The Stranger By Albert Camus

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The Stranger is a 1942 novel by French author Albert Camus. Its plot and theme reflect Camus’s ideas on existentialism through the main character’s course of action. The novel is set in Algeria of 1942 under French rule. The Stranger set off with one of the greatest opening line in modern literature : “Mother died today. Or maybe, yesterday; I can’t be sure.” Almost instantly, the author catches the readers’ attention. Meursault, our main character who is working in a shipping company receives the news that his mother passed away at the nursing home. He went to his boss to ask for a day off. Then, he took a bus to Marengo, where she lived to attend her funeral. When he arrived, the coffin was already closed. Despite the offer to open the coffin …show more content…

He express his indifference for the subject, but adds that they could if she wants to. They become engaged. The following Sunday, Meursault, Marie, Raymond go to a bungalow owned by Masson, who is one of Raymond’s fellow. They dip themselves in the water to cool off since the sun is unbearable. Later that afternoon, the four of them run into two Arabs, in which one of them is Raymond’s mistress’ brother. They got into a fight, and Raymond got slashed in the eye. Raymond goes back to the house to care for his wound, then he and Meursault return to the beach. Only this time, Raymond carry a gun with him. They find the Arabs, and Raymond considers pulling the trigger. However, Meursault takes his gun away. After a while, Meursault returns to the coast by himself, walking under to burning sun and on the boiling sand. He meets Raymond’s mistress’ brother, the sunlight reflect on the Arab’s knife and blinds Meursault’s eyes. In a split second, for no apparent reason, Meursault fires at the Arab, and only four times more. Meursault is arrested. His lawyer is put off by his nonchalance for his crime, lack of grief for his mother’s dead and for his behavior at the funeral. Following his lawyer, Meursault meets with a magistrate who eventually refers Meursault as an “Antichrist” due to him insisting on the fact that there is no God despite the magistrate’s great effort in converting …show more content…

He is struggling with accepting the end of his fate. He hopes that his legal appeal would be accepted so he would be free. The court sent a chaplain as the last effort to convert Meursault’s atheism. Once again, just like the magistrate, the chaplain has to surrender to Meursault's “harden soul”. The story reaches its climax when Meursault, who is so frustrated with his fate already, now has to endure the chaplain’s lengthy speech about God, decides that he would take it no more. He grab the chaplain, throw him to the wall and begin shouting at him about how there is no point in life and life holds zero meaning. This part is where Camus’s philosophy of existentialism highly reflected on Meursault’s life. After this event, Meursault finds peace in his mind since the world to him now holds no meaning at all. The story ends with Meursault express his wishes for there would be many spectators at his executions who greet him with nothing but

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