When Oil and Water Mix

 

     Absurdism and idealism seem as different as night and day; one sees life as being a collection of meaningless decisions and the other sees the world as bursting with opportunity. Yet somehow, Meursault’s absurdist philosophy (from Albert Camus’ The Stranger) and Willy Loman’s idealist tendencies (from Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman) have similar effects on each character and implications on the stories’ progression. 

First of all, both characters’ ideologies often take them to a different state of mind and essentially transport them to a different version of the world. Meursault’s absurdism allows him to easily become overwhelmed by the physical aspects of his world, such as the sun and heat. These entities take up much of his attention and block out rational thought, even pushing him to kill a man. Similarly, Willy Loman’s idealism contorts reality and convinces him that false statements or situations are true. He can easily believe that he has sold hundreds more products than he actually did and that his son held a higher position in a business than he actually did. In his most desperate moments, Willy’s idealist yearnings can transport him into a fantasy of the past. When he is in this version of reality, he talks and shouts out loud to the people in his fantasies, even when he is in public places in the real world. The fact that these opposite yet strong ideologies push these characters out of their real world reveals the high level of conformity found in these societies. They have become so monotonous that any unique ways of thinking cannot manifest themselves in socially acceptable ways and instead dominate alternate realities. 

Because of their ideologies and the way they make them act, Meursault and Willy are seen as unwell by others in their societies. This prompts other characters to attempt to “help” them. The Chaplain in The Stranger tries to push Meursault to see more meaning in life by teaching him about Christianity, and Charley in Death of a Salesman attempts to convince Willy to settle for less than he dreams of and work for him instead of starting his own family business. However, both characters are far too invested in their world views to change, which only leads to them being further cast out by society. This situation shows the power that the society has to control the lives of those that are a part of it, regardless of whether or not these people follow its norms. 

I wonder what Meursault and Willy would think of each other!