Albert Camus and Orientalism

Introduction

Albert Camus, one of the 20th century's most celebrated writers, is often revered for his philosophical musings on absurdity, freedom, and the human condition. However, his works and personal politics have been scrutinized within postcolonial and critical theory, particularly in the context of Orientalism. In his seminal work “Orientalism” (1978), Edward Said defines the term as a framework of thought rooted in European imperialism. It describes how the West conceptualizes and represents the "Orient"—the societies of the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia—as fundamentally "other," exotic, inferior, and in need of domination. This process creates a power dynamic that justifies colonialism while dehumanizing its subjects. 

Camus' novels The Stranger (1942) and The Plague (1947) have been critiqued for their implicit complicity in Orientalist ideology, despite their universal themes. Camus' ambiguous portrayal of colonial Algeria and his political stance supporting French rule further reveal the tensions between his philosophy of universalism and the particularities of colonial domination.

Defining Orientalism and Its Application to Camus’ Works

Orientalism operates through literary and cultural texts by presenting colonized peoples as static, unchanging, and subjugated to European norms. Said highlights that such portrayals reinforce the West’s moral and intellectual superiority, enabling and perpetuating colonial rule.

Camus, born and raised in colonial Algeria, represented the duality of being a European living among colonized Algerians. His perspective, shaped by the colonial context, often renders Algerians invisible in his fiction, relegating them to the periphery of his philosophical explorations. This absence or marginalization of Algerian voices, particularly in The Stranger and The Plague, serves as an Orientalist gesture, denying Algerians agency and affirming a Eurocentric worldview. Through these novels, Camus becomes a product and a propagator of the colonial imagination.

Orientalism in The Stranger

Camus’ “The Stranger” exemplifies the alienation and absurdity of life through its protagonist, Meursault, a French Algerian clerk who commits a seemingly senseless murder of an unnamed Arab man. The plot revolves around Meursault’s existential indifference to life and death, culminating in his trial and eventual execution. While celebrated as a masterpiece of existentialist thought, The Stranger is striking for its treatment—or lack thereof—of the Arab man Meursault murders.

The murdered Arab is nameless, voiceless, and devoid of any interiority. His role is to catalyze Meursault’s existential awakening rather than as a fully realized human being. This dehumanization reflects Orientalist tropes in colonial literature, where the colonized exist only in relation to the colonizer’s narrative. 

Camus’ refusal to engage with the Arab man’s identity or humanity is not merely a narrative choice but a reflection of the broader colonial mindset, which rendered indigenous Algerians invisible in their land. The murder is presented almost as an incidental act, underscoring the pervasive devaluation of Arab lives under colonial rule. Meursault’s indifference mirrors the colonial system’s dismissal of Algerian suffering—a central critique from postcolonial scholars.

Additionally, the setting of Algeria in The Stranger reinforces its role as a backdrop rather than a dynamic space. Camus depicts Algeria as a sun-drenched, oppressive landscape, but the cultural and social complexities of its indigenous population are absent. This reduction of Algeria to an abstract space aligns with Orientalist representations that strip colonized territories of their lived realities.

Orientalism in The Plague

The Plague is often read as an allegory of resistance against fascism, set in the town of Oran, Algeria, during a fictional outbreak of bubonic plague. While it has been lauded for its universal themes of solidarity and the human spirit, its representation of Algeria is problematic. Camus constructs Oran as a Europeanized space, with no meaningful representation of the Arab majority who lived there during the colonial period. The indigenous population is conspicuously absent, as if the plague impacts only the European settlers.

The erasure of Arabs in The Plague has been criticized as a form of Orientalist silencing. By ignoring the indigenous Algerians who constituted the majority of Oran’s population, Camus perpetuates a colonial myth of Algeria as a space for European civilization. This Eurocentric perspective reduces Algeria to a metaphorical canvas for Camus’ philosophical ideas, denying the historical and social realities of colonial oppression.

Moreover, the central themes of The Plague—solidarity and resistance—are implicitly Eurocentric. The novel valorizes the efforts of the European characters to combat the plague while failing to acknowledge the systemic oppression that defined colonial Algeria. Camus’ silence on these issues underscores his complicity in the colonial project, even as he advocates for universal human values.

Camus’ Support for French Occupation of Algeria

Camus’ political stance on Algeria further complicates his literary legacy. While he championed justice and freedom in his philosophical writings, his unwavering support for French colonial rule reveals a contradiction between his ideals and his actions. Camus viewed Algeria not as an independent nation but as an integral part of France, where French and Arab communities could coexist under French governance.

During the Algerian War of Independence (1954–1962), Camus opposed both French military repression and Algerian demands for independence. He advocated for a civilian truce that sought to end violence but did not address the structural inequalities of colonialism. For Camus, the prospect of Algerian independence threatened the French settler community to which he belonged, exposing his inability to fully empathize with the plight of the colonized.

Camus’ position aligns with the paternalistic logic of Orientalism, which assumes that colonized peoples are incapable of self-governance. His belief in a shared Franco-Algerian identity disregarded the historical and systemic disenfranchisement of Algerians under colonial rule. By prioritizing the interests of the French settlers, Camus reinforced the power dynamics of colonialism.

This political stance sheds light on his literary works, where the erasure of Algerian voices mirrors his reluctance to confront the realities of colonial exploitation. His vision of Algeria as a space for coexistence reflects the Orientalist fantasy of a harmonious colonial order, ignoring the violence inherent in such a system.

Is Camus Still Worth Reading?

These critiques of Camus’ complicity with French colonialism and Orientalist ideology don’t equate to a complete denial of his literary validity. I still think Camus is worth reading. However, he is not above criticism. It is important to identify how his politics is reflected in his fiction. Recognizing his disregard for Arabs, particularly Algerians, is crucial to be a critical reader. Fiction is a reflection/expression of the historical, political, and cultural order of its time. We can see how Camus’ fiction reflects the French colonial order of Algeria, and in recognizing this, one can aim to still enjoy Camus’ work with a critical lens.

Conclusion

Albert Camus remains a towering figure in existentialist literature, but his works cannot be divorced from their colonial context. The Orientalist undertones in The Stranger and The Plague reflect the power dynamics of French Algeria, where indigenous voices were silenced and marginalized.

By critically engaging with Camus through the lens of Orientalism, we can better understand the complexities of his legacy. His works, while profound in their existential insights, serve as a reminder of the importance of addressing the historical and social dimensions of literature. Only by confronting these tensions can we fully appreciate the enduring relevance of Camus’ ideas in a postcolonial world.