THEMES

1. VERDICT OF DEATH
The conflict between the desire to live and the fact of death is a dominant theme in The Stranger.
Most people, Camus is saying, accept the day-today events that make up existence without
asking themselves: hy am ! doing this" The only answer, he says, is that nothing we do has
any long-lasting meaning. e die, the universe goes on. #othing fundamental has changed.
$ater in his life Camus changed his thinking to add that within this framework, our actions can
still be important because we can affect the lives of other persons. We must behave as if life
has meaning.
% ma&or component of Camus' absurdist philosophy is the idea that human life has n
!e"eeming meaning ! #u!#se. Camus argues that the only certain thing in life is the
inevitability of death, and, be$ause all humans %ill eventuall& meet "eath' all lives a!e all
e(uall& meaningless. Meursault gradually moves toward this reali(ation throughout the novel,
but he does not fully grasp it until after his argument with the chaplain in the final chapter.
Meursault reali(es that, &ust as he is indifferent to much of the universe, so is the universe
indifferent to him. $ike all people, Meursault has been born, will die, and will have no further
importance.

)aradoxically, nl& afte! Meu!sault !ea$hes this seemingl& "ismal !eali)atin is he able t
attain ha##iness. When he full& $mes t te!ms %ith the inevitabilit& f "eath' he
un"e!stan"s that it "es nt matte! %hethe! he "ies b& e*e$utin ! lives t "ie a natu!al
"eath at an l" age. This understanding enables Meursault to put aside his fantasies of escaping
execution by filing a successful legal appeal. *e reali(es that these illusory hopes, which had
previously preoccupied his mind, would do little more than create in him a false sense that death
is avoidable. Meursault sees that his hope for sustained life has been a burden. His libe!atin
f!m this false h#e means he is f!ee t live life f! %hat it is' an" t ma+e the mst f his
!emaining "a&s.
,. -E.I/. I.DIFFERE.CE OF THE 0.IVERSE
+ur lives are brief compared to the permanence of the universe. !mages of sun, water, earth, and
sky give pleasure to fleeting moments of our lives. ,ut they can turn dangerous and destructive.
The natu!al f!$es " nt have em#ath& f! us ! $a!e. The& a!e neithe! g" n! evil1 the&
a!e sim#l& the!e' an" the& g n being the!e lng afte! %e a!e gne. To accept this
philosophy is to live in a world without -od. Meursault can accept this and lives with the
sensations, both pleasurable and painful, of sun and wind, of caresses, of smells and sights. .et
his incapacity to look beyond the sensation of the moment leads him into a pattern of action that
changes his relationship to all these sensations, and in prison he is deprived of all that has made
his life en&oyable.
!n his essays, Camus asserts that individual lives and human e*isten$e in gene!al have n
!atinal meaning ! !"e!. *owever, because people have difficulty accepting this notion, they
constantly attempt to identify or create rational structure and meaning in their lives. The te!m
2absu!"it&3 "es$!ibes humanit&4s futile attem#t t fin" !atinal !"e! %he!e nne e*ists.

Though Camus does not explicitly refer to the notion of absurdity in The Stranger, the tenets of
absurdity operate within the novel. .eithe! the e*te!nal %!l" in %hi$h Meu!sault lives n!
the inte!nal %!l" f his thughts an" attitu"es #ssesses an& !atinal !"e!. Meursault has
n "is$e!nable !easn f! his a$tins, such as his decision to marry Marie and his decision to
kill the %rab.

/ociety nonetheless attempts to fabricate or impose rational explanations for Meursault's
irrational actions. The i"ea that things smetimes ha##en f! n !easn' an" that events
smetimes have n meaning is "is!u#tive an" th!eatening t s$iet&. The t!ial se(uen$e in
5a!t T% f the nvel !e#!esents s$iet&4s attem#t t manufa$tu!e !atinal !"e!. The
prosecutor and Meursault's lawyer both offer explanations for Meursault's crime that are based
on logic, reason, and the concept of cause and effect. .et these explanations have no basis in fact
and serve only as attempts to defuse the frightening idea that the universe is irrational. The
enti!e t!ial is the!ef!e an e*am#le f absu!"it&6an instan$e f human+in"4s futile attem#t
t im#se !atinalit& n an i!!atinal unive!se.
7. IRRE8EVA.CE OF SOCIA8' RE8I/IO0S' OR 5HI8OSO5HICA8 VA80ES
a. Ritual. Meursault is viewed as an outcast because he doesn't weep at his mother's funeral or
feel guilty because he put her into a nursing home. S$iet& has "evel#e" #atte!ns f behavi!
f! given mments in u! lives' %hethe! ! nt %e have the !e(uisite feelings. Meursault
could have lied about his feelings at any time and made his ordeal easier.
b. Religin. /ociety also tu!ns against Meu!sault be$ause he "esn4t believe in /" or the
possibility of an afterlife. This attitude leaves him open to the charge that he has no basis to
deter him from wrong action0 it also leaves him without conventional hope.
$. 8ve. Meursault says that he was 1fond1 of his mother. *e loved her the way people love
their mothers. *e says to Marie that he does not really love her but will marry her if she wants.
$ove isn't important to him. 8ve' Camus is sa&ing' an" its institutinali)e" s&mbl'
ma!!iage' has been $!eate" b& s$iet& an" have nthing t " %ith h% #e#le !eall& feel.
/ome readers argue that Meursault is incapable of loving anyone, while others claim that Camus
is attempting to define love as the physical pleasure one experiences with another person.
o #ote /alamano's love for his dog
o 2aymond's love for his girlfriend
%re these relationships involved with negative as well as positive feelings" /ome readers feel
that Meursault refuses to accept the possibility of feeling love because he recogni(es the pain
involved in such a relationship. 32aymond's relationship with his girlfriend and /alamano's with
his dog seemed to involve more pain than pleasure.4 Camus #ses the (uestin %hethe! ! nt
a !elatinshi# that invlves #ain as %ell as #leasu!e is %!th the t!uble. 5o you feel that
this is an accurate interpretation of love"
". 9usti$e. 5uring the trial scene in )art Two, everyone participates in some sort of game, except
Meursault. He is :ust a s#e$tat! at his t!ial. e first meet the idea of &ustice in )art +ne, as
2aymond seeks revenge on his girlfriend for being unfaithful to him. %nd again, when the %rabs
attack 2aymond, it is to punish him for beating her up. ,ut during the trial, n ne ma+es an&
!eal eff!t t "is$ve! %h& Meu!sault has a$te" the %a& he "i". As+ &u!self %hethe!
Meu!sault %ul" have been fun" guilt& f +illing the A!ab if he4" $!ie" at his mthe!4s
fune!al. !n his summing up, the prosecutor says that he doesn't blame Meursault, because he has
no soul. ,ut as a pathological killer, he's a danger to society and must be removed. The fact is
that Meursault has killed a man with apparent ease and without remorse. !s the prosecutor right"
!s Meursault a dangerous man and is &ustice served in this trial"
;. COMMITME.T
Meursault is characteri(ed as a person who has no commitment to anyone or to anything except
his own small pleasures and the necessities of the moment. *e drifts without thought into minor
activities - his affair with Marie, his friendship with 2aymond, his comforting of /alamano. He
fin"s it easie! t sa& &es than n. <et' %hen #ushe"' he %ill nt lie abut his mtives' even
thugh t sa& %hat is e*#e$te" f him %ul" $lea!l& ma+e #e#le m!e s&m#atheti$ t his
!"eal. %s you read, keep in mind these 6uestions: hat is the purpose of acting when you
know you will die" %re you responsible for anyone's actions other than your own" *ow
committed are you to your own ideals and to what extent would you defend your feelings and
beliefs"
=. THE IM5ORTA.CE f the 5H<SICA8 WOR8D

The Stranger shows Meursault to be interested far more in the physical aspects of the world
around him than in its social or emotional aspects. This f$us n the sensate %!l" !esults f!m
the nvel4s asse!tin that the!e e*ists n highe! meaning ! !"e! t human life. Throughout
The Stranger, Meursault's attention centers on his own body, on his physical relationship with
Marie, on the weather, and on other physical elements of his surroundings. 7or example, the heat
during the funeral procession causes Meursault far more pain than the thought of burying his
mother. The sun on the beach torments Meursault, and during his trial Meursault even identifies
his suffering under the sun as the reason he killed the %rab. The st&le f Meu!sault4s na!!atin
als !efle$ts his inte!est in the #h&si$al. Though he offers terse, plain descriptions when
glossing over emotional or social situations, his descriptions become vivid and ornate when he
discusses topics such as nature and the weather.

MOTIFS
De$a& an" Death

The different characters in The Stranger hold widely varying attitudes toward decay and death.
/alamano loves his decaying, scab-covered dog and he values its companionship, even though
most people find it disgusting. Meursault does not show much emotion in response to his
mother's death, but the society in which he lives believes that he should be distraught with grief.
%dditionally, whereas Meursault is content to believe that physical death represents the complete
and final end of life, the chaplain holds fast to the idea of an afterlife.

%n essential part of Meursault's character development in the novel is his coming to terms with
his own attitudes about death. %t the end of the novel, he has finally embraced the idea that death
is the one inevitable fact of human life, and is able to accept the reality of his impending
execution without despair.

Wat$hing an" Obse!vatin

Throughout the novel there are instances of characters watching Meursault, or of his watching
them. This motif recalls several components of Camus' absurdist philosophy. The $nstant
%at$hing in The Stranger suggests humanit&4s en"less sea!$h f! #u!#se' an" em#hasi)es
the im#!tan$e f the tangible' visible "etails f the #h&si$al %!l" in a unive!se %he!e
the!e is n g!an"e! meaning.

When Meu!sault %at$hes #e#le n the st!eet f!m his bal$n&' he "es s #assivel&'
abs!bing "etails but nt :u"ging %hat he sees. -& $nt!ast' the #e#le in the $u!t!m
%at$h Meu!sault as #a!t f the #!$ess f :u"gment an" $n"emnatin. !n the courtroom,
we learn that many of Meursault's previous actions were being watched without his8or our8
knowledge. The %rabs watch 2aymond and his friends with implicit antagonism as they walk to
the bus. 2aymond's neighbors act as spectators to his dispute with his mistress and the police
officer, watching with concern or petty curiosity. %t times, watching is a mysterious activity,
such as when Meursault watches the woman at Celeste's, and later when she watches him in
court. The nvel4s mments f %at$hing an" bse!vatin !efle$t humanit&4s en"less sea!$h
f! meaning' %hi$h Camus fun" absu!".

S<M-O8S

The Cu!t!m

!n the courtroom drama that comprises the second half of The Stranger, the $u!t s&mbli)es
s$iet& as a %hle. The law functions as the will of the people, and the &ury sits in &udgment on
behalf of the entire community. !n The Stranger, Camus strengthens this court-as-society
symbolism by having nearly every one of the minor characters from the first half of the novel
reappear as a witness in the courtroom. %lso, the $u!t4s attem#ts t $nst!u$t a lgi$al
e*#lanatin f! Meu!sault4s $!ime s&mbli)e humanit&4s attem#ts t fin" !atinal
e*#lanatins f! the i!!atinal events f the unive!se. These attempts, which Camus believed
futile, exemplify the absurdity Camus outlined in his philosophy.

The C!u$ifi*

The $!u$ifi* that the e*amining magist!ate %aves at Meu!sault s&mbli)es Ch!istianit&,
which stands in opposition to Camus' absurdist world view. hereas absurdism is based on the
idea that human life is irrational and purposeless, Christianity conceives of a rational order for
the universe based on -od's creation and direction of the world, and it invests human life with
higher metaphysical meaning.

The crucifix also symboli(es rational belief structures in general. The chaplain's insistence that
Meursault turn to -od does not necessarily represent a desire that Meursault accept specifically
Christian beliefs so much as a desire that he embrace the principle of a meaningful universe in
general. When Meu!sault "efies the magist!ate b& !e:e$ting Ch!istianit&' he im#li$itl&
!e:e$ts all s&stems that see+ t "efine a !atinal !"e! %ithin human e*isten$e. This
"efian$e $auses Meu!sault t be b!an"e" a th!eat t s$ial !"e!.
5!isn
- the cage in which man exists
- numerous times the note is sounded 3notably by the chaplain4 that all men are under the
sentence of death
- what Meursault does in prison is of the greatest significance: he accepts it
- one day of life is enough to supply material to negate 9:: years of boredom
3read ;Tale of a )olitical )risoner< ). =>4
- others prisoners fall into ennui or suicidal boredom,
- thus they live in the prison of existence
The Sea
- signifies freedom ? the source of life
- swimming in the sea gives Meursault moments of great &oy
- in the sea he could immerse himself totally. be one with the primal mother, ? be carried
by the fundamental rhythms of existence
The Sun
- a more complex symbol
- Meursault also loves the sun ? its presence floods the novel
- however, the sun is also lethal
- at the moment of his crime he feels ;the cymbals of the sunlight crashing on my
forehead< 3@A4
- sun is personified as a violent character0 perhaps responsible for the crime
- ambiguous interpretation of the sun as giver ? destroyer of life
Themes f the Absu!" in The Stranger

The Myth of Sisyphus $an be !ea" as an attem#t t $la!if& an" t ma+e e*#li$it the
%!l"vie% e*#!esse" in The Stranger, an" The Stranger $an be !ea" as an e*am#le f the
absu!" he! an" the absu!" fi$tin "es$!ibe" in The Myth of Sisyphus.

Mst f the #hils#hi$al $ntent f The Stranger $mes nea! the en", where Meursault sits
in his cell awaiting his execution, and #a!ti$ula!l& in a heate" e*$hange bet%een Meu!sault
an" the #!isn $ha#lain who tries to convert him to Christianity. Meursault re&ects the
chaplain's entreaties, telling him that he has no interest in -od or anything otherworldly. *e
wants to live with the certainties of this life, even if his only certainty is the death that awaits
him.

Meursault is an absurd hero both on a figurative and on a literal level. +n a figurative level,
Meu!sault' $n"emne" t "eath an" a%aiting e*e$utin' is a meta#h! f! the human
$n"itin. +n a literal level, Meu!sault #e!fe$tl& e*em#lifies the absu!" $ha!a$te!isti$s f
!evlt' f!ee"m' an" #assin outlined by Camus in The Myth of Sisyphus. Meursault refuses to
accord himself with custom, and asserts his freedom by doing what strikes him as appropriate at
any given moment. This includes:
o smoking and showing indifference at the vigil for his dead mother
o going to the beach and sleeping with a woman the day after his mother's funeral
o forging a letter for his friend 2aymond, who is a thug and a pimp.
This exercise of f!ee"m also represents a revolt against any attempt to place restrictions on his
life. *is #assin is evident in his enthusiastic pursuit of new pleasures and new experiences: he
loves being alive.

Meursault also maintains the kind of i!ni$ "eta$hment %e %ul" e*#e$t f!m an absu!"
he!. *e #!efe!s bse!ving events to getting directly involved0 one memorable chapter
describes Meursault spending an entire day sitting on his balcony watching passers-by in the
street. Bven when he is directly involved in events, he is unable to get too caught up in them.
hen his lover, Marie, asks him to marry her, he tells her that he doesn't love her but that it
makes no difference to him if they get married or not. Even %hen he +ills the A!ab' the!e is a
sense that he is nt !eall& the!e' nt !eall& "ing %hat he is "ing. It seems almst as if he is
bse!ving himself shting the A!ab !athe! than a$tuall& "ing the shting.

In his final utbu!st t the $ha#lain in #!isn' Meu!sault sums u# a g!eat "eal f his absu!"
%!l"vie%' f!$efull& asse!ting that nthing !eall& matte!s' that %e all live an" %e all "ie'
an" %hat %e " bef!e %e "ie is ultimatel& i!!elevant. %fter the chaplain leaves, Meursault
en&oys a final, revelatory moment: 1And I felt ready to live it all again too. 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 lie myself!
so lie a brother, really!I felt that I had been happy and that I was happy again." 7ree from
hope, Meursault recogni(es himself in a universe without meaning and without hope. %t the end
of the novel, he comes to a full a$$e#tan$e f his absu!" #sitin in the unive!se an" $annt
but $n$lu"e that he is ha##&.
Cnne$tin bet%een Sis&#hus > Meu!sault
If ha##iness is !eal' %e must be able t fin" ha##iness %ithut !el&ing n h#e' faith' !
an&thing else that ges be&n" imme"iate e*#e!ien$e. The Myth of Sisyphus is essentiall& an
elab!ate attem#t t sh% that this is #ssible' an" it $n$lu"es %ith its sta!ting #!emise? if
genuine ha##iness is #ssible' then Sis&#hus must be ha##&.

#ot only does Meursault exemplify many of the characteristics of an absurd hero. !n writing The
Stranger, moreover, Camus attempts to exemplify what he defines in The Myth of Sisyphus as the
characteristics of the absurd artist. !n The Stranger, Camus describes 3and does not explain4
ordinary events without getting too caught up in their philosophical implications and without
trying to point to any universal themes. The first part of the novel, in particular, delights in
describing the many humdrum events and 6uirky characters that fill Meursault's everyday life.
e meet /alamano and his dog, caught in a moving love-hate relationship, and learn about the
&oys of sunbathing at the beach. !n all of these descriptions, we find a fascination and exuberant
&oy at the myriad possible life experiences. An& unive!sal themes %e "!a% f!m the nvel "
nt a!ise f!m e*$essive se!mni)ing ! ve!@heav& s&mblism' but f!m a $hesive an"
$he!ent %!l"vie% that is engaging an" a!!esting.
THE STRA./ER A FI.A8 THO0/HTS
,asic to all thematic elements in The Stranger are Camus' hard-won existential philosophies. !n
all existential thinking, the underlying assumption is that there is no divine purpose for the
universe or for human life. Man, though he shares a common existence with the lower creatures,
is uni6ue because of his consciousness, his ability to think and reason. *e alone can seek and
create explanations for his own mortality. %wareness of mortality, of purposeless death, is
termed The %bsurd.
Most humans function automatically, blind to the absurdity of their condition. /ome, however,
experience an awakening to absurdity, a sudden reali(ation that life is meaningless. %ccording to
Camus, this awakening is followed by either suicide or recovery. ,oth actions imply decision.
2ecovery necessitates an acceptance of absurdity and a fundamental recognition of death's
inevitability. +nce a man faces his own imminent death, he reali(es death is shared by all0 it is
the one sure human truth. !ronically, the universality of death provides a purpose for living -
love and compassion for one's fellow sufferers. Man's moral code takes life from these feelings.
The Stranger is the story of Meursault's awakening and recovery. Barly in the novel, he is
unmoved by his mother's death because death itself holds no meaning for him. %fter murdering
the %rab, Meursault progresses by degrees to a full recognition of his own purposelessness and
impending death. 5uring the long months of imprisonment, he slowly reali(es that his former
life was not empty. *e misses the freedom to make love to a woman, smoke cigarettes at will, or
go for a swim. These small &oys, once meaningless, take on new importance when denied.
Meursault begins searching for the purpose of his existence but ends by creating one. 7inding
the loophole in his sentence becomes his raison d'etre.
!n spite of his rationali(ations to the magistrate, Meursault does not finally re&ect -od and
eternity until the priest visits his cell. !n a single, violent moment of catharsis, he accepts life's
absurdity and embraces his own death as a bond tying him to humanity. Meursault awaits his
execution, emptied of hope, yet calm and happy because he is no longer a stranger to himself.