Lucifer the Stranger

Jackson Pollock's "Lucifer" is similar to The Stranger by Albert Camus because both of these works have hidden meaning. While Pollock's painting and Camus's novel may not be obviously similar, they both make whoever is experiencing the art think about what meaning is beneath the surface. Pollock's abstract style is distinct, and characterized by splatters. While making his paintings, Pollock would move around the canvas and brandish his brushes, doing a sort of dance. The movement and beauty in the creation of Pollock's art is not evident after one look at his painting. After a first glance, "Lucifer" looks like a hastily created mess. However, when examined more carefully, the observer realizes that there are many layers of paint. Some are splattered, some are drizzled, and the colors are different yet complementary.

The Stranger also has meaning beyond what Camus's words convey. For example, when Meursault and Raymond encounter the Arabs on the beach, Meursault observes that "the blazing sand" looks "red" to him now (Camus 106). Camus mentions nothing about Meursault's emotional state, or how he feels about the impending confrontation with the Arabs. However, the reader can infer that Meursault is riled up, since he is literally seeing red. Another example of Camus hiding a deeper meaning behind his words is when Meursault is deciding whether he should stay in the hot sun or climb the stairs up to the women. Eventually, Meursault proclaims that "to stay or to go" amounts to "the same thing" (Camus 112). While this statement may not seem like much, it is making a philosophical comment. Both of the choices lead to personal discomfort for Meursault, the only thing he desires to avoid. By saying that those two choices are the same thing because they will bring him discomfort, he takes a consideration for consequences and the feelings of others out of the picture. Meursault demonstrates what it means to be an existentialist, all without mentioning the word philosophy. 

While Pollock's "Lucifer" and Camus's The Stranger may be from two completely different genres, they are both masterful examples of hiding meaning beneath the surface of a work of art. When examined carefully, both works reveal another dimension of beauty and depth.