions and the perceptions of others. Cooley clarified it in writing that society is an interweaving and interworking of mental selves. The term "looking glass self" was first used by Cooley in his work, Human Nature and the Social Order in 1902.[2]

It has three major components and is unique to humans (Shaffer 2005). According to Lisa McIntyre’s The Practical Skeptic: Core Concepts in Sociology, in the looking-glass self a person views himself or herself through others' perceptions in society and in turn gains identity. Identity, or self, is the result of the concept in which we learn to see ourselves as others do (Yeung & Martin 2003). The looking-glass self begins at an early age and continues throughout the entirety of a person’s life as one will never stop modifying their self unless all social interactions are ceased. Some sociologists believe that the concept wanes over time. Others note that only a few studies have been conducted with a large number of subjects in natural settings.
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I know this is a fairly overly specific thread, but I could really use a clearer understanding of existentialism.
 
Hi there! I was intrigued by your thought about the main character in The Stranger being an «antithesis of an existentialist». I've always felt that he was the quintessential existentialist, so to speak, precisely because he systematically avoids intervening...? Is there a particular scene in the novel that made you feel he was an antithetical character?

(btw, sorry about my second-language level English)
 
I guess my big question is....

What exactly separates the main character from a nihilist?


I'll have some more to say about this when I finish an essay on the book.
 
While I don't have much to say about existentialism, I can point you out to Erving Goffman, the father of dramaturgy.

His work, The Representation of Self in Everyday Life is one of the most important texts in the field, and might give you a more in-depth insight as the "Looking Glass Self".
 
I would have to suggest Existential psychotherapy By Irvin D. Yalom
 
The main theme, especially in Camus' works, is the absurd. Humans live an absurd existence. We're born to die, and while we're alive we struggle to find meaning to our lives which is ultimately pointless in the grand scheme of things. He uses the greek myth of Sisyphus as a metaphor for this... we spend our lives pushing a heavy boulder up a mountain, only to see it roll down the other side.

Like another poster mentioned, I'd also recommend reading Søren Kierkegaard's work. He's a lot like Camus in some ways. He believes humans can overcome the absurd by making a "leap of faith" - having faith in something, such as God, that transcends the absurd, even though we cannot prove the existence of such a thing.
 
I read the book a couple years ago, before I had a handle of Existentialism. I think I'm going to read it again.

From what I remember, the protagonist feels little for his impending execution, and finally realizes that he has to accept his insignificant position in the universe to be content.

Will read again.
 
Just chiming in to note that the "NO EXIT" theme, worded as "THIS IS NOT AN EXIT!" is, in my opinion, a fantastic use of this school of thought, utilized within a piece of great modern art - I'll refrain from naming it so as not to spoil it for those who haven't enjoyed it yet.

Good thread.
 
The Stranger saved me from falling into a black hole of post-adolescent meaninglessness by putting that black hole into the perspective of the infinite space around it. The protagonist doesn't feel much for anything, and generally passes time with what he can be bothered with. Throw in a murder to confront his dispassionate nature and suddenly it matters that his mother died. Without the murder his empty life style would be without the context giving it a story at all.. ~Makes ones own story! I'd been floating in and out of consciousness for over a year before reading this book (to put it simply), and afterwards i felt like i could do anything <3
umm No Exit is okay! I think it is titled perfectly.. "You are already in hell!" would have been to obvious. Sisyphus has plenty of other interesting stuff besides the boulder..

so like, the stranger doesn't care, the characters in no exit take themselves too seriously and sisyphus is unable to say "fuck it." life like
 
Caroline said:
The Stranger saved me from falling into a black hole of post-adolescent meaninglessness by putting that black hole into the perspective of the infinite space around it. The protagonist doesn't feel much for anything, and generally passes time with what he can be bothered with. Throw in a murder to confront his dispassionate nature and suddenly it matters that his mother died. Without the murder his empty life style would be without the context giving it a story at all.. ~Makes ones own story! I'd been floating in and out of consciousness for over a year before reading this book (to put it simply), and afterwards i felt like i could do anything <3
umm No Exit is okay! I think it is titled perfectly.. "You are already in hell!" would have been to obvious. Sisyphus has plenty of other interesting stuff besides the boulder..

so like, the stranger doesn't care, the characters in no exit take themselves too seriously and sisyphus is unable to say "fuck it." life like
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that's really a great insight into The Stranger. explains things perfectly (and beautifully)
 
Sweet P said:
The main theme, especially in Camus' works, is the absurd. Humans live an absurd existence. We're born to die, and while we're alive we struggle to find meaning to our lives which is ultimately pointless in the grand scheme of things. He uses the greek myth of Sisyphus as a metaphor for this... we spend our lives pushing a heavy boulder up a mountain, only to see it roll down the other side.
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Nailed it!

Caroline said:
The Stranger saved me from falling into a black hole of post-adolescent meaninglessness by putting that black hole into the perspective of the infinite space around it. The protagonist doesn't feel much for anything, and generally passes time with what he can be bothered with. Throw in a murder to confront his dispassionate nature and suddenly it matters that his mother died. Without the murder his empty life style would be without the context giving it a story at all.. ~Makes ones own story! I'd been floating in and out of consciousness for over a year before reading this book (to put it simply), and afterwards i felt like i could do anything <3
umm No Exit is okay! I think it is titled perfectly.. "You are already in hell!" would have been to obvious. Sisyphus has plenty of other interesting stuff besides the boulder..

so like, the stranger doesn't care, the characters in no exit take themselves too seriously and sisyphus is unable to say "fuck it." life like
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Though I think your synopsis of the stranger is a beautiful one, I disagree with the book's intended themes.

I would have to suggest Existential psychotherapy By Irvin D. Yalom
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sounds right up my alley. thx
 
RedLeader said:
Dostoyevsky's Notes from the Underground is one of the best books ever. Not as popular as his other stuff, but this little gem is seriously worth reading at least once a year.
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best Dosteoyevky book for one reason: you don't have to be able to decipher 47 letter-long Russian names.
 
L O V E L I F E said:
Just chiming in to note that the "NO EXIT" theme, worded as "THIS IS NOT AN EXIT!" is, in my opinion, a fantastic use of this school of thought, utilized within a piece of great modern art - I'll refrain from naming it so as not to spoil it for those who haven't enjoyed it yet.

Good thread.
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nice reference. i've been tempted to get those words tattooed on me.
 
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