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Mark Negus

Ms. Bice

English 8H

Date 4/11/22

The Practical Implications of Meaning and Fate in The Stranger and The Alchemist

In Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist and Albert Camus’ The Stranger, the two authors come

from opposing viewpoints on meaning and fate, which lead them to different conclusions on the

nature of freedom, ambition, time, religion, and morality. The Alchemist is more of a thematic

epic and works off the idea that there is a kind of god or mind behind the universe that helps us

when we pursue our destiny or personal legend, while The Stranger, leans toward social

commentary and takes place in (what Meursault believes to be) a godless and purely material

world, and therefore a meaningless one. This key difference in relation to a god/meaning is what

separates the two books and this manifests in a number of ways. Most notably, Santiago is

hopeful, future-oriented, and has responsibility, as he believes in destiny and morality. Meursault,

on the other hand, lives purely in the present, for his own pleasure, and discovers his freedom in

an absurd and meaningless world. However, despite these large differences, both novels push the

idea that overcoming fear, living in the present, and becoming “one” with the universe in some

way is the key to living the most fulfilled life.

The central revelation of The Stranger is Meursault’s coming to terms with death, and the

inherent “gentle indifference” of the universe (Camus 122). Meursault lives according to a belief

system that accepts the implications of no god/meaning (no moral responsibility), but it is not

until he is faced with death that he fully embraces the idea, becoming an absurd hero: “Then, in
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the dark hour before dawn, sirens blasted. They were announcing departures for a world that now

and forever meant nothing to me” (Camus 122). Santiago however, is seeking something from

the start. Coelho pushes the idea that we must embrace the search to be fulfilled, while Camus’

central point is that our desire and search for something takes away our freedom. Unlike

Meursault, Santiago is not content with sheerly being comfortable. Furthermore, people who do

not feel this restlessness and are content with basic comforts are represented by Santiago’s sheep,

who are “only concerned with food and water” (Coelho 3). This mentality is exactly what

Meursault embodies, taking the path of comfort and least resistance, with his boss regarding days

off, Raymond with the letter, the prosecutor trying to convince him of god, and with the most

important part of his life, Marie, he doesn't see marriage or love as meaningful. “...She asked me

if I loved her. I told her it didn't mean anything but that I didn't think so.” (Camus 35) This is just

one of roughly ten explicit it-doesn't- matter’s throughout the book, and among other examples,

illustrates practically what Camus thinks it is like to accept meaninglessness and be free.

Santiago has the opposite approach, believing in omens and meaning “in his heart”. This is seen

when he speaks about his equivalent of Marie: “"It doesn't matter," he said to his sheep. "I know

other girls in other places." But in his heart he knew that it did matter” (Coelho 2). Why it matters

is not because Santiago “just cares”, he cares because “in his heart” the language of the world

whispers and connects him to nature, which has a grander scheme of intent and therefore

meaning. This is the objective external factor or “god” that The Stranger lacks.

The jurors and readers generally want to know why Meursault killed the Arab, but Camus

is making the point that within this godless framework of absurdism, it does not matter. There is

no responsibility to follow the most fundamental of society’s laws, let alone pursue something

that society would traditionally label noble like a personal legend. This view sees a personal
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legend as a burden, it is a responsibility and a fruitless one. Meursault’s prison stint is where he

fully accepts this absurd philosophy. He re-trains his still societally influenced thinking, saying

that thoughts of a “free man” (society’s definition of free) were initially the hardest part of the

prison, but later describes the (true) freedom he feels and imagines Maman experienced as he

realizes his whole life was always free from judgment and existential consequence (punishment,

reward, any value, etc) (Camus 122). Coelho concludes differently, as Santiago’s great freedom

comes in the opposite way, once he has completed his search for meaning, and in searching

becomes one with the universe. As Santiago learns from the Alchemist: “... no heart has ever

suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's

encounter with God and with eternity." (Coelho 68).

Another ramification of existential consequence or lack thereof is the characters’

relationship with time. Santiago is inherently focused on the future, as seen early on by his

daydreaming about travels and the merchant’s daughter, as well as his reluctance to be delayed

by working at the crystal shop. Santiago's focus on the future only strengthens once he comes to

believe in destiny and soul, as shown when he explicitly reveals his future-oriented mindset: “It's

the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting”(Coelho 5). Meursault

lives adamantly in the present. He does not dwell on the immediate past of his mother’s death,

sees ambition as pointless, lives only for pleasures in the present, and ultimately kills a man over

a present discomfort. Meursault is also confused by future-oriented people, which is obvious

when he encounters the “robot woman” who is characterized as planning her life instead of

living it. This critical message can be summed up with the aphorism at the funeral, which states:

“"If you go slowly, you risk getting sunstroke. But if you go too fast, you work up a sweat… She

was right. There was no way out” (Camus 17). This aphorism foreshadows Meursault’s own
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revelation of living in the present, in which he embraces absurd reality and realizes all he has

ever had is the present. It's the single thing that Meursault says matters, it is literally

“something”. “I gained an hour of calm. That was something anyway.” and “Deep down I knew

perfectly well that it doesn't much matter whether you die at thirty or at seventy…” (Camus 114).

This is where the two books begin to converge and agree on the ideas of time and fear.

Time in the sense that while Santiago is future-oriented, and must be to a certain degree to fulfill

his destiny, he does not live in the present enough. Santiago learns this lesson when told the oil

parable: “A shepherd may like to travel, but he should never forget about his sheep.” he must be

prepared for the future, but not live in it, maintaining a balance with present goods (Coelho 17).

This is congruent with Meursault’s view of the present, and even ties into the topic of fear.

Santiago has something to reach for and learns throughout the journey how to overcome fear in

its various forms, whether it be pressure from his father, losing what he has (like money or

sheep), fear of failure or regret, fear of the unknown, and fear of suffering. Similarly, Meursault

regrets discovering not overcoming his fear earlier in life, saying how he overcame a “dark

wind” that had haunted him his “whole absurd life” (Camus 121). By overcoming fear (of death,

in Meursault’s case), Meursault, similarly to Santiago, becomes one with the universe in a sense,

finding it to be similar to him, like a “brother”, and achieves the greatest amount of satisfaction

in his life (Camus 123).

While The Stranger has a slightly different intent and The Alchemist differs in ideology,

they share the theme of overcoming fear. Both characters struggle in their own ways and draw

starkly different conclusions on how to live. Meursault sees value in the present, pleasure, and an

atheistic acceptance of death. Santiago embraces the notion of meaning, relationships, and the
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future. These choices lead to great differences in how the characters live and perceive their lives,

but both authors conclude that fear is the primary obstacle to these respective values.
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Works Cited

Camus, Albert. The Stranger. Createspace Independent Publishing, 1942. PDF used:

https://bxscience.edu/ourpages/auto/2019/2/28/69275970/The%20Stranger%20-%20Albe

rt%20Camus.pdf?msclkid=fcf03991b45b11eca3d15c540a4c096e&adlt=strict&toWww=

1&redig=AFB5B32F6A824BEF8AFF5394C064BB47.

Coelho, Paulo. The Alchemist. New York Harpercollins Publishers, 1988. PDF used:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bww2XZ1lBZHMeHZ6TEhaZEVRUEE/edit?msclkid=6

bd6e481b46811ec9f7c03112bfcfea0&adlt=strict&toWww=1&redig=2502E7063A62476

EAAD5A1FC162B267B&resourcekey=0-Ao3Ves1gO68yrwx10ernSg.