Isolation In The Stranger By Albert Camus

In most novels, a shift in the protagonist's character is observed. The novel The Stranger by Albert Camus, in line with its themes of isolation from societal norms, chooses to forego this literary foundation during the near entirety of the narration. Throughout the novel, the protagonist Meursault shows little change in character until the end of his life when he is in prison and on death row.
At the beginning of the novel, Meursault is indifferent to nearly everything, which doesn’t change over the course of the story. When Meursault learns that his actions have consequences in the form of the trial for the Arab’s murder, it doesn’t affect him. The only time Meursault changed was while waiting for his death. While on death row, Meursault

is at first unwilling to die, hoping that he is somehow miraculously freed from his punishment. However, he gradually comes to accept that his life had no meaning at all and found comfort in it. “As if that blind rage had washed me clean, rid me of hope; for the first time, in that night alive with signs and stars, I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world. Finding it so much like myself— so like a brother, really— I felt that I had been happy and that I was happy again” (Camus 122).
Though Meursault experiences little to almost no character change he does have an extreme shift in character for a brief period of time. In prison when he finally has a chance to think about his life and the consequences of his actions, he glimpses at the chance of getting out. Nevertheless, he resorts back to his old absurdist view on life and accepts the inevitability that is his death.