The Stranger Research Paper

"To what extent does Albert Camus utilize the sun as a metaphor and explore its allegorical significance in relation to the act of murder in 'The Stranger'?"

"The Stranger," by Albert Camus, is a monument to the effectiveness of original storytelling and symbolic investigation in the field of literature. The novel, which was published in 1942 during a time of social and political instability, explores existential issues and questions accepted moral standards and social norms. In this context, Camus uses the sun as a profound metaphor that quietly infuses the story and gives it deeper meaning. Camus invites readers to consider the intricate interplay between personal autonomy, societal expectations, and the pursuit of existential truth through

The sun's glaring brightness transforms into a representation of truth and judgment as Meursault faces a murder trial, mirroring societal scrutiny and the suffocating weight of obedience. In his description of the courtroom circumstances, the narrator says, "The sun through the great window was shining straight into the room, making the asphalt outside glitter." (Camus, 72) The literary allusion to the sun's direct illumination in this instance stresses both its unavoidable presence and its capacity to reveal the truth. The trial's absurdity and the arbitrary character of social rules are exposed by the sun's dazzling beams, which are interpreted as the gaze of critical eyes. The sentence "The sun was the same as it had been the day I buried Maman" is a key excerpt that exemplifies the profound symbolic use of the sun in "The Stranger." The protagonist Meursault's distant and existential perspective on life and death is captured in this sentence. The sun's recurring, unaltered nature emphasizes its symbolic value as a representation of the universe's indifference and absurdity. In this and the previous quote, Camus uses the literary device of personification, which endows an inanimate object with human characteristics, to refer to the sun in this context. The personification of the sun emphasizes its continuity and constancy, which contrast sharply with the wave of emotions and existential doubt Meursault was going through. The juxtaposition between the constant sun and the life-changing event of burying his mother emphasizes Meursault's disengagement from the typical emotional reactions connected to death. And also foreshadows that something bad is going to happen. Regarding the sun present in the courtroom, it transforms into an all-seeing being, emphasizing the power imbalances in the courtroom. By giving the sun a human form, Camus not only amplifies its