Symbolism In Albert Camus's The Stranger

In Albert Camus’s novel, The Stranger, the author employs symbolism and foreshadowing through the weather- especially the sun- in order to represent Mersault’s compulsive and detached attitude. Camus’ novel tells a story of a man named Mersault who believes that the world is absurd and who searches some meaning in life.

Like the sun, society is generally thought to be a positive thing. People usually regard a good strong society that instills its members with a strong, unified code of morals as something to be desired. In the same way, people tend to think of a bright, warm, sunny day as something good and positive.

Uniquely, Camus' usage of the sun opposes its warmth and beauty in The Stranger. The sun is a symbol for feelings and emotions, which Monsieur Meursault cannot deal with. There is a sun motif present throughout the novel, which perniciously characterizes the usual fondness towards the sun. The sun is a distraction from Meursault's everyday life and he cannot handle it.

Weather, in this story, plays an apt form of representing Mersault’s mood and what he feels in the present moment. As a constant indication of Mersault’s focus on worldly matters, the innate description of the climate is arguably one of the most prominent types of symbolism utilized in this novel. Even in the very beginning of the book, the weather expresses what kind of personality Mersault has and how he feels about present matters. However, Camus interestingly focuses on the aspects of the sun and its nature on Mersault

Camus’ usage of the sun is a stark contrast to the usual connotative nature the sun beholds. Though the sun usually indicates a certain form of happiness, warmth, and content, Camus indicates the sun as a symbol for Mersault’s e...

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..."gentle indifference to the world," that the sun motif is consummated.

There are descriptions of the physical world in the book, but not so many of the emotional. It is only the physical world to which Meursault is connected, or any human being for that matter. There's no higher order or supernatural in life. All that is is physical. When Meursault blames the sun, he is blaming the only thing that had any great effect on him at the time, but also is alluding to the lack of reason and deeper meaning in the world.

In conclusion, the weather- particularly the sun- in The Stranger is key for symbolizing Mersault’s emotions and his attachment to the physical world. Though innate descriptions of the weather are utilized, not all are used to express this type of purpose that Camus intended for it to be. In the first part of Camus’ book, the hot weather and the sun is