Albert Camus The Stranger

There are few books that have the ability to make one feel as uncomfortable as Albert Camus’ The Stranger––generally, people read to escape their lives, not to confront them. In the book, a man named Meursault kills someone in cold blood and is put on trial for his crime. The prosecutor capitalizes on Meursault’s inability to express his feelings, and so Meursault receives a death sentence. The Stranger explores many existentialist ideas, and one particular scene represents these themes better than any other: when Meursault faces his impending execution, it highlights the importance of facing the world’s absurdity and of accepting consequences, as well as the desire of outsiders to become a part of society.

First and foremost, it is only in

As he sits alone in his cell, contemplating the uncertainty of his future, he states, “For the first time, in that night alive with signs and stars, I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world” (122). Here, it seems as though Meursault is personifying the world, as he describes it using words like “alive” and “indifference,” and normally, one does not think about the world as a conscious living being, capable of a human emotion such as indifference. This method of personification may be a way for Meursault to wrap his head around the idea of life’s absurdity, as it gives him a direct subject to blame the pointlessness of existence on. It is also interesting that Meursault says “gentle indifference,” because the word indifference usually has a negative connotation, whereas gentle has a positive one. Perhaps

When thinking about his upcoming execution, Meursault even reflects that “for me to feel less alone, I had only to wish that there be a loud crowd of spectators the day of my execution and that they greet me with cries of hate” (123). It is strange that Meursault previously stated that he was devoid of hope, but then uses the word “wish” two sentences later. It may be that his desires have switched over from unattainable to realistic. After all, he does not wish for society’s love, only their presence. As this quote reveals, Meursault is perfectly fine with being hated. In fact, he welcomes it. What he is not fine with is feeling alone, and he views his execution as an opportunity to interact with others in a way that is, for the first time, not superficial or meaningless. Through his execution, he will cease to become an outsider––he will literally be surrounded by hundreds of people, and all of their attention will be concentrated on him. Alienation is a major aspect of existentialism, and so are the attempts of outsiders to become societal insiders, which Camus reflects through Meursault’s