Crime And Punishment And The Outsider: Self Discovery
In every society, it is important for individuals to adhere to a
set of principles in order to maintain order. In Dostoyevsky's Crime and
Punishment and Camus' The Outsider , however, both protagonists ignored the
values of their society. Raskolnikov and Meursault felt their own beliefs
were significant, and through their actions they were able to express them.
As a result, one man was judged as a social deviant, while the other man
suffered psychologically. Through dealing with this strife, Raskolnikov and
Meursault gained a better understanding of their values and personal worth.
In the beginning both men rejected the fundamental values of
society and formed their own ideologies. ...
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“extraordinary man”3, but like
Meursault, his beliefs were untested. As a result, he murdered an old
pawnbroker women in order to prove himself. Meursault, as well, acted
against the social norm. For example, even though it was expected of a son,
he did not show sorrow at his mother's funeral4. He did not think this was
shallow, however, he just refused to falsely show emotion when he did not
feel any; “I realized that I'd managed to get through another Sunday, that
mother was now buried, that I was going back to work and that, after all,
nothing had changed”5. In addition, Meursault felt that “nothing really
mattered”6. He was willing to be transferred to the Paris branch of his
office, but Algiers would do for him as well; he was willing to marry Marie,
but he would have married anyone else just as easily; and he was willing to
write Raymond's letter for the simple reason that he “had no reason not to
please him”7. This honest and nonchalant way of looking at things was the
basis ...
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in university he “recalled sharply these former doubts and
perplexities of his, and it seemed to him not by chance that he remembered
them now”13. At this moment, he hurled away the coin just given to him “in
Christ's name”14. This incident symbolized Raskolnikov's initial rejection
of God, an important moment in his spiritual struggle. After Meursault
murdered the Arab, however, he remained unchanged by immorality of his
crime. He felt no regret towards his actions, in fact he “felt kind of
annoyance”15. Also, he continued to state the truth;
Then he [the magistrate] asked me if he could say that I'd
controlled my natural feelings that day. I said 'No, because
...
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"Crime And Punishment And The Outsider: Self Discovery." Essayworld.com. December 2, 2007. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Crime-And-Punishment-Outsider-Self-Discovery/75225.
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