Student Name: Natalia Donlan
Title of Work : The Stranger by Albert Camus
Character
Choose a character or pair of
characters and what purpose
they serve in the work. Then,
describe how the author
achieves this purpose.
5-7 sentence In the work, the characters
explanation of ideas Meursault and Marie both
in the work. were used together to convey
a similar message. For Camus,
the author intended to deliver
Meursault’s view on societal
conformity and did so through
their relationship. Throughout
the novel we observed
Meursault to reject marriage
and love with Marie. This was
inherently rejecting societal
conformity because it rejects
the general norm of marrying
and loving in humans. In
doing so, this indicated
Meurseult’s underlying
viewpoint on life, in that it is
pointless so conforming to
Theme
Choose a theme in work and
explain its significance to the
work as a whole. Then, describe
how the author conveys this
theme.
A theme shown through the
work is the theme of accepting
one’s life and being open to the
possibility of there being
meaning in life. This is
significant to the story as it is a
valued theme shown entirely
throughout the novel through
Meursault as he continuously
rejects the possibility of life
having purpose. The author is
seen to have conveyed this
specifically through his usage of
light in the novel because it
essentially represented his view
on death. When the motif of
light was presented to
Meursault, it was often
accompanied with death and his
Plot
Choose an aspect of the plot
(point of view, conflict,
resolution, etc) and explain how
the author crafts the work as a
whole.
An aspect of the plot crucial to
the development of the story
was in his time spent during
prison following the climax of
Meursault’s crime. This was the
resolution piece, where
Meursault began to experience
inner fulfillment and freedom
through his own thoughts. This
was important to include for the
author because it showed
Meursault’s slight perspective
shift when viewing the world.
He developed a new viewpoint
regarding death during his time
in prison because he shifted
from an absurdist point of view
to one more similar to
existentialism. He created and
Connection to the seven
concepts: (identity, culture,
creativity, communication,
perspective, transformation,
and representation)
Choose at least one of the seven
concepts and explain how the
style and content of the work
relates to the concept.
Throughout the work, the
concept of transformation can
be most seen. Although the
transformation in Meursault was
minimal, one can be observed in
his ideological shift. At the
beginning of the story he was
seen to be very critical of life’s
purpose and rejected the
possibility of there being
meaning to life. This can be
especially seen at his mother's
funeral where he was reluctant
to feel sadness. This perspective
transformed during his time in
prison where the character
developed a form of identity and
found meaning to life through
himself and in his own thoughts.
 society through his realization of a potential life
relationship is unneeded. purpose. He rejects this and
sticks to his beliefs through
absurdism, in that there is no
purpose.
found his own meaning in life
through himself.
This is seen and concluded like a
circle at the end of the story
where he reminisces on his
mother’s funeral and instead
now views death as freedom and
something meaningful, almost
ironically.

Author technique or ● Foil of characters- ● Motif of light ● Transformation ● Symbolism of a circle as

strategies (bullet Meursault and Marie ● Motif of heat- ● Resolution indicated his the story began and
points) ● Symbolism of the represented his shift in character ended describing
relationship- suffocation and internal ● Symbolism of a circle- Meursault’s mother’s
You may wish to represents reluctance to embrace beginning to end death, but in different
consider: motifs, nonconformity life’s meaning ● Motif of light (darkness perspectives
symbols, character ● Juxtaposition of ● Symbolism (light) represents a sort of ● Symbolism of death and
foils, narrative values peace) freedom; in death comes
technique, plot freedom
structure. - Found meaning
in life through
death