The Purpose:Camus himself, on the back cover of the book says the book is an exploration of "the nakedness of man faced with the absurd"; at first glance this book seems to have an almost unhealthy lack of the absurd and Camus' statement seems meaningless. That is until the book as a whole is explored and one realizes that the lack of such is exactly what is absurd. The Stranger forces one to read between, and even through, the lines in a search for understanding. Camus' story can allow the reader to interpret his or her own meaning of the book, but one comes to see that that which remains unwritten is the most important thing to read in this particular novel.
The Title: The Stranger is a book of many facets and meanings, most of which are not immediately apparent. Meursault, the narrator, is a person who neglects to mention several important aspects of his internal state (which after a great deal of speculation seems to be what the book is really about).
Albert Camus' tombstone in Lourmarin
Albert Camus, Nobel prize winner, half-length port...
DrawingHe does not think much about events or their consequences, nor does he express much feeling in relationships or during emotional
times. One example of this is when the narrator never says that he is not overly distraught over his mother's death. In the beginning of the book, Meursault seems not to know exactly who he is or what his place is in this world. He displays limited feelings for his girlfriend, Marie Cardona, and shows no remorse at all for killing an Arab. His reactions to life and to people distances him from his emotions, positive or negative, and from intimate relationships with others. Therefore, it could easily be assumed that the title of The Stranger describes Meursault himself and the internal struggles that...