Animalistic Nature of the Characters in Camus’s the Outsider

Abstract

This thesis on Camus‟s The Outsider studies the animalistic behaviours of its characters from the perspective of naturalism. In the novel, Camus takes the protagonist as a stranger and immortal type of character who is guided by instinctive irrational forces and also conditioned by hostile environment. Throughout the novel, the character‟s behaviour and activities are controlled and guided by their innate drives and they involve utterly themselves in animalistic behaviours like violence, murder and so on which is animalistic in nature. Naturalism is the view that everything (object and events) is the part of nature an all encompassing world of space and time. It implies a rejection of traditional beliefs and rejects the existence of super naturals also faith. Man is completely a part of this natural world and he is only an incidental product of the world process.As claimed by naturalistic theorist like Emile Zola, Stephen Crane, Jack London, Frank Norris and Theodore Dreiser, their behaviours is shaped and controlled by heredity and the environment. Meursault, the protagonist and other characters like Raymond and Salamano are equated to wild beats for they behave as per their inborn instincts rather than any sense of reason, rationality and kindness. They are the products of the environment. Their behaviours are the product of their innate instincts.