Instant Access To 100,000+ Essays!

In Albert Camus' existentialist novel “The Stranger,”the alienation of Meursault from society conveys to the reader the theme of the novel: In light of the lack of a higher deity, all promise of value rests in life itself. To express this theme, Camus develops Meursault’s persona, satirizes many institutions, alludes to religion, and creates many moral and ethical questions. The universal nature of these questions reveal why “The Stranger” remains relevant to society. The novel is divided into two parts: Part One, in which Camus develops Meursault’s character and Meursault commits the murder; and Part Two, wherein, as a result of his trial, his solitary confinement, and his sentence to death, Meursault undergoes an emotional progression which culminates in his epiphany at the end of the novel. Early in the “The Stranger,” Meursault is a man who is clearly in opposition to his society. He is indifferent, apathetic, wholly materialistic, andlacks any emotional capability. One means by which Camus develops this persona is through developing the per