The Stranger

A detailed Summary of The Stranger


In The Stranger by Albert Camus, Camus uses his main character Meursault to portray the philosophy of existentialism. He uses the chaplain as a foil to Meursault to represent someone who is not living the way he should. Camus starts by showing Meursault as amoral and "psychologically detached" and at the end shows him coming to a "moral reconciliation" about his life and his deeds. Because of this transformation a happy ending is given to the story even though Meursault is to be sentenced to death.

In the beginning of the book, Meursault is simply living; he is unattached from the world around him and lives amorally. When his mother passes away, Camus uses this to display Meursault as unattached he thinks, "Mother died today. Or, maybe yesterday; I can't be sure." The reader starts to question if he really cares or not. A moral change in Meursault is apparent at the end of the book as he waits to be executed. Meursault thinks,

"For all to be accomplished, for me to feel less lonely, all that remained to hope was that on the day of my execution there should be a huge crowd of spectators and that they should greet me with howls of execration." He wants others to learn from his mistake and to live their lives to the fullest beca


As Meursault sits through his trial he realizes his moral sin and his detachment from the world. The "moral reconciliation" begins to unfold as Meursault sits in the courtroom listening to the dialogue between the prosecutor and his lawyer, and for the first time he understands that he is guilty. Camus uses this to display a change in Meursault as he becomes aware and reconciles himself to living his life existentially. He now realizes that he has despair. He cannot conquer the world around him but only himself. He is forlorn and knows that there is no one else to rely on, for there is no God. It becomes apparent that Meursault is existential as he lays in his cell relaxing after a visit from the chaplain. "The marvelous peace of the sleepbound summer night flooded through me like a tide," Meursault thinks. The reader sees Meursault noticing the small things he normally wouldn't and starting to appreciate them. Meursault's reconciliation brings about the happy ending Camus intended, for Meursault knows that society can learn from his mistake and can be enlightened to bring around it's own reconciliation.

Camus' overall intent was to help the reader come to there own "moral reconciliation" and live existential

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 820
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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