"Given the existential idea of Existence precedes Essence, at what point in the book does Mersault finally make a choice that would give his existence essence? In other words, at what point does he finally become a person, an identity, a 'self'??
In my eyes, Mersault finally finds essence in his existence when he shoots the Arab. However, it is important to note their first encounter with the Arabs, when he does not shoot. During this encounter Mersault says, "It was then that I realized that you could either shoot or not shoot".(56) Here, he finally recognizes the existence of choice, and therefore, he takes his first step towards finally giving his existence essence. He becomes a self after he shoots the Arab because that is when he finally makes an active choice to commit to an action instead of being passive. By shooting the Arab, his action can be used to define a purpose of his life, which is what giving essence to one's existence means.
