In Albert Camus' The Stranger we are presented with a character, Meursault, that is both

frightening and familiar. I first read The Stranger when I was nineteen, it had a profound
impact on me. I was a recent High School grad, desperately searching for -and failing to find-
"meaning" in my life, as teenagers are wont to do. It seemed to me Meursault found a
convenient solution to my problem, to simply embrace the thesis that "nothing really matters
anyways". And so I too embraced this thesis. I saw a little bit of myself in Meursault, or
perhaps I created a little Meursault inside of me. It was feelings of alienation that drew me to
Meursault, and Meusault's alienation from society that brought him to the guillotine. I have
changed in the years following my first reading, and clearly I did not meet the same end as
Meursault. As I have adopted a somewhat more complex approach to life, I now recognize
Meursault is more nuanced than he claims to be. I still cannot help but see Meursault as an
antihero (yet still a hero in his own right), whom I actually empathize with to some degree.
Meursault serves as a warning of how easily one can get caught in the machinery, especially if
one does not value things deemed so by the general public. No doubt Meursault does not
value traditionally "valuable" things, yet he does not truly believe that "nothing really matters",
he embraces this philosophy to come to terms with his alienation. Meursault has garnered my
respect in sticking to his "beliefs" to the bitter end (although it does not seem so bitter for
him), indeed I owe Meursault my gratitude for suffering to teach me a lesson.
From the opening line of The Stranger we get a Meursault that is basically unintelligible. How
could any man be unaware of the day in which his own mother died? Clearly we are presented
with a character that is not like us. I, for one, would be aware of when my mother died. We
also see the first example of Meursault's credo when he states, "that doesn't mean
anything"(3). I do not believe that Meursault is saying his mother's death does not mean
anything (although he might agree with that), but rather that the "Faithfully yours" in the
telegram is meaningless. Here we see Meursault rejecting typical social mores. If we think
critically about the final line of most letters, most probably do not "mean" what they say.
"Faithfully yours" has an especially strange literal meaning. Most understand these as having a
sort of social smoothing effect. Something to give every letter a human touch so-to-speak.
Meursault simply rejects this meaning and seems to take interest in the immediate and literal
instead.
Meursault sometimes detaches himself from any feelings a normal person would experience
from a situation, especially in situations that "should" matter very much to him, or at the very
least in situations that have a significant impact on his life. Rather than focusing on how he
feels, Meursault focuses on the immediate, physical aspects of life. Meursault feels that "for
now, it's almost as if Maman weren't dead. After the funeral, though, the case will be closed,
and everything will have a more official feel to it"(3). In our society, and I am guessing his as
well, a funeral is not meant to give a death a "more official feel". Rather, a funeral is meant to
give the dead a "proper" sendoff. Perhaps more accurately it is meant to allow the living to
give the dead a proper sendoff. Yet, as I will explain later, Mersault does not care much for the
rituals we carry out with the dead. Mersault sees the funeral as closing the book on his
mother's life, becoming one less person he has to worry about. I think most would see this as
strange (myself included), even if one acknowledges that the dead cannot appreciate a funeral,
one can see the value in bringing people together during a time of mourning. Although prison
changes Meursault, it does not seem to affect his quality about him. While waiting for his trial
to start, a policeman asks Meursault if he is nervous. Far from it, Meursault is actually
"interested in seeing a trial"(83). Whereas most minds would be consumed by nervousness
about their impending death-penalty case, Meursault detaches himself from the situation and
focuses on the reward of experiencing something new.
Meursault's views on death do not match society's values. This is perhaps his most damning
feature, and the one that most leads to his demise. Meursault is given the opportunity to view
his mother's body, which he declines. The caretaker asks "why not?" to which Meursault replies
"I don't know"(6). Although I can only speculate, it is because Meursault does not value
the deadbody of his mother. He does not know why he does not want to see it, because he
does not know why anyone would want to see it. This is also seen in regards to his crime. After
shooting the Arab the first time, Meursault "fired four more times at the motionless body"(59).
During interrogation the magistrate asks Meursault why he fired "at a body that was on the
ground"(68). Yet, Meursault "didn't know how to answer"(68). Once again, Meursault probably
does not understand why everyone is making such a big fuss over a dead body. After all, the
last four bullets did not change anything, you might say they "didn't mean anything". Yet to
society, it looks like Meursault killed the Arab out of anger, or spite. Meursault carries this
philosophy throughout the novel. Sitting in prison waiting for his appeal, he postulates that,
since he has not heard from her in a while, Marie might be dead. He claims that after thinking
this, "Marie meant nothing to me. I wasn't interested in her dead"(115). In fact he thinks this
very normal, since "people would forget [him] when [he] was dead"(115). Most people cannot
accept death so easily, we would like something to hold on to after the body is gone. Finally,
the chaplain asks Meursault if he had never wished for another life, Meursault replies that he
wishes for "one where [he] could remember this life"(120). Although the other characters in
the novel view this as absurd, it has a respectable amount of consistency and logic to it. If
Meursault values physical sensations, of course he would not value death, as one can no
longer feel physical sensations after death. Furthermore, no one knows what happens after
death, so why be sad about it? Meursault values what he knows, and I find that exemplary.
Although one might be able to find some value in Meursault's philosophy, his society crushes
him for it. When Meursault first sits down in front of the jury, he notices that he "can't say what
distinguished one from another"(83). Society as a whole is here to judge him, not a jury of his
peers. Meursault is up against the entire machine, society and all of its values and mores.
Meursault gets the impression that the jury is looking at him like the new arrival on a train, "to
see if they could find something funny about him"(83). Meursault seems to realize that society
looks out for outcasts, strangers, as if to judge them just for being "funny" or different.
Meursault recognizes himself as an outcast, he notices all the other actors smiling and
laughing "as if they were in a club where people are glad to find themselves among others
from the same world"(84). Meursault is apparently a stranger to this world, and is on trial in it.
To further the characterization of the jury as society, Meursault notes that "the jurors' heads
would all turn toward the bench at the same time"(86), they act as one unit. The prosecutor
primarily attacks Meursault on his values, Meursault accepts coffee at the funeral, but "beside
the body of the one who brought him into the world, a son should have refused it"(91). This is
quite unrelated to the murder, and out of context does not seem so troubling. The prosecutor
attacks Meursault for not crying at his mother's funeral. He warns that people like Meursault
are "an abyss threatening to swallow up society"(101). This appeal to the safety of society is
especially pertinent, if one does not conform to the mores -and accept the values- of society,
he is a threat to said society. Or so they think at least. Meursault seems content to mind his
own business throughout most of the novel. But apparently Meursault is "morally guilty of
killing his mother"(101). This is a bold claim, and is quite unfounded by the facts and
circumstance. Yet, Meursault has been portrayed as an outcast to society, as a dangerous non-
conformer. The prosecutor goes so far as to say that he looks at Meursault and "see[s] a
monster"(102). The judge tells Meursault "in a bizarre language that [he] was to have [his]
head cut off in a public square in the name of the French people"(107). Meursault feels so
alienated by this society that he does not even quite understand the language in which he is
told he will be executed. The execution will happen in the name of the French people, society
must crush this outsider in order to preserve their integrity.
Although Meursault is cast as a villain by his society, he is not really such a bad guy. I actually
agree with Celeste, "the way I see it, it's bad luck"(92). Meursault is the victim of bad luck, and
his otherwise admirable qualities help condemn him. It is true that Meursault places no value
in the things most people deem most valuable. Yet, Meursault is lying to himself if he says that
nothing really matters. Meursault likes his cigarettes and potatoes, he likes the feel of Marie's
breast against his arm. One cannot condemn a man for taking pleasure in physical sensations.
He might seem shallow at times, Marie asks Meursault to marry her, he replies that it does not
"make any difference to [him] and that [they] could if she wanted to"(41). Yet, upon seeing
Marie laugh, he "really thought [he] was going to get married"(50). Perhaps a simple reason to
wish to get married, yet innocent and beautiful at the same time. In prison he claims to have
stopped caring about Marie, yet he admits that he had searched for a face in the stones. The
face "was as bright as the sun and the flame of desire-and it belonged to Marie"(119). Clearly
he still cares for Marie, if he thinks about her during his final days. He admits that he doesn't
"have the time to interest [himself] in what [doesn't] interest [him]"(117). He shows empathy
for Salamano after his dog died. Meursault even reaches out to the fellow outcast and "felt the
scales on his skin"(46). Meursault is not totally devoid of human emotion, he is not a monster.
At one point during the trial he admits that "I had this stupid urge to cry, because I could feel
how much all these people hated me"(90). He calls it a stupid urge, so he wants to deny the
value or meaning behind is urge, but it is an urge nonetheless. It gives credence to the view
that part of Meursault's attitude is a front, there is some passion underneath his skin.
Meursault has genuine friends as well, he recognizes the kindness of his friends during their
testimony, and even desires to kiss one (93). Surely we cannot say that this man's heart is
empty, Meursault is no monster, simply slightly different.
Meursault has a number of good qualities, yet he cannot "quite understand how an ordinary
man's good qualities could become crushing accusations against a guilty man"(100). For one
thing, Meursault is an exceedingly honest man. Meursault tells his lawyer that "at one time or
another all normal people have wished their loved ones were dead"(65). Perhaps this is true,
and even profound, yet Meursault does not realize that this is not the time to bring such a
thing up. He continues to his lawyer that "what I can say for certain is that I would rather
Maman hadn't died"(65). That seems fair to me, and Meursault simply does not want to lie.
Meursault offers no excuse for killing the Arab, despite feelings of the "long flashing blade
cutting at [his] forehead"(59). Meursault could likely have claimed self defense. Yet, he claims
that he simply doesn't know why he shot the Arab four more times. This is probably the truth,
yet the jury would surely believe he acted in self-defense, if he would only say so. It serves to
show how much of an outsider Meursault's community sees him as, that they would condemn
him for killing an Arab (someone who they would have likely seen as an outsider anyways, but
Meursault is even more of an outsider). Meursault wishes to explain to the jury that he "had
never been able to truly feel remorse for anything"(100). Yet, he "couldn't talk to anyone in
that way"(100). Although it would have been a good excuse, it simply does not fit the
expectations of the society he lives in, and would only serve to further condemn him. I find it
funny that the prosecutor states that Meursault "knows the value of words"(100). Multiple
times throughout the trial Meursault is given a chance to speak for himself, yet he realizes that
he "didn't have anything to say"(98). Probably because he cannot defend himself in a way he
deems truthful, that society would also accept.
Meursault had the misfortune of being born in a society that does not share his values. The
death of his mother, which "wasn't his fault", indirectly condemned him to death. Meursault
recognizes that "familiar paths traced in summer skies could lead as easily to prison as to the
sleep of the innocent"(97). Indeed Meursault seems to be swallowed up by the machine, losing
control of his own destiny. If only the sun had not been so hot that day, if Meursault's mother
had died the day before, or the day after, if the verdict had been a different one, perhaps
Meursault would be eating potatoes and smoking on his porch to this day. But instead the
trigger gave, his lawyer used "I" instead of "Meursault", Meursault simply did not have
anything to say. I do respect Meursault for staying true to himself even in the face of death. I
am glad he "opened [himself] to the gentle indifference of the world"(122), accepting his own
indifference and becoming happy again. I appreciate that Meursault respects himself enough
to hope that "there be a large crowd of spectators the day of [his] execution and that they
greet [him] with cries of hate"(123). It seems to me that if you do not have your own values, if
you do not value yourself, you do not really value anything.