The Stranger by Albert Camus, presents a strange question to my big question, do the attributes of a hero change over time. Because Meursault is such an interesting character, the answer to this question is not a direct as the other books I have thought about. Meursault, by no means, is the type of hero that most think of. He does not stand up for anything noble by societies standards but he does stand up for something. This leads me to believe that the attributes of a hero do change over time because of the type of protagonist Meursault is. Meursault does not feel anything, he does not know right from wrong, and only believes in believing in nothing. However, his strong belief in his way of life at the end of the novel is why I think he is indeed a hero and why the attributes of a hero do change over time. Meursault does not save damsels in distress, but he does however, not allow the wishes of others to change himself. Meursault's mindset is not changed by the lawyer or chaplain who tell him to turn to God as his only salvation, he is strong in his beliefs at the end of the novel, which to me, makes him a hero. This also means that the attributes of a hero do change over time. This novel is an existentialist piece. This literary movement, obviously was not around forever. But during this period, Meursault is an archetypal existentialist. Because the times and the world around the novel and characters has changed, so has the attributes in which make a hero a hero. Camus' novel The Stranger, is evidence that the attributes of a hero do change over time.
