Is Meursault a sociopath or a tragic hero?
In order to asses whether Meursault is a sociopath or a tragic hero, one must first define the traits and characteristics of such types of characters. A tragic hero is usually a noble man who is pursued by his fatal flaw. The tragic hero commits a mistake of which he cannot free himself; entering an unstoppable chain of misfortunate events which is only broken with his death, where order is restored, and the reader should feel pity for the tragic hero and learn something from his death. Whilst a sociopath is a person who lacks the fundamental feelings as remorse, guilt and shame. As well as having shallow emotions; being incapable of loving. Also a sociopath, does not recognize the others feelings and needs, thus acts upon his own free will. Although, it is very hard to classify Meursault in one of these two categories, as the own title of the book, suggests he is an ‘outsider’ or a ‘stranger’ different from any kind of person ever seen. Thus one should measure the extent to which Meursault fits each of these two different types of characters.
Meursault’s actions in the beginning of the novel are rather ambiguous on deciding whether he is a sociopath or a tragic hero. Camus opens the novel with euphemism, coldly stating that “[his] mother died today. Or maybe yesterday, I don’t know”, this euphemism illustrates Meursault’s indifference towards his mother’s death. This indifference of Meursault, of questioning more deeply the day his mother died rather than the fact that his mother has died portrays Meursault side as a sociopath, as he not only lacks the common gloomy feeling that a human would normally have but also does not recognize or understand the others feelings of grievance. This absence of emotions by Meursault, is also linked to the way he describes the house in which his mother lived her last years before she past away, as when he describes the other people in the old peoples house “like the muted chatter of budgerigars”, here Camus uses an oxymoron in a simile to depict the manner in which Meursault saw his mother’s friends. This is very effective as Meursault compares his mother’s friends to animals, judging them with only on what they appeared to be to him, not taking in consideration them as a whole.
