Title: The Stranger (Orginally: L’Etranger)

Author: Albert Camus

Date of Publication: 1942, French. (First translated to English in 1946 by Stuart Gilbert who changed the title to The Outsider)

Place of Publication: Éditions Gallimard, French. Hamish Hamilton (Parent: Penguin Random House), England.

Type: Novel

Characters: No character

Themes: BYRONIC HERO; SYMPATHETIC MONSTER

Critical Summary: The main character of this modern existentialist novel is Meursault, whom we meet as he learns of his mother’s death. He is unemotional about her passing, and this begins a look into an inner life that is strangely devoid of feeling. The day after his mother’s death, he meets Marie, whom he agrees to marry. The ocean plays a key role in a number of scenes, building to the moment halfway through the novel when Meursault shoots a man to death at the beach, offering no rationale other than the bothersome heat and light of the sun.

After living in a society that seemingly had no regard for his existence, Meursault finds it easy to adjust to the isolation of prison. He becomes even less empathetic, appearing to forget about his engagement to Marie and sleeping during the day. His narration does begin to reveal some more personal emotions, though, including his desire to be successful and, temporarily, at least, to see something beyond human existence.

Meursault’s attempts to convince himself of his meaning in life are Romantic in nature, and his encounters with “the gentle indifference of the world” are reminiscent of the Creature’s experiences with human neglect and cruelty. Camus’ absurdist philosophy looks at an outsider who, like the Creature, is subject to a radical break with cultural norms and expectations, becoming monstrous. Meursault is in this sense connected to both the Byronic Hero and the Sympathetic Monster of Mary Shelley’s story, both of who represent challenges to normative morality.

Administrative Notes: Tierney Diaz, CSUF; Alex Goodman, CSUF (editing)