Albert Camus: Novel against psychological realism (The Novel of the Stranger as a case study)

The main objective of this study is to understand how novel can be read against psychological reality. As a case study, this paper addresses the Novel of the Stranger by Camus. Embedded in Kundera’s reading on the linkage between psychology on novel and psychology, the main question here is that how this novel can be read as what acts against psychology. Psychological novels are framed in a psychological cause i.e. making linkages among those unrelated or discrete events. A plot coherence is not possible without acknowledging such causal relationship. Rather, the novel of the Stranger addresses “ out- of -law”and “ off-topics” issues . Meursault is a stranger as he does not follow up the rhythmic tone of plot. In existentialism era, novel made a fundamental change in its “form” and “content”. As an existentialist philosopher, Camus puts an emphasis on the existing situation/placement rather than analyzing the characters in the novel. Unlike psychology which tries to make a clarity and distinction, Camus tries to talk about ambiguities and irrational reality. A dynamic and flexible rather than monolithic and fixed identity is obvious in his work. Novel in his reading is a domain for unpredictable events. Psychology, rather, attempts to disclose meanings and rational motivations in randomly occurred events. Besides the political function, one consequence of avoiding reducing the concept of novel to psychology in literary criticism is to refer the text into out of context elements like author’s biography.