Albert Camus and existentialism

Existentialism is the individual freedom of choice; in other words man is a conscious subject, rather than a thing. Of the many existentialistic themes, Camus strongly believed in absurdity.
Camus’ opinion is that absurdity lies in the basic discord in the relationship between the human being and the universe. Thus, the human being discovers the absurdity of existence when he correctly perceives the universe.
The absurdity of the human being is in its insecurity, rejections, agony, and also it’s disappointments. In most of Camus’ works the recognition of the absurdity of the human existence is a main theme. For Camus, the absurd is not a negative thing, but a real state of existence. Accepting the perspective that life is absurd is to embrace a true view of life.
The Stranger, is the first work of Camus’ dealing with absurdity. It portrays the main character as an honest, atheist, who lives life as best as he knows how. In the beginning of the novel, the main character Mersault’s mother dies. His mother’s death has no effect on him because he feels death is the end, there is no God in his mind, and because the two were not close.