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Amy Borbridge

Mrs. Morris

AP English IV

20 February 2018

A Meaningless Existence in an Indifferent World

It is inevitable that, faced with knowledge of imminent death, one would begin

contemplating their own life, their existence after death, and the reality of the universe. It is for

this reason that Albert Camus, author of the The Stanger, and Jean-Paul Sartre, author of "The

Wall," both chose to explore the thoughts of men faced with their execution. However, just like

their philosophies, the works differ in multiple aspects despite their inherent similarities. The

Stanger and "The Wall" both address humanity's confrontation with the absurd world by

exploring a singular man's reaction to his inevitable death, and both come to the conclusion that

life has no meaning. However, the time each prisoner spends anticipating their death and the

specifics of each's revelation on man's purpose reached during this time are quite different in

each work which reflect the differences in the author's philosophies.

Anticipation is an incredibly draining emotion, psychologically and physically, even

more so when waiting for a dreadful occurrence, such as one's execution. This can either be

relieved or exacerbated by other people and the length of time spent waiting. Meursault, focus of

The Stranger, spends the last of his days alone in a private cell. His most frequent interactions

come from the chaplain and the prison guard. Alternatively, Pablo, the main character in "The

Wall," is locked in the basement room of an abandoned hospital with two other prisoners, two

guards, and a Belgian doctor for the single night before his death. During the terrible wait for his
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last stand before the firing squad, Pablo mainly interacts with his fellow death row prisoners,

Juan and Tom. While this difference in human contact may seem unimportant, it is entirely

relevant. In "The Wall," Pablo is forced to interact with others who are also trying to come to

terms with the world and themselves as they await death. He inevitably ends up letting this

audience define his own reaction. "But I felt alone between Tom and Juan. I liked that better,

anyhow: with Ramon I might have been more deeply moved. But I was terribly hard just then

and I wanted to stay hard." (Sartre, 6) Pablo is therefore inauthentic in his response to imminent

death which is contrary to Sartre's belief in total authenticity. Meursault, on the other hand,

largely faces the guillotine alone. His limited interactions with people are followed by times

spent in his cell. Because Meursault can privately reflect on his actions, he can then take full

responsibility for them."But I was sure about me, . . . , sure of my life and sure of the death I had

waiting for me." (Camus, 120) This emphasizes Camus' belief that people must own their

choices and the subsequent consequences. Overall, each man's reaction to their unique situation

as they await execution communicates each author's philosophy and simultaneously highlights

their emphasis.

In each work, the conclusion of the story comes shortly after the revelation each

man has about the nature of the world. Meursault, at the end of The Stranger, opens himself "to

the gentle indifference of the world", which is "so much like [himself]." (Camus, 122) Somewhat

similarly, Pablo comes to the conclusion that he has no reason to fear death because it is

meaningless, like life. "They were going to slap a man up against a wall and shoot at him till he

died, whether it was I or Gris or somebody else made no difference." (Sartre, 11) While the basic

understanding each revelation is the same, the distinction between a meaningless existence and
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an indifferent world is crucial when determining the respective author's message. Meursault,

reflecting on the consequences of his reactions, finds that, while one's actions have meaning to

other people, the universe itself is not affected. In this way, Camus emphasizes the idea that

people must take full responsibility for themselves. Pablo, who was constantly interacting with

prisoners also on death row, finds that life is meaningless because he let the others shape his self

in those last few hours before death. This emphasizes Sartre's belief in authenticity. Overall, the

differences between the works define the specifics of the author's meaning and philosophy.

In conclusion, while both works addresses the meaninglessness of humanity's existence,

the differences between the two emphasize the philosophy of their respective author. The setting

influences the responses the characters have to the anticipation of their death. The wording of the

conclusion each main character reaches reveals the main ideas of their respective authors. By

comparing the works, one is able to better understand the subtleties of Sartre's and Camus'

personal philosophy. The works also force the reader to reflect on their own beliefs and to

contemplate the impact of their own existence on other people and the world.
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Works Cited

Camus, Albert. The Stranger. Random House, Inc., 1989. Print.

Sartre, Jean-Paul. "The Wall." PDF. https://faculty.risd.edu/dkeefer/pod/wall.pdf

https://faculty.risd.edu/dkeefer/pod/wall.pdf
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P2: Acceptance

• Conclusion on world

• Emotional reaction

- L'E: "like a brother", wants people's hate

- W: stubborn, petty revenge

P3 (?)

- L'E: responsibility for own action

- W: accident, almost

P1: Waiting for death

• Companions

- L'E: alone

- W: Tom and Juan

• Watchers

- L'E: the Chaplain

- W: the Belgian, the two guards