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Albert Camus - The Stranger

Introduction

In his novel "The Stranger" Albert Camus describes in great detail the lack of values in the contemporary world as a result of frustration and hopelessness in which Europe was submerged after the war. Meursault, the protagonist reflects the philosophy of the absurd, the feeling of alienation, disillusionment with life. Boredom which shows becoming insensitive every day, indifferent and almost ruthless. It seems to be all the same in a way or otherwise. However, also in the novel are affirmed the positive qualities of the divine and human brotherhood.

The novel features a character-narrator, Meursault, living in French Algeria. The protagonist receives a telegram informing him that his mother died. He went to the home for the elderly Marengo, near Algiers, and attends the wake, then the implementation beer and funerals without taking the attitude of the fact that one expects from a grieving son. The hero does not cry, does not simulate a grief that does not feel.

After the funeral, Meursault decides to go swimming and meets Marie, a typist he knew. They go together for a movie Fernandel and spend the night together. The next day he meets Raymond Sintes, a neighbor, who asked him to write a letter to humiliate his mistress, who is a Moor. This is proved to be pimp and brutal and he fears reprisals from his brother. The next week, Raymond strikes and insults the woman and thus is summoned to the police and uses Meursault as a witness. While leaving, he invites Meursault and Marie in a shed at the edge of the sea, which belonged to his friend, Masson. Marie asks Meursault if he wants to marry her, what he replied was that it did not matter.

On a Sunday, after meal well served, Meursault, Raymond and Masson walk on the beach and come across a group of Arabs, of which one of whom is the brother of the young woman. A fight broke out, during which Raymond got injured because of a knife (Bloom, pp. 34-48). Later, Meursault walks alone on the beach, he becomes inundated by the heat and the sun, and thus he again meets one of the Arab, lying in the shade of a source, which in its view shows him his knife. Meursault takes out the revolver from his pocket. Raymond, got dazed by the brightness, the sultry, dazzled by the sun's reflection on the knife, he shoots and kills the Arab without any qualms. Suddenly further four more shots are heard which ends the first part.

In the second half of the novel, Meursault is arrested and questioned; his words are sincere and naïve which makes the lawyer uncomfortable. He shows no regret. In prison while his trial is being prepared, he kills the time by sleeping, reading (especially a newspaper article that tells a true story, which is actually is the plot of the play names as The Misunderstanding).  The trial was held, and Meursault is questioned about his behavior at the funeral of his mother and also on the murder. Meursault starts to feel excluded from the trial. He admits ...