Books The Stranger by Albert Camus (Author)

The Stranger by Albert Camus is a philosophical novel centered on Meursault, a detached and indifferent man living in Algiers. The story begins with his reaction to his mother’s death, which he processes with emotional detachment, emphasizing themes of absurdity and existential indifference.

The plot unfolds as follows:

Meursault attends his mother’s funeral with little emotion, observing the event superficially and focusing on sensory details like the heat and the sun.

His life continues with casual relationships, notably with Marie, whom he casually dates, and dubious interactions with friends like Raymond.

The key event occurs on a beach: overwhelmed by the sun’s glare and heat, Meursault kills an Arab man with a single shot, an act he describes as stemming from physical discomfort, not hatred or revenge.

He is arrested, and the story shifts to his trial, which focuses almost entirely on his apparent apathy, especially his lack of grief at his mother’s funeral. The court judges his character rather than the murder itself.

Ultimately, Meursault is sentenced to death. In his final moments, he confronts the absurdity of life and accepts its randomness, rejecting societal and religious notions of morality.