The stranger albert camus ending explained

The stranger (sparknotes)

The Stranger ain't your run-of-the-mill philosophical novel is there such a thing? It's a philosophical novel that delves deepity-deep-deep into the Big Questions surrounding colonialism. And since this is French colonialism we're talking about—specifically French colonialism in the 20th Century—you'd be hard pressed to find a better location that Algiers.

The Stranger traces a year in the life of a young clerk working for a shipping company in s Algiers. The setting—both time and place—are important to understand one vital piece of background information about The Stranger : Meursault may "officially" be on trial for killing a man, but he's actually on trial for his character, and it is for this character that he is convicted.

How could this be? Notice that Raymond got off for beating his Arab girlfriend since she cheated on him. Clearly, "character" is an important part of the law system of this time and place. Because the woman was a cheater—and an Arab—she deserved to get beaten in the eyes of the law.

The stranger opening line in french

Because Meursault has poor character he is remorseless and cold , he deserves to be sent to the guillotine. But this doesn't begin to address why Meursault's murder of an Arab seems to not matter to these people. The answer here is racism. Brief history lesson: The French started "colonizing" invading Algeria in By the time we get to the 's, Algiers, the city in which The Stranger takes place, is French territory.

The point is, in Meursault's world, the French are considered superior to the Arabs. Killing an Arab was a minor offense, but not obeying French and Christian customs was apparently punishable by death.