Everything is Absurd: Absurdism in Seinfeld and The Stranger

The topic of absurdism is touched in everyday life and the media and often it is left unnoticed. Whether it is questioning human existence or wondering why we have to work. The question of whether or not life has meaning or if there is a purpose is questioned by absurdists by asking if everything between birth and death has a greater meaning. In Albert Camus’s The Stranger, the protagonist, Meursault, has absurdist views on life. His values are exhibited in his mother’s death, the altercation with the arabs and his reactions to both animal and human abuse. There are parallels between Meursault and Jerry Seinfeld in the Seinfeld episode “The Alternate Side.” In this episode Jerry’s car is stolen and is forced to navigate the difficulties of renting a car while George Costanza tries his hand at a new job. Though very subtle, this episode has an absurdist tone and connects with The Stranger.

When Meursault’s mother dies in the first chapter his reaction is surprising to the reader. This is because of his absurdist views and his view that birth and death are the natural bookends of life. “It occurred to me that anyway one more Sunday was over, that Maman was buried now, that I was going back to work, and that, really, nothing had changed.” (Camus 56) It is apparent in this passage that the death of his mother had very little impact on his everyday life; he simply accepts it and moves on. A comparable scene of “The Alternate Side” is when Jerry finds out that his car has been stolen. For many people this would be exceedingly alarming; however, he accepts the fact that his car is gone and moves on. This acceptance of non ideal scenarios is an absurdist view because absurdists believe that anything that happens in between birth and death has no meaning and people attempt to make meaning out of these absurd situations. 

Similarly, following Meursault’s shooting of the arab he walks away without remorse. “I knew that I had shattered the harmony of the day, the exceptional silence of a beach where I’d been happy. Then I fired four more times at the motionless body where the bullets lodged without leaving a trace.” (Camus 66) He could have left the body but decided to shoot it more times which showed his insensitivity to death. This view connects with Elaine in the Seinfeld when she is breaking up with her boyfriend who was suffering from the aftermath of a stroke. This shows that Elaine perceived the stroke as insignificant and absurd. It is sometimes difficult to identify the absurdness of our actions but it is apparent that both The Stranger and “The Alternate Side” exhibit these values.