In this video I’ll summarize the plot of The Stranger in about 4 minutes and give you an analysis of the story. Okay, let’s get started with the introduction.
1. Mother’s Funeral
The novel begins with Meursault, a detached and emotionally indifferent man, receiving news of his mother’s death. He travels to the nursing home where she lived but does not display the expected grief. At her funeral, he focuses on sensory details like the heat and the brightness of the sun rather than mourning. His lack of emotion unsettles those around him, foreshadowing the way society will later judge him.
2. Detached Relationships
After returning to Algiers, Meursault resumes his routine without much reflection on his mother’s death. He starts a casual relationship with Marie, a former coworker, and forms a superficial friendship with his neighbor, Raymond, a violent and manipulative man. When Raymond asks Meursault to help him take revenge on a woman he believes cheated on him, Meursault agrees without moral concern. This indifference highlights his detachment from conventional ideas of right and wrong.
3. The Fatal Encounter
Meursault joins Raymond and his friends on a trip to the beach, where they encounter a group of Arabs, including the brother of Raymond’s ex-lover. After a tense confrontation, the conflict appears to end, but later, Meursault finds himself alone on the beach with one of the Arabs. Overwhelmed by the oppressive heat and the blinding sunlight reflecting off the knife the Arab holds, Meursault impulsively shoots him. Then, in a moment of inexplicable detachment, he fires four more shots into the man’s lifeless body.
4. Meursault’s Trial
Meursault is arrested and put on trial. However, the focus quickly shifts from the murder itself to his character. The court views his emotional detachment, particularly his lack of grief at his mother’s funeral, as a sign of his moral depravity. The prosecutor paints him as a heartless monster, more concerned with physical sensations than human relationships. Meursault does not defend himself in a meaningful way, accepting the absurdity of the proceedings with passive indifference.
5. Acceptance of the Absurd
Meursault is sentenced to death. As he awaits execution, he contemplates the meaningless nature of life. Rather than despair, he embraces the absurd—the idea that life has no inherent purpose, and human attempts to find meaning are futile. He finds peace in this realization, accepting his fate with a sense of calm. In the novel’s final moments, he hopes for a large and hostile crowd at his execution, fully embracing the indifference of the universe.
Theme 1: The Absurd
A central theme of The Stranger is the concept of the absurd, a key idea in existentialist and absurdist philosophy. Meursault’s indifference to social conventions and his refusal to ascribe meaning to life reflect Albert Camus’ belief that the universe is indifferent to human existence. His final acceptance of this absurdity—his realization that life has no deeper meaning—allows him to face death without fear, showing that freedom comes from accepting the lack of purpose rather than fighting against it.
Theme 2: Order and Meaning
The novel also critiques society’s demand for people to conform to moral and emotional expectations. Meursault is condemned not just for his crime but for failing to perform grief and remorse in a way that aligns with societal norms. His trial becomes less about justice and more about punishing his refusal to adhere to conventional human emotions. Through Meursault’s fate, The Stranger questions whether morality is truly objective or merely a social construct designed to impose meaning on a meaningless world.