The Stranger by Albert Camus: Discussion & Analysis Guide
Part One
Ch. 1 & 2
1. Create an emoji to represent Meursault based on your study of Chapters 1 & 2.
2. Evaluate Meursault’s narration of Maman’s funeral. What is your impression of his
experience at this event? Specifically, what kind of observations does he make?
3. After the funeral, Meursault runs into Marie Cardona, a woman he knows from work.
Analyze their exchange on page 20. What might cause Marie to “[give] a little start”? How
does Meursault interpret this?
4. At the end of Ch. 2, Meursault says: “It occurred to me that anyway one more Sunday
was over, that Maman was buried now, that I was going back to work, and that, really,
nothing had changed.” Analyze this passage. Why do you think he feels this way?
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The Stranger by Albert Camus: Discussion & Analysis Guide
Ch. 3
1) Why would Meursault act on Raymond’s request for a letter if he himself is not an
emotional person?
2) Explain Salamano’s relationship with his dog.
Ch. 4
1) Explore why Meursault reacted so passively to Raymond’s violence.
2) Explore the connection Meursault makes between the sounds of Salamano crying and
memories of Maman.
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The Stranger by Albert Camus: Discussion & Analysis Guide
Ch. 5
1) Why is Meursault so indifferent about marriage and moving to Paris?
2) What does Salamano’s relationship with his dog show about his character?
Ch. 6
1) On page 50, Meursault says: “For the first time maybe, I really thought I was going to get
married.” Analyze this statement, focusing on exactly what causes him to have this
thought.
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The Stranger by Albert Camus: Discussion & Analysis Guide
2) Reread the end of the chapter, starting on page 56. Why do you believe Meursault shot
the Arab? How much responsibility, in your view, lies in the sensory stimuli that he
narrates so vividly?
Part Two
Ch. 1 & 2
1. Analyze the following statement Meursault makes about his lawyer: “Mostly, I could tell, I
made him feel uncomfortable. He didn’t understand me, and he was sort of holding it
against me” (66).
2. Analyze the source of the frustration the magistrate expresses towards Meursault in
Chapter 1.
3. What does Meursault believe to be the challenges of life in the prison?
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The Stranger by Albert Camus: Discussion & Analysis Guide
4. What is the significance of the story of the Czechoslovakian?
Ch. 3 & 4
1. Discuss the impact of the witnesses’ testimony on the perception of Meursault:
 The director of Maman’s home
 The caretaker
 Marie
 Salamano
 Masson
 Perez
 Celeste
 Raymond
2. How does the prosecutor use Meursault’s reaction to Maman’s death in his closing
argument?
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The Stranger by Albert Camus: Discussion & Analysis Guide
3. Evaluate Meursault’s stated reason for killing the Arab. How do you assess his “reason”?
Ch. 5/ Final Discussion
1. What thoughts become important to Meursault after the trial ends? Why?
2. What is the significance of the anecdote Meursault tells about witnessing an execution
with his father?
3. What are Meursault’s feelings about the guillotine? In what ways might he be forced into
“moral collaboration” with his executioner?
4. The chaplain tells Meursault that his “heart is blind.” Do you agree? Why or why not?
Why does Meursault become so infuriated with the chaplain?
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The Stranger by Albert Camus: Discussion & Analysis Guide
5. What does Meursault realize about Maman at the end of the novel?
6. Reread the last lines of the novel, beginning with “And I felt ready to live it all again
too…” (p.122). What do you make of Meursault’s hope at the end of the novel? What
does he even mean?
7. What is the significance of the title? Who is “the stranger”?
8. Is Meursault a dangerous person? Why or why not?
9. Evaluate whether or not you believe, based on your study of the text, that Meursault
could have avoided his fate.
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