Albert Camus’s 1942 novel, “The Stranger” (original French title: L’Étranger), is a cornerstone of 20th-century literature. It’s a short, powerful book that introduces the world to Camus’s core philosophy: Absurdism.
The story follows a man named Meursault, who lives a life of detached indifference. This complete (and shocking) honesty about his lack of feeling ultimately leads to his condemnation.
This article will provide a full summary of “The Stranger,” analyze its main character, and explain the key themes that make this book a timeless classic.
The Stranger: A Quick, Spoiler-Free Summary
“The Stranger” is the story of Meursault, a French-Algerian man who, in the span of a few weeks, attends his mother’s funeral without crying, starts a new romance, and senselessly kills a man on a beach.
The second half of the book details his trial. However, the prosecution focuses less on the murder itself and more on Meursault’s “monstrous” character—specifically, his failure to show proper emotion at his mother’s funeral. He is found guilty and sentenced to death, not for his crime, but for being a “stranger” to society’s rules.
The Stranger: Detailed Plot Summary (Spoilers Ahead)
The novel is split into two distinct parts.
Part 1: The Funeral and the Murder
The book opens with one of the most famous lines in literature:
“Maman died today. Or maybe yesterday; I can’t be sure.”
This line immediately establishes our narrator, Meursault, as detached and emotionally indifferent. He travels to the nursing home, smokes, drinks coffee, and observes the vigil by his mother’s coffin but feels no sadness. He doesn’t cry at the funeral.
The next day, he goes for a swim and runs into Marie Cardona, a former co-worker. They flirt, see a comedy film, and sleep together. His life continues as normal: he works, has lunch with his friend Célestin, and helps his neighbor, Raymond Sintès.
Raymond, who is rumored to be a pimp, is having trouble with his mistress. He asks Meursault to write a letter to lure her back so he can punish her. Meursault agrees, stating that it “didn’t matter” either way. This decision sets the stage for the book’s climax.
Later, Raymond, Meursault, and Marie visit a friend’s beach house. They encounter a group of Arabs, one of whom is the brother of Raymond’s mistress. A fight breaks out, and Raymond is cut.
Later that afternoon, Meursault walks back to the beach alone. He encounters the same Arab who cut Raymond. Meursault is overcome by the “blinding heat and sun.” He describes the sun as oppressive and unbearable. When the Arab pulls out a knife, the light glints off the blade.
“The trigger gave, and… I fired four more times on a body that was still, and each shot was like another loud, short rap on the door of my unhappiness.”
Meursault has no rational reason for the murder. He does it not out of anger or self-defense, but out of a physical response to the heat and the meaninglessness of the moment.
Part 2: The Trial and the Execution
Part Two shifts from the physical world to the world of social judgment. Meursault is arrested and put on trial.
From the beginning, his court-appointed lawyer is horrified—not by the murder, but by Meursault’s honest lack of remorse and his coldness at his mother’s funeral.
The trial becomes a spectacle. The prosecutor builds his entire case around Meursault’s character.
- He is called a “monster” for smoking and drinking coffee by his mother’s coffin.
- His relationship with Marie, started the day after the funeral, is used as proof of his soullessness.
- His friendship with Raymond (the pimp) is used to paint him as a criminal.
The murder of the Arab man is almost an afterthought. Meursault is being tried for his refusal to “play the game”—to lie, to show fake emotion, and to conform to society’s expectations.
He is found guilty and sentenced to the guillotine.
In his cell, Meursault finally confronts his own existence. He rejects the prison chaplain’s attempts to make him find God and meaning in the afterlife. Instead, he has a profound realization. He accepts the “gentle indifference of the world” and realizes that his life, and all life, is fundamentally meaningless (or “absurd”). In this acceptance, he finds a strange, dark form of happiness.
Character Analysis: Who is Meursault?
Meursault is not a typical evil villain. He is a man who lives entirely in the physical present. He notices the heat, the smell of the salt, and the feeling of Marie’s skin. He does not, however, understand abstract emotions like love, grief, or ambition.
He is, above all, honest. He refuses to lie to make others comfortable. When Marie asks if he loves her, he says, “I suppose not.” When his lawyer asks him to say he felt remorse, he refuses.
Society cannot tolerate this level of honesty. It sees his indifference as a threat, and he is condemned for it.
Key Themes in The Stranger
This book is simple to read but complex to understand. Its main ideas are:
1. Absurdism (The Core Philosophy)
This is the central theme. Absurdism is the conflict between two things:
- Humanity’s constant desire to find meaning and purpose in life.
- The cold, silent, and meaningless universe that offers no answers.
Meursault is the “absurd hero.” He doesn’t look for meaning; he just lives. His final realization, where he accepts the meaningless universe, is the moment he fully embraces the absurd.
2. The Meaninglessness of Society’s Rules
Camus uses the trial to criticize society. Meursault is judged more harshly for violating social norms (not crying at a funeral) than for committing a capital crime (murder). This suggests that society’s rules and rituals are often irrational and designed to create a false sense of order.
3. The Physical World vs. The Emotional World
Meursault is completely disconnected from the emotional world but deeply connected to the physical one. The sun is a powerful force in the novel. It’s the sun that oppresses him at his mother’s funeral, and it’s the sun that ultimately drives him to pull the trigger. He acts based on physical feelings, not emotional or rational ones.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why did Meursault kill the Arab?
He didn’t have a rational motive. The murder is the ultimate “absurd” act. It was a combination of the blinding sun, the heat, the glint of the knife, and his passive nature. He was a man who let things happen to him, and the murder was the final, tragic event in that chain.
Q: What is the main point of The Stranger?
The main point is to explore the philosophy of Absurdism. It challenges the reader to question whether our lives have any inherent meaning, and if not, how we should live. It also serves as a powerful critique of a society that demands conformity and punishes those who are different.
Conclusion: Why This Book Still Matters
“The Stranger” is a deeply unsettling book. It forces us to look at our own lives and the “games” we play to fit in. Meursault’s total, passive honesty is both his defining trait and his fatal flaw.
The book doesn’t offer easy answers. Instead, it leaves us with a powerful question: In a universe without meaning, is it better to live an honest, absurd life like Meursault, or to find comfort in the illusions and rules that society creates?