The Stranger by Camus Analysis

The way this character views things and life also show existentialism. After learning of his mother’s death, Meursault attends the funeral but he does not show any sign of grief, and this tells how detached he surprises the other attendees. After two weeks, he continues with life as nothing tragic happened and he commits a crime by shooting an Arab at the beach during a vacation with his girlfriend and a pimp. While taken to court, he gets sentenced for not showing sorrow during his mother’s death as the court seems to be more interested in it more than the committed crime. While at the prison he denounces Christianity and the entire religiousness puts up a justified claim of the world being lawless, meaningless with no rational order. The manner Meursault appears to disrespect his mother’s death and pays attention and concentration primarily upon the more unimportant and insignificant features expose a crucial fact in the natural life of an existentialist; that human feelings cannot be illustrated and are thus not articulated at all.

Symbolism is one of the literary device applied in The Stranger. The symbols used to represent things, ideas, and conflicts for Meursault between social convention and engagement in his real experiences in life. Symbolism is evident throughout the novel in both part one and two. The author uses the colors of the sun, sky, ocean to symbolize the characters different feelings. For instance, when the sky was color green, Meursault felt happy and awesome. Water and the sea symbolize happiness and relief for Meursault. Meursault loves swimming, and he adores it so much. Meursault meet with Marie while they were both swimmings since Marie also likes to swim. Meursault is thrilled, and here he does not hesitate to make his move. This is evident when Meursault says that he noticed people looking at him and it came to his recognition that they were the jury (Camus, 36).

The novel also shows how the traditional system can be oppressive to someone and some extent even fatal. Many of the participants and judges present in the courtroom view Meursault with misunderstanding and hostility. These make Meursault in return to find the courtroom, including the legal authorities, judges, jury and even the spectators absurd. Camus uses the crucifix in the novel. Dramatic irony happens in literature when the reader or the audience has an understanding of the information that the characters do not (Michael, 67). In this novel, it occurs in the case of Meursault and Raymond; the reader is already aware of Meursault who is a detached loner and who has faith and believes in a meaningless, godless universe that cannot be described or explained by political or religious doctrine. According to Raymond he sees and views Meursault as a friend.

In reality, Meursault has got no feelings of friendship towards Raymond. For instance, Raymond assumes that Meursault composes and writes the letter to the Arab mistress out of emotions and friendship, but the truth is Meursault does this because there is no reason for him to fail to write the letter. For example, the author compares the relationship between Meursault and his mother to the connection between Salamano and his dog. According to the author, both represent symbolic marriages of sorts. However, there are differences between these two “marriages. ” In Salamano case, Salamano took the dog after his wife’s death because he felt lonely. Therefore, the dog takes up the place of the wife and the two stay and get old together. Foreshadow is used mainly to predict or foresee an event or outcome of something.

For example, the author used the funeral procession to foreshadow the murdering of the Arab man. During the funeral procession, a ritual of death, Meursault is oppressed by unpleasant physical sensations, especially the sun and its heat. He says, “The glare from the sky was unbearable” Later, the sun and other feelings become so overbearing that he cannot think clearly. All of it the sun, heat and the smell was making it difficult for Meursault to see clearly or think straight. It also gives a vivid description to the audience (Leslie, 80). Camus describes Salamano and his dog as two human beings on earth that look alike to each with their old yellow shedding skin. Meursault is seen describing all the things that surround him. Meursault describes the look and appearance of the church, the red geraniums on the tombs, the people in the street, the roar of the engine, the way he felt when he first entered the brightly lit paths of Algiers and many other things and incidents.

The descriptions of things, events, scenarios, and people by Meursault offers the reader an opportunity to create a mental picture and assists the audience and the reader to have a better understanding of the novel. The author, Albert Camus has used and incorporated well themes and style devices which make the novel more interesting for the reader. On the theme of religion for instance, according to Absurdism, religion is brought up by humans trying to come up with an implication of a senseless being. The Absurdist contemplate that the belief is destructive to living life to the fullest while thinking there is another one after death. The styles show and reveal more about the characters and their perception about life and the world. The tone used for the novel is also perfect.

Schutz, Alfred. The Stranger.  Collected papers II. Springer, Dordrecht, 1976.