Name: Ehsan Ullah
Class: BS-ENGLISH LITERATURE
Roll NO: 47
Subject: World Literature
Date: 27-05-2025
Title: Analysis of The Stranger by Albert Camus
Assignment on The Stranger by Albert Camus
Introduction
Albert Camus’ The Stranger is a philosophical novel published in
1942 that remains one of the most influential works of existential
and absurdist literature. The story revolves around Meursault, a
French-Algerian man whose indifferent attitude toward life, death,
and societal norms challenges traditional morality. Through the
lens of Meursault’s seemingly emotionless actions and Camus'
distinct narrative style, the novel explores profound themes such as
the absurdity of life, alienation, and the search for meaning in an
indifferent universe.
Summary of the Plot
The novel opens with one of the most famous lines in modern
literature: “Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday, I don’t know.”
This line sets the tone for Meursault's detachment from
conventional emotions and social expectations. He attends his
mother’s funeral, but instead of grieving, he seems more concerned
about the heat and physical discomfort.
After the funeral, Meursault returns to his routine life in Algiers. He
strikes up a relationship with Marie, a former coworker, and
passively becomes involved in the affairs of his neighbor Raymond,
a shady character suspected of abusing his mistress. Meursault
helps Raymond by writing a letter to lure the mistress back and
later gets involved in a confrontation with her brother, an Arab man.
The climax of the novel occurs on a beach, where Meursault shoots
the Arab man five times after an earlier fight. The murder appears
to be unprovoked and irrational, with Meursault later explaining
that he pulled the trigger because the sun was in his eyes. He is
arrested and put on trial, but the court is more disturbed by his
emotionless behavior at his mother’s funeral than the actual crime.
In the second part of the novel, Meursault’s trial becomes a critique
of societal expectations. He is sentenced to death, not solely for the
murder, but because he fails to conform to traditional values of
remorse, emotion, and belief in God. The novel ends with Meursault
coming to terms with the absurdity of life and embracing the
certainty of death with calm acceptance.
Themes in the Novel
Absurdism
Camus was a leading voice in absurdist philosophy, which
holds that human beings naturally seek meaning in a universe
that offers none. The Stranger is a perfect expression of this
belief. Meursault does not find purpose in love, death, or
justice. His refusal to pretend otherwise, even in the face of
execution, reflects the core absurdist idea: one must accept
the absurd without resorting to illusions or false hope.
Alienation
Meursault is emotionally detached from the people around
him, which isolates him from society. He does not cry at his
mother's funeral, avoids declarations of love, and doesn’t
believe in God. His behavior, which goes against social norms,
ultimately leads to his condemnation. Camus shows that
society punishes those who don’t play by its emotional and
moral rules.
Indifference of the Universe
A recurring motif is the idea that the universe is indifferent to
human suffering and morality. The sun, heat, and physical
environment seem to influence events more than human will.
The murder of the Arab man, for example, is described as an
almost mechanical reaction to physical discomfort rather than
a conscious moral decision. This reinforces the idea that life is
governed more by chance and physical realities than by logic
or justice.
Death and Acceptance
By the end of the novel, Meursault fully accepts the
inevitability of death. He finds peace not through religion or
hope, but by accepting that life has no greater meaning and
that death is the final, natural conclusion. This acceptance
gives him a sense of freedom; which Camus describes as the
“gentle indifference of the world.”
Character Analysis
Meursault
Meursault is not a traditional protagonist. He is passive,
emotionally detached, and uninterested in societal conventions.
While this makes him appear cold and immoral, Camus uses
Meursault to critique the way society demands conformity.
Meursault is, in a way, more honest than those around him
because he does not pretend to feel what he does not. His clarity
and acceptance of life’s absurdity are what make him, in Camus’
view, a hero of the absurd.
Marie
Marie is Meursault’s girlfriend. She represents conventional life:
love, marriage, and emotional connection. However, Meursault is
indifferent to her affection and cannot say he loves her, though he
enjoys her company. Marie highlights the contrast between societal
expectations of love and Meursault’s indifference.
Raymond
Raymond is morally questionable and often violent, yet he fits better
into society than Meursault because he conforms outwardly to
social norms. His character shows how society judges people more
on appearances and behavior than on true morality.
The Magistrate and the Chaplain
These characters represent religion and moral authority. They try to
convince Meursault to believe in God and show remorse, but he
refuses. His rejection of their beliefs illustrates Camus’ idea that life
should be faced without illusions.
Philosophical Context
Albert Camus is often associated with existentialist writers like
Jean-Paul Sartre, but he rejected the label. Instead, he preferred
the term absurdist. Existentialism emphasizes personal freedom
and creating meaning in a meaningless world. Camus, however,
argued that life has no inherent meaning, and while people crave
purpose, the universe is silent.
In The Stranger, this philosophy is expressed through Meursault's
rejection of conventional morality and refusal to lie about his
feelings. By the end of the novel, he finds peace by embracing the
absurd and accepting death without appeal.
Camus elaborates on these ideas in his essay The Myth of
Sisyphus, where he compares life to the endless, pointless labor of
Sisyphus. Like Sisyphus, Meursault finds meaning not in success
or hope, but in honest acceptance of his fate.
Personal Reflection
Reading The Stranger was both challenging and eye-opening. At
first, I found Meursault's behavior frustrating his lack of emotion
made him seem inhuman. But as the novel progressed, I began to
understand Camus message. Meursault’s refusal to pretend or
follow social norms is not a flaw, but a kind of moral strength. He
lives honestly, even if that means being rejected by society.
The novel made me question how much of what we do is shaped by
what society expects. Do we cry because we feel sad, or because we
are supposed to? Do we seek meaning because it exists, or because
we fear living without it?
Camus does not offer easy answers, but he encourages readers to
confront these questions. In a world without clear purpose, we can
still live with dignity, honesty, and freedom. This message is
especially relevant today, when many people struggle with
questions of identity, purpose, and truth.
Conclusion
Albert Camus The Stranger remains a powerful exploration of
absurdism, alienation, and the human condition. Through
Meursault’s story, Camus challenges readers to think beyond
conventional morality and confront life as it truly is without
illusions. The novel’s brilliance lies in its simplicity, honesty, and
philosophical depth. It teaches us that even in a meaningless world,
we can find freedom and peace through acceptance and
authenticity.
