The Stranger

Albert Camus' existential novel The Stranger ends with the protagonist Meursault being found guilty of premeditated murder and sentenced to death. In part, Camus honors the discovery Meursault makes about himself and his absurd place in the universe, in the face of this death sentence for a crime which was far from premeditated. In fact, Meursault does not remember much about the act of murder itself, and certainly has no idea why he did it. Aside from the philosophical considerations, the book shows how the justice system which condemns Meursault is not just at all. In fact, Meursault is given little or no legal defense from his blatantly incompetent lawyer. Camus demonstrates the injustices of the legal system (and, perhaps, of life itself, or at least, of society as a whole?), through the use of irony and character.

The Stranger is about the isolation of the individual from the community and from human relationships. Meursault has lived his life in ignorance and bewilderment, a state which leads him to commit an apparently meaningless murder, a murder with little motivation and no obvious purpose. What Meursault finally learns and accepts is that he is responsible for his actions and that he is prepared for the execution which awaits him. However, this acceptance and the conclusion of the condemned man can hardly be taken as a declaration that human community and meaningful relationship are likely in such an existentialist world:

For everything to be consummated, for me

Related Essays

The Stranger In Albert Camus' The Stranger we are presented with a novel that depicts the helplessness of the individual and the absurdity of human life. .... (1018 4 )

Existentialism in The Stranger .... Fewer descriptions could better describe Mersault, the main character in Albert Camus' "The Stranger." This analysis will use Mersault's attitudes, feelings .... (1033 4 )

The Stranger In his novel The Stranger, Albert Camus examines the absurd nature of human existence. The novel's protagonist Meursault is Camus .... (1617 6 )

The Stranger .... This condition is precisely what defines Meursault as a stranger. .... Tuscaloosa: Portals, 1976. Camus, Albert. The Stranger. Trans. Stuart Gilbert. .... (1709 7 )

Stranger With A Camera .... from letting a murderer go virtually free. Barret, E., (Director). Stranger with a Camera, (Documentary Film). USA, 2000, 62 mins. (971 4 )

Category: Literature - T