Title, Author & Publication
The Stranger is a novel by Albert Camus. It was first published in 1942 by the Librairie Gillimard of France. Currently it is published by Albert Knopf, Inc. of New York.Setting
The Stranger is set in the French colony of Algiers in the period immediately before World War II.Main Characters
- Meursault: the protagonist and anti-hero of the novel.
- Raymond Sintes: a neighbor of Meursault, Raymond is a passionate man whose desire for ruthless justice becomes a catalyst for the plot of the novel.
- Marie Cardona: Meursault's girlfriend. Marie is a foil to Meursault as she possesses all the feeling passion that Meursault lacks.
- The Arab: the victim of Meursault's indifference.
Plot
After losing his mother, Meursault becomes involved in a chain of events which lead him to kill a man and face his own execution. The novel focuses on the indifferent relationships Meursault has to the characters around him and to society at large.Questions to Ponder
Consider the following while reading the novel.Questions about theme:
1. What is absurdism and how does the novel illustrate it?2. How does Meursault personify the indifference of the world?
Questions about character:
1. What is a catalyst and why can Raymond Sintes be considered catalytic in the novel?2. How does Meursault's rage at the end of the novel free him?
3. Does Meursault have any feelings or is he a complete sociopath?
4. What clues to Meursault's character can be discovered by his behavior at the wake?
Questions about symbolism:
1. What do the deaths of Meursault's mother and the Arab symbolize?2. What is the significance of the courtroom or justice system?
Possible First Sentences
- The Stranger by Albert Camus is often thought of as an existential book, but it more accurately depicts the philosophy of absurdism.
- Camus presents a story filled with characters and situations that are inherently difficult and unlikable.
- Not all protagonists are heroic, as in the case of Camus' Meursault.
- Indifference is the most dangerous emotion.
