Contents
What does Meursault represent in The Stranger?
Meursault’s atheism and his lack of outward grief at his mother’s funeral represent a serious challenge to the morals of the society in which he lives. Consequently, society brands him an outsider.
How does Meursault find meaning in life?
Meursault does not have any meaning in life and no understanding of the meaning in other lives around him. The only certainty that Meursault has and holds onto is that everyone eventually dies. It comforts him to know this due to the fact that he at least knows how and when he is going to die.
What does the title The Stranger mean?
This is based on the word “foreigner,” but the same thing applies to the title The Stranger. Meursault is a stranger among other people because he is so isolated from them—mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and, by the end of the text, physically (he’s imprisoned). He’s strange. He’s the strangest. He’s the stranger.
Why is life meaningless for Meursault?
Camus argues that the only certain thing in life is the inevitability of death, and because all humans will eventually meet death, all lives are all equally meaningless.
What is Meursault’s goal?
Far from nonchalant, he adamantly refuses to believe in life after death, to seek God out to escape execution, to mask his calmness about or acceptance of death. But Meursault didn’t start out that way in the text.
What is the message of The Stranger?
The Stranger (or at least Meursault) conveys the message that passivity is an acceptable way of experiencing life and treating others.
What does Meursault realize at the end of The Stranger?
After speaking with the chaplain, Meursault no longer views his impending execution with hope or despair. He accepts death as an inevitable fact and looks forward to it with peace. This realization of death’s inevitability constitutes Meursault’s triumph over society.
What can we learn from Meursault?
Meursault is also honest, which means that he does not think of hiding his lack of feeling by shedding false tears over his mother’s death. In displaying his indifference, Meursault implicitly challenges society’s accepted moral standards, which dictate that one should grieve over death.
What does Meursault realize at the end of the novel the outsider?
At the end of The Stranger, Meursault realizes that death is inevitable and the universe is indifferent to humanity.
Why does Meursault sleep so much?
Meursault also sleeps a lot, kind of like his non-prison days, because it helps passing (and losing all sense of) time. His days end up flowing into one another.
What is Meursault’s final wish?
Meursault finds that he is also happy with his position in society. He does not mind being a loathed criminal. He only wishes for companionship, “to feel less alone.” He accepts that this companionship will take the form of an angry mob on his execution day.
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