Albert Camus &
The Stranger Introduction
English 12
The Stranger by Albert Camus
• Born: November 7, 1913,
Mondovi, Algeria
• Nationality : Algerian/French
• Died: January 4, 1960 in Sens,
Algeria, car accident
• Occupations: Writer,
Journalist, Editor, Theatrical
Producer, Actor
• The Stranger (1942)
Different poses of Albert Camus
Novel Setting
Algeria: capital: Algiers
1830 became a French Territory,
economic power held by minority of
white settlers, Independence July 5,
1962
Historical Background
The Stranger takes place
in Algiers, the capital of Algeria, a
North African country located on the
Mediterranean Sea. Algiers is a port
city at which many ships dock
bringing a broad mix of people.
In 1942 Algeria had been a French
Colony for 100 years. Many people
with different backgrounds &
beliefs ended up living in a
overcrowded city.
It was this situation which gave rise to
the tension and unrest reflected in
The Stranger.
Historical Background
The climate of North Africa, with its
heat, sun, and beaches, also has a
powerful influence on the events and
characters in Camus’ book.
WWI and WWII brought great racial
tension and political unrest to Algeria.
Wholesale slaughter took place in
both wars making the certainty of
death a major theme of Camus’ work.
Novel Themes
The Stranger has
become an enduring work of fiction
because it is concerned not only with
politics and racism , but also with
universal themes and
basic dilemmas of the human
condition.
1. Absurdity is a view at
which one arrives when one is forced
out of a very repetitive existence.
2. Colonialism there are no hints that the
novel takes place in a colonized
country but there are hints that racial
tension exist.
Novel Themes
3. Free Will is taken for granted by most
people, the presentation of its “freeness” in
The Stranger is unsettling. The main
character consistently expresses his own
will as free. But , in some instances, it
might be interpreted as indifference.
4. Existentialism: A school of
philosophy that seeks to describe the
actual conditions of our individual human
existence rather than abstract, universal
human qualities. Existence precedes
essence, meaning that the primary fact
about us is our existence; we create our
own essence. Existentialist ethics forces
us to always live authentically, fully
conscious of our mortality and undeluded
about the choices we make.
Main Characters
Meursault: the protagonist and narrator
Employer: Meursault’s boss and owner
of the business where Meursault works
Celeste: Meursault’s friend and the
proprietor of Meursault’s favorite
neighborhood restaurant
Masson: Raymond’s slow-talking friend
who owns a small bungalow on the
beach
Raymond: A tough, young warehouse
worker, and possibly a pimp, who
abuses his girlfriend. He lives in
Meursault’s building and becomes
Meursault’s friend
Old Salamano: A sad man who lives with
his mangy, mistreated dog in
Meursault’s building
Main Characters
The Lawyer: Meursault’s young, court
appointed defense attorney
Emmanuel: A young man, and friend of
Meursault’s, who works in the Forwarding
Department of Meursault’s office.
Marie Cardona: A former typist at
Meursault’s office who begins an affair
with Meursault the day after his mother’s
funeral
Thomas Perez: Meursault’s mother’s
special friend at the Home who attends
her funeral with Meursault
Examining Magistrate: A serious man
who questions Meursault about the crime
after Meursault’s arrest
The Public Prosecutor: A tall, thin man in
a red gown who aggressively seeks a
conviction and death sentence during
Meursault’s trial
Additional characters from The Stranger
Caretaker: Takes a keen interest in
Meursault during his visit at the old people’s
home in Marengo. He provides the most
damaging testimony at the trial
Nurse: She works at the home,
accompanies the funeral procession,
she speaks to Meursault and he
remembers her words
Director of the Home: Accompanies the
funeral procession to the gravesite and
offers Meursault information about his
mother’s life at the home
Robot-like woman: A strange, jerky
woman who sits with Meursault at the
restaurant
Maman: Her death begins the story and
indicts Meursault in the end. She had lived
with him until he could no longer afford to
care for her and they had nothing left to say
to each other
Chaplain: The priest who visits
Meursault in his cell. He struggles to
make Meursault admit to a faith or trust
in God