In Albert Camus’ The Stranger, the author’s absurdist views of life are reflected through the main character Meursault. The reader follows Meursault from his mother’s funeral to his own death, as he exerts his indifference to the world around him. Camus’s employment of motifs represent Meursault’s consciousness of absurdity in a world where everything fails to retain meaning. Nevertheless, humans still seek value in their lives from surrealalities; absurdities that are incapable of immortalising humans. The motifs of religion, judgement, and death inspire Meursault’s heroism through his sincerity and rejection of these absurd social norms.

Camus’ use of religion as a motif emphasises the absurdity of seeking solace in it, triggering Meursault’s heroism through his disbelief in God. Meursault refuses to fall under the absurd influence of religion. The magistrate “took out a silver crucifix which he brandished” in front of Meursault in hopes of evoking a religious birth in him. But Meursault understands that he “[is] the criminal” and no amount of repenting to God will free him from his death sentence (68). The magistrate’s views, differ, however. According to him, life revolves around God and “if he were ever to doubt it, his life would become meaningless” (69). Meursault argues that no amount of repenting and praying will save “the most wretched” individual from their ultimate fate: death (119). Meursault therefore deems it absurd and unrealistic to turn to religion for