The Absurd Sun: In what way is the sun presented in The Stranger and to what effect?
Considered a cosmic power by many cultures, the symbol of the Sun has been used in literary works to represent gods, caring deities, and even the vindictive force of justice. In The Stranger by Albert Camus, the protagonist Meursault is instead dominated by an indifferent entity, the Sun. The sun presented by Camus is interpreted as a symbol of Meursault’s emotions and comforts, the indifferent nature of the universe, as well as one of the fundamental principles of Absurdism: That our indifferent universe enables us to realize that artificial human constructs, social expectations do not matter, and that our choices have no import except for satisfying our desires of the moment. Camus once wrote on the Absurd hero, Sisyphus, who was subjected to the interminable, banal task of rolling a stone up a mountain for eternity, ruminated that “one must imagine Sisyphus happy.” Camus states the Absurd hero’s active acceptance of fate is a means of conquering or challenging the gods: in Meursault’s case, social norms set by society. Through Meursault’s Absurd realization of the truth, he is able to achieve transcendence over tragedy.
The sun is a symbol for Meursault’s natural responses to stimuli and the brute force of nature and the environment he experiences—whether or not they’re natural or man-made, be it the beach or the courtroom. Different aspects of the sun serve different functions, but are