Seinfeld and The Stranger, by Albert Camus, are similar in that they share the mutual theme of absurdism. Absurdism challenges the age old question, “what is the meaning of life”, and essentially defies it. It states that there is no inherent meaning to life, and that the act of trying to find meaning is absurd and contradictory in itself, and we as humans, have to realize that and live our lives on accepting that fact. This theme is relevant in Seinfeld, as the show is literally about nothing, and illustrates the endless and pointless nature of life. The main characters in Seinfeld seem to accept that life is void, yet they still go on with their lives, with no forward progression throughout the series. Similarly, in The Stranger, the main character, Meursault, goes through life with no real goals or ambitions, and lets the world come to him. Even when something as significant as his mother’s death occurs, he remains uncaring and detached. Exemplified when he states, “After the funeral, though, the case will be closed and everything will have more official feel to it” (Camus 2), Meursault shows his lack of emotion, and views the loss of his mother with the same impartial manner as with everything else in his life.
The Seinfeld episode, “The Alternate Side”, parallels The Stranger, as both demonstrate how absurdism is employed in the two works. In the episode, one of the main characters, Jerry, gets his car stolen by an unknown theft. Instead of being furiously or angry, Jerry responds by simply accepting that his car is gone and that he now needs a new one. In addition, Jerry’s friend, Kramer, is solely worried about his gloves that were left in the stolen car, disregarding entirely that his friends car was stolen. In another situation in the episode, Kramer explains to his friends that he was fired from his role in a movie after accidently impaling the director, ignoring the fact that he could have seriously injured him, because he was too focused wallowing over his own personal travesties. Meursault reacts to his mother’s death in a similar way, acknowledging that it occurred and still moves on from it. Meursault shows how impartial he is to the situation when he states during his mothers funeral, “I knew I was going to go to bed and sleep for twelve hours” (Camus 45). He does not feel sadness or grief, as most would in such a traumatic situation, and instead focuses on the smaller, more frivolous things.
In both The Stranger and Seinfeld, a significant, life changing event ensues, yet all of the characters remain stagnant and unaffected. When Meursault’s mother dies, he embraces the fact and continues on living, just as Jerry does when his car is stolen. The characters responses to these situations encompass the essence of absurdism, in that life is pointless, and it is important to accept that and move on with life, for trying to find meaning in a meaningless world is conflicting and absurd in itself.
It is a great point that the idea of absurdism is embedded in Seinfeld. That being said many sitcoms, such as Friends and How I Met Your Mother, could also have that effect on its viewers.
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