The Stranger
The Stranger was originally written in French. When Stuart Gilbert translated the novel, he came across a small problem. “The title of Camus’ classic novel is difficult to render into English because the French word bears the connotations of both ‘stranger’ and ‘foreigner’ at the same time, and each of these concepts is at play in the novel.” (Mairowitz1) Finding the right translation was crucial because the title is symbolic. “The Stranger symbolizes the theme of the story.” (Mairowits1) Meusault is a stranger to society. “He is alienated by society because of his unique personality.” (Alley2)
Hearing Meursault tell his story, allows the reader to experience his life first hand. Writing the novel in first person narrative allows the reader to go through Meursaults experiences.
The plot is told in chronological order. It begins with Meursault discovering his mother has passed away. After the funeral, he returns to his every day life. He goes to movies, spends time with his girlfriend, goes to the beach and makes friends with his neighbor.
Meursault and his neighbor, Raymond Sintes, begin spending a lot of time together. A day relaxing day at the beach turns into a blood bath. Because of a disagreement, Meursault kills an Arab.
Meursault is arrested for killing an Arab. He is sent to prison and tried for murder. During the trail, Meursault’s lawyer asks him to lie. Because of his honesty, Meursault is marked as a danger to society. (Alley1)
The Stranger’s setting is in the city of Algiers. Algiers is located in North Africa. The entire novel except his mothers funeral, took place in Algiers.
In the novel, Meursault is the main character. He is an outsider to society. Meursault enjoys simple thing, like going to the beach, drinking and having sexual relationships. There is no right or wrong in Meursault’s mind since he never judges anything or anyone. Because Meursault does not judge other people, he does not expect others to judge him. Therefore, he will do things without considering social values or how other people might think towards him. (Alley2)
One of the only people attracted to Meursault’s unique personality is Marie. Marie is Meursault’s girlfriend. Her love for Meursault remains true throughout the novel.
Meusault’s life becomes very complicated after he is introduced to ...
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...society. Meursault does not care about social rules and customs. He acts and does what he wants. Since society does not understand Meursault, they find him threatening.
For example, “the mortuary attendant felt strange and uncomfortable because he did not understand why Meursault was so different from the usual clients.” (Alley1)
Camus put a unique twist on a very common theme. Many writers talk about a judgmental society, however Camus took a different approach. He showed how society’s judgments could affect a person’s life. Meursault was sentences to death because his behaviors were abnormal. He was not the standard citizen; therefore he was marked as a danger to society. The Stranger was a good book that everyone should read. If everyone read the Stranger, then maybe society would be less judgmental.
Bibliography:
Alley. Albert Camus. 10/15/2001
www.geocities.com/Broadway/Alley/9095/outsider
Camus, Albert. The Stranger. Librairie Gallimard. C1942.
Drajem, Linda. The Stranger- A Novel on a Man in Revolt. 10/15/2001
Mairowitz, David. Introducing Camus. Sysnopsis of The Stranger. 10/15/2001
www.geocities.com/Athens/Aegean/1311/astranger.html
Part I of The Stranger begins with Meursault's attendance at his mother's funeral. It ends with Meursault on the beach at Algiers killing a man. Part II is concerned with Meursault's trial for that same murder, his ultimate sentencing to death and the mental anguish that he experiences as a result of this sentence. Several curious parallels emerge here, especially with regard to Meursault's perception of the world.
As part of his revenge Raymond beats up his girlfriend, only to be followed by her Arab brother. At this time Raymond thinks Meursault to be his good friend and takes him to his friend Masson's beach house, where the two major violent acts that lead to Meursault's ultimate metamorphosis takes place.
The main character Meursault is literally a stranger, a stranger to the reader. He is a stranger in many ways. Meursault does not act as we would say a normal person would. Being as he did not shed a tear at his own mothers funeral. Meursault also shot and killed an Arab at the beach and showed no regrets. Throughout the novel Meursault kept himself isolated himself mentally,
In the novel, we are given a more complete view of Meursault. The story is told from his point-of-view, which allows us to understand the situation as Meursault perceives it. Looking at the situation in this light, we can see Meursault as not evil, but simply indifferent and detached from life. He doesn’t attempt to get wrapped up in emotion or relationships, he just takes things as they come, doing whatever is easiest for him. He becomes friends with Raymond and agrees to marry Marie simply because he doesn’t have a very good reason not to. Seeing the story from Meursault’s viewpoint, we understand that even killing the Arab wasn’t an act of malice or evil intent. As Meursault puts it, “My nature is such that my physical needs often get in the way of my feelings.” With this in context, things begin to make more sense. Meursault’s seemingly cryptic statement that he murdered the Arab “because of the sun” can be taken as truth. Meursault does things that society judges as wrong not because he is evil or wants to appear immoral, but because the sun and heat, symbols for Meursault’s emotional state, cause him to become uncomfortable and act “inappropriately.
Meursault in the book tries to overcome his emotional indifference within himself. One example shows Meursault emotional indifference against Marie. In this quote, “A minute later she asked me if I loved her”. I told her it didn’t mean anything but that I didn’t think so.” The quote explains how Meursault doesn’t really think about the consequences of other people’s emotions.
Since he cares little for the affairs of the world, claiming they do not mean anything, then justice—a major concern of the world—also means nothing to him. His actions both before and after his decision to kill a man without provocation demonstrate his apathetic view of the world, and his indifference to justice. Therefore Meursault’s search for justice, culminated by the court’s decision to execute him, remains an example to all of the inability of society to instill justice in criminals. Meursault’s perpetual refusal to acquire a sense of morality and emotion instigates skepticism in all who learn of his story of society’s true ability to instill justice in the
“Next came Raymond, who was the last witness. He waved to me and all of the sudden blurted out that I was innocent” (95). This scene is ironic because prior this trial, Raymond doesn’t express any sense of loyalty. But in this scene, Raymond shows loyalty towards Meursault. He says that the Arabs hated him and Meursault was there by chance. This scene is important because it shows how everything that occurred was indirectly caused by Raymond and Meursault’s friendship under the pretense of “chance.”
When Meursault returns home he decides to take another day off and relax at the beach. On his way out he sees an old man beating his dog and cussing at it ruthlessly. Normally most people would be bothered by the fact of a man beating a small dog, but Muersault watches as if nothing bad were happening. When Meursault is at the beach he meets a girl, named Marie, which he finds very attractive. Meursault and Marie become very close. As the story progresses they begin taking part in sexual activities. Marie tells Muersault that she loves him and asks if he loves her back.
Meursault (the narrator) in The Stranger only sees and only wants to see the absolute truth in society. The readers first encounter with him...
During the first half of the novel, we see many examples of Meursault’s freedom and how he exercises it. He does what he wants, when he wants to with no regard to how he affects the people around him. Meursault lives his life with no restrictions. He is his own boss. Relaxed and free.
In Albert Camus’ novel, The Stranger, the protagonist Meursault is a character who has definite values and opinions concerning the society in which he lives. His self-inflicted alienation from society and all its habits and customs is clear throughout the book. The novel itself is an exercise in absurdity that challenges the reader to face the nagging questions concerning the meaning of human existence. Meursault is an existentialist character who views his life in an unemotional and noncommittal manner, which enhances his obvious opinion that in the end life is utterly meaningless.
With the status of the person starting the conversation as a soldier, who are generally respected for their service, Meursault does not have any gratitude or positive genuine feelings towards this. In similar fashion Meursault portrays his attitude again at his encounter with the Arab. At the climax point in the novel Meursault is confronted by an Arab and Meursault decides to shoot him for no reason except for this sensation of heat that he endured. In this moment Meursault described it as, “But the whole beach throbbing in the sun, was pressing on my back… the sun was starting to burn my cheeks… the sun was the sum as it had be the day I’d buried my Maman, and like then, my forehead was especially hurting me” (Camus 59). Shortly after this is when Meursault decided to take the life of the Arab, “…I squeezed my hand around the revolver.
Raymond, Meursault’s new best friend shares his story about his cheating ex girlfriend. Both of them come up with a plan to get the ex to pay for what she has done in an effective way. Meursault in his apartment building with his girlfriend. The two come to a point where love is not what the relationship is about. After, Raymond gets in an altercation with his ex and beats her.
Allyson Laws Professor William Braun Introduction to literature 24 May 2016 Life and Death In Albert Camus’, The Stranger, the reader is taken on a journey through a portion of the main character, Meursault’s, life. Throughout the major events in the story, the reader learns a lot about the personality of our main character. The reader knows him as Meursault, a young man living in Algiers, France. Meursault goes day to day living his monotonous life with zero emotion.
Meursault is distant from set plans, ambitions, desires, love, and emotions in general. He has a difficult time with emotions such as regret and compassion. The reader sees the nature of his personality in the first few lines of the novel: "Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don't know." When he hears of the death of his mother through a telegram, he is unattached, and can be considered uncaring.