The Stranger

A detailed Summary of The Stranger

Meursault is a man who will not lie to himself. In Albert Camus' The Stranger, his actions and reactions display him as an immoral man, expressing apathy towards society's formulas for convention. He will not feign emotion, nor use religion as a vehicle to give his life meaning. Meursault has a passion for the truth, which opens the revelation for all humanity: life is absurd; it is man's mortal responsibility to be committed to himself, for death is definitive.

At his trial for murdering an Arab, Meursault's inability to relate to the conventions of society puts him at a disadvantage. When discovering that the court will appoint a lawyer for him, Meursault thinks that it is "very convenient that the court should take care of those details" (63). He does not see the necessity in finding, consulting, and paying an attorney to defend him in court. Meursault knows that he has killed an Arab and having a defense seems needless. Confronted with the court's legal mechanics, Meursault is a stranger to the judicial world, thus disabling him.

Meursault is also a stranger to social custom. His "pal" Raymond invites Meursault to his apartment to have blood sausage and wine, then proceeds to tell Meursault

Another element that portrays Meursault to be an immoral person is his lack of emotion concerning the death of his mother, Maman. Meursault disobeys the general rules of etiquette by refusing to see his mother's cadaver, and falling asleep and accepting coffee and cigarettes at the vigil. In addition, he does not observe a period of mourning. The day following the funeral, Meursault goes swimming, sees a comedy film with a girl, then proceeds to take her home and make love to her. These blatant disregards to the unwritten rules of society are what truly condemns him at the trial; society fears indifference and condemns Meursault in order to reserve their feelings of comfort maintained by communal order and religion.

Marie visits Meursault in prison, and before she leaves she shouts to him that he "had to have hope" (75). Meursault says, "Yes," but as he looks at her all he can think about is wanting to squeeze her shoulders through her dress and feel the material. He doesn't know what else he has to hope for other than that thought, that impulse in the moment. Meursault's pleasure in the little things correlate to his acceptance of death. He does not look forward to a life after death and faces the fact that he must die -- like every other man - leaving no need for hope. Meursault has a passion for the truth: the truth of feeling and being. At the end of the novel, the chaplain comes to see Meursault about cleansing his soul of sin in preparation for death. Meursault explains to the priest that he has only a little time left and doesn't want to waste it on God. The chaplain retaliates by professing he will pray for Meursault because Meursault's heart is blind. Meursault yells at him to not waste his prayers; the chaplain "seemed so certain about everything, didn

Some common words found in the essay are:
Specifically Sundays, Maman Meursault, Meursault Meursault's, Arab Meursault's, Meursault Yes, Meursault Meursault, Heaven Meursault, Camus' Stranger, Meursault Arab, Camus Meursault, life meursault, meursault passion, passion truth, meursault stranger, arab girlfriend, meursault passion truth, lives life,

Approximate Word count = 1218
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English