Girardovo čitanje Camusova Stranca

• Published in: Nova prisutnost Vol. XXI; no. 3; pp. 557 - 569
• Main Authors: Pavešković, Antun, Tomić, Marinko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Christian Academic Circle 15-11-2023
• Subjects: Albert Camus; Mersault; nedužno ubojstvo; Pad; René Girard; romantički junak
• DOI: 10.31192/np.21.3.5
• EISSN: 1848-8676
• ISSN: 1334-2312

U radu se prikazuje Girardovo tumačenja Camusova Stranca. Girard nastoji pokazati da je Camusov prvi roman napisan sa sasvim određenim ciljem: izazvati simpatiju prema običnom čovjeku i mržnju prema sustavu, »sucima«. Glavni lik, Mersault nije tek utjelovljenje apsurda, kako se obično misli, već odraz određenog autorova angažmana. Skrivena pozadina Stranca, prema Girardu, izlazi na vidjelo u Padu, trećem Camusovu romanu u kojem se pisac kritički osvrće na svoje dotadašnje stvaralaštvo i prepoznaje pristranost prijašnjih djela. U obliku alegorije Pad otkriva naličje Stranca, tj. dobro prikrivenu želju da se kao »sudac sudaca« bude iznad sviju, u poziciji moralne superiornosti. Girard smatra da se analizom narativnog toka Stranca upotpunjuju navedena zapažanja. Kritička analiza ukazuje na naracijsku nedosljednost u Strancu koja se najbolje ogleda u »nedužnom ubojstvu«. Ta osebujna zamisao ne može prikriti središnje proturječje radnje, odnosno ne uspijeva mirnog solipsista iz prvog dijela romana preobraziti u mučenika društva, iz drugog. Solipsizam Camusova junaka nadovezuje se na baštinu romantizma. Kao izdanak kasnog romantizma, Mersault nosi u sebi središnju proturječnost romantičkog junaka: unutarnju podijeljenost žudnje tj. istodobnu želju da se bude osamljen i društveno priznat. Prema Girardu, romantičarska ambivalentnost nalikuje neurotičnom i nezrelom ponašanju.
The paper presents Girard’s interpretation of Camus’ The Stranger. Girard endeavours to show that Camus’ first novel was written with a very specific goal in mind: to evoke both sympathy for the common man and hatred for the system i.e. the »judges«. Thus, the main character, Mersault, is not just the embodiment of absurdity as commonly thought, but a reflection of the author’s social commitment as well. According to Girard, this covert background of The Stranger comes to light in The Fall, Camus’s third novel, in which the writer takes a critical look at his previous work and recognises his own bias therein. The Fall can be said to reveal, in allegorical form, the flipside of The Stranger: that is, a well-concealed desire to place oneself above everyone else as the »judge of judges«, in a position of moral superiority. Girard believes an analysis of the narrative flow of The Stranger would substantiate the above observations. A critical analysis of the novel points to its narrative inconsistency, best reflected in the »innocent murder« idea. This peculiar ploy cannot hide the plot’s central contradiction – its failure in transforming the peaceful solipsist from earlier in the story into the social martyr he becomes later on. The solipsism of Camus’ hero builds on the heritage of romanticism. As a late romantic offshoot, Mersault carries within himself the central contradiction of the romantic hero that is the internal division of desire, i.e. a simultaneous wish to be left alone, yet acknowledged by society. According to Girard, this romantic ambivalence points to certain neurotic and immature behavioural traits.