What Are Albert Camus In 'The Outsider' And Hermann Hesse In 'Siddhartha' Trying To Achieve Through The Relationships That The Main Protagonists Experience In Each Novel With Marie And Kamala Respectively?

What are Albert Camus in 'The Outsider' and Hermann Hesse in 'Siddhartha' trying to achieve through the relationships that the main protagonists experience in each novel with Marie and Kamala respectively?

Both Herman Hesse's 'Siddhartha' and Camus' 'The Outsider use the notion of love as a means to examine the protagonists and their perspectives on society, and how society views them. Hesse uses Kamala's love for Siddhartha as the means whereby he gains an understanding of the world and the route to Nirvana. Camus uses Marie to highlight Meursault's existentialist approach; his indifference to society and love.

Hesse uses a dream in 'Siddhartha', a favourite literary device of his, to turn Siddhartha's mind to the idea of women - "and out of the woman's gown emerged a full breast" . Subsequently he is teased by a young woman at the river and finally he "felt a longing and the stir of sex in him" . It is only when he meets "the beautiful Kamala " that he consciously decides to embrace the human passion of desire as he believes it can teach him many things. His initial dream has motivated him into seeking what the world has to offer, as he no longer is a Samana. By attaching Siddhartha to society, Hesse is showing that there is a need to appreciate physical pleasure so that a broader understanding of the world can be achieved through which will come spiritual enlightenment. Hesse also chooses to show Siddhartha, as somewhat less than a God-like figure, as the Buddha appears to be. Linking him with society shows him to be more human.

In 'The Outsider', Meursault's feelings for Marie are purely physical. Meursault repeatedly comments about Marie's figure as he "Brushed against her breasts" , usually noting how beautiful she looks. He describes little about their interaction other than their physical contact, "I only fancied her because she was wearing a pretty red dress" . Any emotional aspects of their relationship are clearly secondary for Meursault. After Meursault goes to jail, the differences between the couple's attitudes to their relationship become even more obvious. Whereas Marie visits Meursault and this proves she genuinely misses his companionship, Meursault only misses Marie because he misses sex: "I never thought specifically of Marie. But I'd so often be thinking about a woman, about women in general" . Otherwise, he hardly thinks of her. Camus uses this attitude to show how Meursault views love as a personal pastime, and in particular his existentialist view on the matter - how he believes freedom of choice and the consequences for his actions will lead him to a more fulfilled life. Hence his choice for a relationship that involves merely sensual pleasure is highlighted even though Marie's feelings are deepening.

Meursault can be seen as having no emotion, detached from basic human experiences of love and affection. This is exemplified when his fiancй "wanted to know if I loved her. I replied as I had done already, that it really didn't mean anything but that I probably didn't" . His reply is totally honest but very hurtful. His inability to appreciate love, coupled with his animalistic-like mating, in which his main interest appears to be physical, is not what society expects and produces the impact on the reader which Camus is trying to achieve. Meursault's indifference, lack of emotion and his detached presentation of impressions illustrates his choice to have minimal involvement in society. He acts almost as an observer; a detached judge; an outsider.

In comparison Hesse's Siddhartha shows his interest in society, an interest which at first he overlooked. The encounter between the pilgrim (Siddhartha) and the modern world symbolised by Kamala portrays the beginning of the next step of Siddhartha's quest. Kamala introduces us to Kamaswami and it is through their relationship that Siddhartha is able to continue deeper into understanding the material world. Kamala tells Siddhartha "one door after the other is being opened to you" , and upon following Kamaswami, a rich business man, Siddhartha is thrown into the reality of richness and modern day greed. This element in the story allows Hesse, through Siddhartha, to delve again into another aspect of modern society: the world of time and ordinary people. From Kamaswami, he learns the path of the 'right attitude/aspiration', after suffering a market loss, "I will bear the loss. I am very satisfied with this journey.....I have become acquainted with people and new districts. I have enjoyed friendship and confidence" . This indicates that the correct way to approach an experience is to completely surrender the Self whilst keeping the purpose in mind. Just as Gotama was a master of the truths of the spiritual world, so too are Kamala and Kamaswami masters of the material world. The two go hand in hand to converge into reality. Love and direct experience of the material world, enable Siddhartha to transcend both and gain the unique spiritual dimension that is fulfilment.