The+Stranger

 The Stranger begins with Mersault, the narrator and protagonist, receiving a telegram explaining to him that his mother had died. Curiously, Meursault seems to show a complete lack of emotion at the news of his mother’s death. Rather than grieving over the news, Meursault is more interested in figuring out when the telegram was sent. The opening scene sets the attitude that Meursault embodies throughout the entire novel; he is completely indifferent to the world that surrounds him. After he begrudgingly proceeds with the funeral, he immediately indulges in pleasures because he had the weekend off of work. He goes swimming, smokes his cigarettes, and sleeps with Marie, a girl that he met a day after the funeral. Along with Marie, he also befriends a man named Raymond, who many believe to be a pimp. Raymond tells Meursault about the situation that he is in – Raymond believes that his mistress cheated on him so he wants to get revenge. To complicate the situation, Raymond explains that he got into a fight with the mistress’s brother, who is referred to as the Arab. Raymond also describes to Meusault that he beats his mistress regularly. Although the actions of Raymond may seem immoral to many, Meursault is, again, completely indifferent to the acts that Raymond commits. He even decides to help Raymond in his pursuit of revenge. As the story continues, Raymond and Meursault encounter the Arab, who is murdered by getting shot four times by Meursault. Instead of feeling any guilt or remorse at the murder, Meursault simply acknowledges that the trigger was pulled at the expense of the Arab’s life. Because of the murder, Meursault is put on trial where he is sentenced to death of guillotine. While he awaits his death in a prison cell, Meursault experiences a transformation in the way he thinks; he not only acknowledges that the world is insignificant to him, but also realizes that he is insignificant to the world. Through this development in his character, Meursault comes to believe that nothing that he does, or anyone does, matters. Although he initially tried to escape his imminent death, he learned to accept death as a part of life. This realization allows Meursault to enjoy the last moments of his life instead of obsessing over the glimmer of hope that he could escape his execution.
 *  Synopsis **

 Meursault, the indifferent protagonist in The Stranger, is an excellent example of the anti-hero archetype. It is evident throughout the novel that he rejects values, rules, and attitudes of society and political establishments. His deviation from society is unmistakable from the beginning of the novel; he does not shed a single tear for the death of his mother. In fact, he believes the funeral to be more of a burden than a time of grieving. His disregard for the values of society is also evident in the people that he befriends. Raymond, an alleged pimp, explains to Meursault that he beats his mistress; yet, Meursault finds nothing immoral about it and is completely indifferent to this deviation from social norms. He also does nothing to stop his neighbor, who regularly beats his dog to the point where the dog whimpers and cries. Meursault finds nothing wrong with actions that many would find immoral, or against the values of society.
 *  Archetype **

 Another trait that qualifies Meursault as an anti-hero is that he has no status in society. Although he does have a steady job and seems to be content most of the time, he doesn’t exhibit any signs of ambition to make a name for himself. In fact, when his boss offers him a promotion to Paris, he declines and asserts that “one life is as good as another and that [he] wasn’t dissatisfied at all” (30). He doesn’t attempt to make a better life for himself because of his complete indifference to the world. Meursault is perpetually content with the life that he lives.

 Meursault is also deprived of the rules and consequences of society. The most apparent evidence for this claim comes from the murder of the Arab. Without a second thought, Meursault described that “the trigger gave” (59). The idea that he would be arrested and that other consequences would ensue never crossed his mind. He was simply upset that the situation had “shattered the harmony of the day, the exceptional silence of a beach” (62). Though investigators and authorities attempt to discover Meursault’s motives for killed the Arab, no questions were resolved. Furthermore, nothing in his previous narrative presented Meursault as a man that would intentionally murder another. Yet, his complete disregard of emotions and of the world provides insight to why he did it. Meursault is simply indifferent to society as a whole and the rules and consequences it embodies.

 The last qualification for an anti-hero that Meursault exhibits is his quest for self-realization. While he awaits his death in his prison cell, Meursault transforms into a man who can completely accept his inevitable death. He accepts that the universe is just as indifferent to human affairs as he is. He realizes that the world has no rational or meaning. His indifference throughout the novel shows his progression to the revelation that nothing mattered. His inability to escape death, however, is what allowed Meursault to “open [himself] to the gentle indifference of the world” (108). This moment of self-revelation allowed Meursault to transform from the passively content man, to the actively happy one. His acceptance of life, and death, finally allows him to be happy.


 * How To Speak Like Mersault**

Throughout the novel, Meursault only offers minimal detail in his speech. He tells only of the essentials of what he sees of does, rather than using metaphors and rhetorical strategies. He uses very short declarative sentences to get his point across. These minimal descriptions displays his complete indifference to society and to the people around him.
 * 1.** __Use short, precise sentences__

Example: "Maman died today, Or yesterday maybe, I don't know. I got a telegram from the home: 'Mother deceased. Funeral tomorrow. Faithfully yours.' That doesn't mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday" (1).

The only times that Meursault uses long, descriptive sentences is when he describes physical aspect of life, such as nature. To speak like Meursault, one must take extra care to describe the environment that surrounds you. Use plenty of adjectives and complex sentences in order to truly capture the scene.
 * 2.** __Employ figurative language when describing nature__

Example: "We caught a bus and went to a few kilometers outside Algiers, to a beach with rocks at either end, bordered by shore grass on the land side. The four o'clock sun wasn't too hot, but the water was warm, with slow, gently lapping waves" (34).

Meursault's interactions with Marie on the beach show the importance he places on the physical aspects of relationships. He does not detail anything about Marie's personality; rather, he carefully describes their physical interactions. To speak like Meursault, simply observe others' primary characteristics without expressing any sort of judgement.
 * 3.** __Put emphasis on physical qualities of people, rather than their personalities__

Example: "She had her leg pressed against mine, I was fondling her breasts. Toward the end of the show, I gave her a kiss, but not a good one. She came back to my place" (20)

To speak like Meursault, appear indifferent and aloof for most of your life. However, when you lose you're cool, make sure that you're enraged. After Meursault talks with the Chaplain, he shouts that nothing matters, and that nothing in the chaplain's beliefs is certain. This will completely catch anyone who knows you off guard as it did to the readers.
 * 4.** __Don't lose your cool often. But when you do, make it good__

Example: "I was pouring out on him everything that was in my heart, cries of anger and cries of joy" (120)

Before Meursault's death sentence, much of the dialogue was petty descriptions of activities and of other people. Because of his indifference to everything, he rarely discussed philosophical questions and simply accepted everything as it was. However, the death sentence sparked a train of thought that became increasingly philosophical as he approached his death.
 * 5.** __Become increasingly philosophical as you approach death__

Example: "For the first time, in that night alive with signs and stars, I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world. Finding it so much like myself--so like a brother, really-- I felt that I had been happy and that I was happy again. For everything to be consummated, for me to feel less alone, I had only to wish that there be a large crowd of spectators on the day of my execution and that they would greet me with cries of hate."

Albert Camus alludes to the antichrist during Meursault’s interrogation. The magistrate would constantly try to assess Meursault’s spiritual life and make changes in it. The magistrate would ask Meursault about his spiritual life, but Meursault would deny the existence of God; he was not a Christian. This opposed the norms of the society and Meursault was further ostracized from society by denouncing Christianity. However, after days of attempting to force Meursault to believe in God, the magistrate eventually gave up, explaining that he has “never seen a soul as hardened as [Meursault’s]” (69). The magistrate then proceeds and calls Meursault “Monsieur Antichrist.” This allusion is important because it explains the extent of Meursault’s rejection of God and religion. Through all his questioning and efforts, the magistrate decided that Meursault was so extreme in his rejection of Christianity that he was equivalent to the antichrist. He even proposed that Meursault was the only criminal that continuously denied the grace and salvation of religion, despite the looming execution.
 * Allusion**

[] Footage from a movie based on __The Stranger__