The Stranger (novel)

The Stranger, also translated as The Outsider, (the original French version is called L'Étranger) (1942) is a novel by Albert Camus.It is the highest selling book in France.

The Background and Philosophy

Albert Camus, like Meursault, was a pied-noir (literally black foot) - a French colonialist who lived in the Maghreb, the northernmost crescent of the Mediterranean Sea, the heart of France's colonies.

Related Topics:
Albert Camus - Pied-noir - Colonialist - Maghreb - Mediterranean Sea

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Early Christian missionaries accused dark-skinned people of having no morals because they cannot blush, so they are 'unabashed sinners'. Meursault's unwillingness or inability to cry at his mother's funeral could have been interpreted as the societal prejudice of the 'immorality' of people of color.

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Usually classed as an existential novel, The Stranger is indeed based on Camus' theory of the absurd. Many readers mistakingly believe that Meursault lives by the ideas of the existentialists. In the first half of the novel, however, Meursault is clearly an unreflecting, unapologetic individual. He is moved only by sensory experiences (recall the funeral procession, swimming at the beach, sexual intercourse with Marie etc). Camus is reinforcing his basic thesis that there is no Truth, only (relative) truths -- and, in particular, truths in science (empiricism/rationality) and religion are ultimately meaningless. Of course, Meursault himself isn't directly aware of any of this -- his awareness of the absurd is subconscious at best; it 'colors' his actions. But Camus' basic point remains: the only *real* things are those that we experience physically. Thus, Meursault kills the Arab because of his response to the glaring sun, which beats down upon him as he moves toward his 'adversary' on the beach. The death of the Arab isn't particularly meaningful in itself: it's merely something else that 'happens' to Meursault. The significance of this episode is that it forces Meursault to reflect upon his life (and its meaning) as he contemplates his pending execution. Only by being tried and sentenced to death is Meursault forced to acknowledge his own mortality and the responsibility he has for his own life.

Related Topics:
Existential - Absurd

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Another theme is that we make our own destiny, and we, not God, are responsible for our actions and their consequences (non-determinism).

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Truth is another theme in the book. Meursault, despite being judged by many of his contemporaries as immoral or amoral, believes passionately in truth and justice, and is always candid and never displays emotions he does not feel nor participates in social conventions he finds dishonest - although it is considered the socially acceptable response, Meursault does not exhibit grief at his mother's funeral. This belief takes on a naive dimension when he goes through the trial process - he questions the need for a lawyer, as the truth should speak for itself. Much of the second half of the book involves this theme of the imperfection of justice. It is Meursault's belief in truth that proves his undoing - a public official compiling the details of the case tells Meursault he will be saved if he repents and turns to Christianity, but Meursault is truthful to his atheism and refuses to pretend to find religion. More generally, Meursault's love of truth overrides his self-preservation instinct - he feels that he must be punished for his actions, and refuses to try to evade justice.

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In writing the novel Camus was influenced by other existentialists such as Jean-Paul Sartre and Martin Heidegger. Camus and Sartre in particular had been involved in the French resistance during WWII and were friends until ultimately differing on their philosophical stances.

Related Topics:
Jean-Paul Sartre - Martin Heidegger

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Ultimately, Camus presents the world as essentially meaningless and therefore, the only way to arrive at any meaning or purpose is to make it oneself. Thus it is the individual and not the act that gives meaning to any given context. Camus deals with this issue, as well as man's relationship to man and issues such as suicide in his other works such as A Happy Death and The Plague, as well as his non-fiction works such as The Rebel and The Myth of Sisyphus.

Related Topics:
A Happy Death - The Plague - The Rebel - The Myth of Sisyphus

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