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Existential absurdity
- At the heart of “The Stranger” lies the theme of existential absurdity. Camus illustrates that life is inherently meaningless, and any attempt to impose meaning upon it is futile. Meursault’s indifference to societal norms and moral judgments highlights the absurdity of human existence.
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LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Stranger, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
- Relationships
Throughout the novel, Meursault remains unable to experience...
- Chance and Interchangeability
Thus, though "the stranger" of the title refers primarily to...
- Meaninglessness of Life and The Absurd
From Meursault 's perspective the world is meaningless, and...
- Importance of Physical Experience
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The...
- Indifference and Passivity
The novel opens with Meursault 's indifference at his...
- Book 1, Chapter 1
Meursault receives a telegram from the old person's home in...
- Relationships
- Theme #1
- Theme #2
- Theme #3
- Theme #4
- Theme #5
- Theme #6
- Theme #7
- Theme #8
- Theme #9
Irrationality The irrationality of human actions and decisions is one of the major themes of The Stranger. Camus presents the character of Meursault to show this irrationality in human actions, decisions, life, and relationships. For example, Meursault does not take his mother’s death to heart and, asidefrom a brief leave of absence to bury her, co...
Meaninglessness The meaninglessness of human life, human relations and life on earth is another major themeof The Stranger. Meursault, the mouthpiece of Camus, shows this meaninglessness when his mother dies and, rather than being sorrowful, he leaves for the office the next day as usual and enjoys life with Marie. Interestingly, Meursault does not...
Significance of the Physical World The physical world and its significance as a part of human life is another major theme of the novel. Meursault seems to be interested in the physical aspects of his life more than its emotional side. He is interested in finding meaning, but when he finds nothing, it tortures him. His attention to his own physical ...
Miscommunication Lack of communication or miscommunication is another significant aspect of The Stranger. Whether it is the communication of human passions, sorrow or love, there is a general lack of misunderstanding among the characters of the intended meanings. The most misinterpreted character is Meursault, whose indifference comes across as inh...
Absurdity of Life Meursault feels at the very beginning of the story that he is condemned to live his life as it is. Therefore, it seems to him absurd to carry on living in this way. He doesn’t like working in the office and carrying out orders of his boss because he is financially dependent on this job. The death of his mother further alienates hi...
Indifference toward Human Passions Indifference toward humanity and human passions is another crucial theme explored in The Stranger. This indifference results in an extreme and cruel form of apathy. Meursault is branded as a monster. At the end of the novel, he does not follow the instructions of his lawyer. As he has not shed any tears and has no...
Difficulty in Relationships Difficulty in forming relationships is another minor theme of the novel. Albert Camus shows through Meursault that it is very difficult to form relationships with a person who cannot feel sympathy toward his own mother. Even with Raymond and Marie, his relations are mostly emotionless. He is deeply indifferent to deeper ...
Passivity Passivity is another theme that recurs in the novel. Meursault is the first example of this passivity: he only wants to observe life passing before his very eyes. He feels himself alienated and detached from the stream of life as if he exists only to watch. He watches his mother pass away and even watches his girlfriend asking him to marr...
Alienation Alienation is another minor theme of the novel shown through Meursault. Not only does Meursault feel alienated from himself, but he also feels alienated from others and the whole social fabric. He feels alienated as he is a Frenchman living in Algeria. He feels alienated from others as his mother has left him, and he has no sadness about...
Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. The Irrationality of the Universe Though The Stranger is a work of fiction, it contains a strong resonance of Camus’s philosophical notion of absurdity.
The Stranger is famous for its themes of existentialism and absurdism. Existentialism is a school of philosophy that attempts to deal with the dread or anxiety brought about by a seemingly uncaring and meaningless world.
Throughout the novel, Camus employs various symbols and motifs to convey deeper meanings and themes. For instance, the courtroom symbolizes society as a whole, and the law functions as the will of the people.
Nov 8, 2023 · At the heart of “The Stranger” lies the theme of existential absurdity. Camus illustrates that life is inherently meaningless, and any attempt to impose meaning upon it is futile. Meursault’s indifference to societal norms and moral judgments highlights the absurdity of human existence.
Major Themes in Albert Camus's The Stranger. Learn and understand all of the themes found in The Stranger, such as Meaningless, Detached Life. Learn how the author incorporated them and why.
