essay topics for the stranger

The Stranger

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Before You Read

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1, Chapters 1-3

Part 1, Chapters 4-6

Part 2, Chapters 1-3

Part 2, Chapters 4-5

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Meursault is detached from society and struggles to care about anything. How is his detachment portrayed in the novel? How does this apathy affect his relationships with other characters and with society? How does Meursault overcome or accept this sense of meaninglessness?

Raymond Sintes is the closest character to a villain in The Stranger. How does his character compare and contrast with Meursault?

Salamano and his dog are caught in a vicious cycle. How does their acrimonious relationship echo the travails of the other characters?

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The Stranger Albert Camus

The Stranger literature essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Stranger.

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The Stranger Essays

How "outsiders" are treated by the rest of society in 'the stranger' and 'the sound of my voice' sian vadher college, the stranger.

It is common for people in society to feel ill at ease with those who think or act differently than what is expected. The protagonists in both Albert Camus’ ‘The Stranger’ and Ron Butlin’s ‘The Sound of My Voice’ are men who are undoubtably viewed...

The role of the Sun in the novel “The Stranger” Anonymous 12th Grade

The Sun reveals itself as a symbol and a motif in the book as early as Maman’s funeral, it continues to be a sort of mood setter for Meursault, it sometimes makes him feel calm and peaceful, while sometimes it annoys and torments him, it presents...

A Life of Disarray Anonymous 12th Grade

The intrinsic human ability to recognize order has often been a foundation of proof that a higher purpose exists. Many people believe that sequences and patterns in the universe are evidence that human life was intended to have meaning. However,...

Dostoevsky's Existentialism in Crime and Punishment Anonymous 12th Grade

A key tenet of existentialism is that as humans, we are all surrounded by absurdity. The very world we live in is absurd, and our actions are the only thing that we have complete control over. In Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment , Raskolnikov...

Nonconformity: Condemnation Anthony Haddad

"Society is a masked ball, where every one hides his real character, and reveals it in hiding." ---Ralph Waldo Emerson

A society constrained to specific social standards reprimands those who do not conform to such principles. In the process, a...

Irony Of The Stranger Sugato De

"Society is a masked ball, where every one hides his real character, and reveals it in hiding."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

A society constrained to specific social standards reprimands those who do not conform to such principles. In the process, a supreme...

The Stranger: Existential Martyrdom Anonymous

The death of a loved one is typically one of the most emotionally distressing events people face, particularly when that person is a parent. In most societies, it would be considered taboo for a son to respond to his parent's demise with...

The Effectiveness of Violence in The Stranger Christina Harrison

Albert Camus's novel The Stranger is an extremely explicit work describing violent acts witnessed by a narrator who seems to be wholly unaffected by their brutality. The novel begins with death - "Mamman died today" (3) - and ends with the...

Truth Dawning: The Sun as a Symbol for Meursault's Awareness in Albert Camus' The Stranger Catherine Morrison

Truth Dawning:

The Sun as a Symbol for Meursault's Awareness in Albert Camus' The Stranger

In his novel "The Stranger," Albert Camus uses the relentless Algerian sun as a metaphor for the awareness of reality that pursues his main character,...

Sympathy for Protagonists of The Stranger and Metamorphosis Daniel Kell

In Camus’ The Stranger and Kafka’s Metamorphosis, the protagonist finds himself in an extraordinary situation that challenges his will. In both novels, this initially unsympathetic character struggles to redeem himself. In so doing, his identity...

Super Women Anonymous

The main female characters of Sonia and Marie in Crime and Punishment and The Stranger, respectively, do more than faithfully support Raskolnikov and Meursault in their times of need. Their roles structure the men’s characters and ultimately help...

Symbolism and Characterization in The Stranger and First Confession Ben Dong

In Albert Camus’s The Stranger and Montserrat Fontes’s First Confession, symbols and characterization play a major role in outlining each novel’s primary message. Both authors’ use of these literary elements contribute to the reader’s...

Absurdity in The Stranger Anonymous

In Albert Camus’ The Stranger, the main character, Mersault, is confronted with life’s absurdity after killing a man at a beach in Algiers. Mersault spends his days absorbed in living for the moment, granting little import to the past or future,...

Rejection of the Abnormal in The Metamorphosis and The Stranger Anonymous 12th Grade

Both Gregor Samsa from Franz Kafka’s novel The Metamorphosis and Meursault from Albert Camus’ The Stranger struggle to communicate with the people around them. Although Samsa suffers from physical abnormalities while Meursault possesses...

The Strangest Stranger Caitlin Tran 11th Grade

When Albert Camus’ novel, The Stranger, was first published in 1942, many readers did not know what to think of Meursault, the emotionally disconnected protagonist of Camus’ story. His absurdist views confused the masses that yearned for meanings...

A Comparison of How Alienation Affects the Protagonists of The Thief and the Dogs and The Stranger Mark Wheeler 12th Grade

In Naguib Mahfouz’s The Thief and the Dogs Albert Camus’ The Stranger, we are exposed to two very different characters, Said Mahran and Meursault. Both these characters are alienated from their societies, and change drastically as a result of this...

Clothing and Social Constructs in The Stranger Anonymous 12th Grade

In some novels, even the most minuscule ordinary objects are subjects of great importance and symbolism; after all, symbolism which adds meaning to the text that cannot be overlooked. In the work The Stranger by Albert Camus, outerwear holds a...

Meursault as an Outsider to Society, to Himself and to his Environment Eleni Achnioti 12th Grade

Albert Camus was an Algerian-French absurdist author, who wrote novels like The Outsider and The Plague. In The Outsider he tells the story of an emotionless and immoral character, Meursault, and how he deals with the norms of the society and the...

The Absurd and the Concept of Hope in Camus's Novels James Min 12th Grade

When one questions the existence of God, one often reverts to a specific, troubling question: “if God exists, why are there moral tragedies that cause such great suffering?” In other words, humans find it very difficult when there is an event or...

Philosophical Morality in A Clockwork Orange and The Stranger Anonymous 12th Grade

Many philosophers have believed for centuries that no intrinsic meaning exists in the universe. From this belief emerged many responses, including absurdism and existentialism. Although all are heavily influenced by the beliefs of Søren...

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Entertainment Anonymous 11th Grade

There is a Latin phrase “Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur,” which translates to “The world wants to be deceived, so let it be deceived” (Sebastian). These words resonate particularly well when applied to Albert Camus’ The Stranger. To conform...

Individualism and Escape: Hunger, The Metamorphosis, and The Stranger Anonymous 12th Grade

Choice is inescapable and inevitable to all who exist or have ever existed. When meeting a fork in the road, a decision is always made, even if no action is taken. Utterly paradoxical, even the act of no decision at all is stepping in one...

The Stranger: Meursault’s Virtues? Sam Bennett 10th Grade

Meursault, the main character in Albert Camus’s The Stranger , is an intriguing individual with a complicated relationship to the world around him. He is curious by nature, and often wonders about the reality and purpose of the situations he finds...

Twentieth Century Turmoil Reflections in Literature Crystal Wu 12th Grade

During the twentieth century, life in Europe changed drastically, due to the multitude of events and changes that crowded this century. From the wars to the effects of the Industrial revolution, the lives of Europeans were constantly changing,...

The Stranger Essay

The Stranger is one of the most famous novels by Albert Camus. The novel tells the story of Meursault, a man who is seemingly indifferent to the death of his mother and the trial that follows her death. The book has been praised for its exploration of freedom and death, two central themes in Camus’s philosophy. In The Stranger, Camus challenges our notions of what it means to be free and whether or not we can truly control our own destiny. The book is a powerful reminder that life is unpredictable and often meaningless, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t live it to the fullest.

The idea that individuals are free when they die is taken from The Stranger by Camus, as it is in all of his works. One dependent on the other, freedom and death are major themes in Camus’s view. For Camus, freedom springs from a sense of ones life; it is an intense magnificent existence that does not need to be redeemed or regretted. Death is unjustified and ridiculous; it simply represents a return to the cosmos for a liberated individual.

The key to this awareness is lucidity, seeing things as they are without illusions. The stranger is the character in The Stranger who most fully embodies and experiences these ideas. The novel also dramatizes the confrontation of the individual with an unjust, absurd world. The central problem of the novel is whether or not the stranger can maintain his freedom and integrity in the face of a hostile and indifferent universe. The answer to this question is ambiguous, and its ambiguity is one of the chief sources of the novels power.

In The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus explores the idea that life may have no inherent meaning but that it can be lived fully in accordance with ones own values. The title refers to the ancient Greek legend of Sisyphus, a man condemned by the gods to roll a heavy rock up a hill, only to have it roll back down again each time he nears the top.

The point of the story is that Sisyphus chooses to continue his task even though it is pointless; in so doing, he affirms life and gives it meaning. The character of Meursault in The Stranger may be seen as a modern-day Sisyphus. Like Sisyphus, Meursault is an individual who feels no connection to the world around him and who experiences life as meaningless. Yet he persists in living, despite the futility of existence. In this way, he too affirms life.

In a nutshell, The Stranger is a Camusian parable about the necessity of what is necessary for freedom. Meursault, the protagonist of The Stranger, is not a person one would encounter in real life in this regard; until the novel’s conclusion, Meursault was unable to attain enlightenment and freedom from Camus philosophy.

The Stranger begins with Meursault receiving a telegram informing him of his mother death. The first act that Meursault does is to go and inform his employer, for which he is reprimanded. From the very beginning, then, we see that Meursault is indifferent to the social conventions that most people live by. This indifference toward social conventions continues when Meursault attends his mother funeral. He shows no emotion whatsoever during the funeral, which shocks and upsets everyone else in attendance.

The only thing that Meursault seems to be concerned about is whether or not the funeral will interfere with his plans for the weekend.

After the funeral, Meursault goes on vacation with a friend named Raymond. While on vacation, they meet some Arabs, and Raymond gets into a fight with one of them. The next day, Meursault goes for a walk on the beach with Raymond and the Arabs. The Arabs spot them and start following them.

Meursault and Raymond eventually lose them, but when they go back to where they are staying, they see the Arabs again. The Arabs start throwing rocks at them, and one of the rocks hits Raymond in the face. The two men then go back to town to get a gun, and they go back to the beach and kill the Arabs.

Back in court, Meursault is found guilty of murder. The prosecutor tries to get him to show some regret or emotion for what he has done, but Meursault remains indifferent. The only thing that matters to him is whether or not he will be executed. In the end, Meursault is sentenced to death, and he accepts it without any regrets.

Camus’s philosophy is based on the idea that there is no inherent meaning in life, but that we can create our own meaning by living in accordance with our own values. This is what Camus calls “the absurd” – the recognition that life is ultimately meaningless, but that we can choose to live in a way that makes our life meaningful. The goal of Camus’s philosophy is to achieve a “state of freedom” in which we are able to live authentically, according to our own values, despite the absurdity of life.

Meursault is not able to achieve this state of freedom until the end of the book, but he is still living in accordance with Camus’s philosophy even though he is not aware of it. The fact that Meursault is indifferent to social conventions and does not care about anything except his own interests shows that he is living authentically, in accordance with his own values. The fact that he is willing to accept death without any regrets shows that he has achieved a state of freedom in which he is not afraid of death or of the absurd.

An irreligious person from a nation that has never heard of Christianity is an example of his counterpart in the Christian worldview. Having it explained to him by a missionary, he understands he has never sinned, which represents the morality and characteristics needed for liberty in this case. What was Meursault’s underlying moral value? His foremost character trait is his dedication to absolute knowledge. While Meursault’s truth of being and feeling takes this form, it remains true for the conquest of the self or the world.

The absolute, according to Camus, liberates. The second trait is Meursault’s courage in the face of death. The hero is he who faces death without flinching and thereby affirms life. To be sure, Meursault does not so much confront death as accept it as a natural phenomenon; but this is tantamount to the same thing. For Camus, life and death are two aspects of the same reality. The third quality is Meursault’s detachment or indifference to opinion. He does not care what people think of him; he lives for himself alone”

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Essay Samples on The Stranger

The psychological and sociological approach to writing in gimpel the fool.

Throughout, both, Gimpel the Fool by Isaac Bashevis Singer and Albert Camus’s The Stranger, they both have a psychological and sociological approach to both writings. Albert Camus and Isaac Bashevis Singer both associate philosophical imagery, the contradicting impression of God and the social construct in...

• The Stranger

Book Analysis: The Stranger, Savage Inequalities.

The Stranger by Albert Camus The Stranger by Albert Camus is written as a stream of consciousness that doesn’t have a direct or clear plot line, especially initially. Instead of an event relating to the next to form a coherent story, the thoughts of the...

• Savage Inequalities
• Social Inequality

Theme of Existentialism in The Stranger by Albert Camus

In the novel, The Stranger by Albert Camus, Meursault is a French man who just had his mother pass away. However, Meursault while he may not realize it is an existentialist. As we see him progress through the novel we notice that he lacks the...

• Existentialism

Analysis of Mersault's Behavior in The Stranger

The Stranger is Mersault, the storyteller and hero of the novel. He feels alone in the world. His story is isolated into two segments. Part I manages the normal undertakings of Mersault, with the exception of two key occasions. The story starts with the demise...

• Human Behavior

The Theme of Absurdity in "The Stranger" by Albert Camus

Absurdity in The Stranger by Albert Camus is a vastly discussed topic, mainly because Camus has managed to bring on a subject of humanity that is not often discussed. Absurdity, in philosophy, is the conflict to find meaning to something that doesn’t have meaning, and...

• Meaning of Life

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Analysis of Haeree Choi's Representation of Meursault's Character from "The Stranger"

In the image by Haeree Choi, the artist effectively represents the character Meursault in the book The stranger by making the painting meaningful of the surrounding of meursault and therefore the painting makes the person looking at the image have more of a feeling of...

Best topics on The Stranger

1. The Psychological and Sociological Approach to Writing in Gimpel the Fool

2. Book Analysis: The Stranger, Savage Inequalities.

3. Theme of Existentialism in The Stranger by Albert Camus

4. Analysis of Mersault’s Behavior in The Stranger

5. The Theme of Absurdity in “The Stranger” by Albert Camus

6. Analysis of Haeree Choi’s Representation of Meursault’s Character from “The Stranger”

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Essays on The Stranger

Prompt examples for "the stranger" essays, meursault's indifference to life.

Explore Meursault's character and his indifference to life, including his actions and emotions. How does his apathy shape the events of the novel, and what does it reveal about existentialism?

Existentialism in "The Stranger"

Analyze the existentialist themes present in the novel. How does Meursault's worldview and choices align with existentialist philosophy, and what existentialist concepts are evident in the story?

The Absurdity of Life

Discuss the theme of the absurd in "The Stranger." How does the novel portray the absurdity of human existence, and what role does it play in Meursault's actions and his trial?

The Trial and Social Conformity

Analyze Meursault's trial and its connection to societal norms and conformity. How do Meursault's actions challenge social conventions, and how does society react to his non-conformity?

Relationships in the Novel

Examine the relationships Meursault has with other characters in the novel, such as Marie and Raymond. How do these relationships reflect Meursault's emotional detachment, and what do they reveal about human connection?

The Symbolism of the Sun

Discuss the symbolism of the sun in "The Stranger." How is the sun used throughout the novel, and what does it represent in relation to Meursault's experiences and emotions?

Camus's Writing Style

Analyze Albert Camus's writing style in "The Stranger." How does his prose contribute to the overall mood and themes of the novel, and what literary techniques does he use to convey his ideas?

Meursault's Transformation

Examine any potential transformation or realization that Meursault experiences throughout the novel. Does he undergo any change in his worldview or attitude towards life by the end of the story?

Isolation and Alienation

Discuss the themes of isolation and alienation in the novel. How does Meursault's detachment from others and society contribute to his existential crisis and the events of the story?

Moral and Philosophical Questions

Explore the moral and philosophical questions raised by "The Stranger." What ethical dilemmas does Meursault's story present, and how do readers interpret his actions in a moral context?

The Character of Monsieur Meursault in The Stranger

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Existentialism in Albert Camus' The Stranger

Behavior and character of meursault in the stranger novel, meursault's understanding of life in the stranger, the role of the mother in albert camus' 'the stranger', let us write you an essay from scratch.

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Analysis of Meursault's Shift in Character in The Stranger

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Alienation in Hunger, Metamorphosis and The Stranger

Meursault as an existential character in the stranger, meursault nonconformist character in the stranger, a comparative analysis of how the protagonist in the stranger and the thief and the dog is affected by alienation, abnormality and isolation in the metamorphosis and the stranger, the effectiveness of brutality as depicted in the stranger, feeling mercy for the protagonist in the stranger and the metamorphosis, the virtues of meursault in the stranger, analysis of meursault in camus' the stranger, a study of the characterisation and use of symbols in the stranger and the first confession, women's contribution to meursault's enlightenment in the stranger, a reflection of the turmoil in the 20th century in literature, the meaning of salamano's canine in the stranger, a theme of society's self-deception in the stranger, "the stranger" by albert camus: an existential exploration of absurdity, the stranger setting analysis, the symbolism of "the stranger", meursault character analysis, is hamlet a good person.

• 1942 (Gallimard, French)
• 1946 (Hamish Hamilton, English)

Albert Camus

Novel, Philosophical fiction, Absurdist fiction, Reference work, Crime Fiction, Existential Fiction

Meursault, Salamano, Raymond Sintes, Marie Cardona, Masson

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Order bidding, list of 30 topics to write an essay about ‘the stranger’ by albert camus.

Every student knows Albert Camus from the school program. This author is popular by his other works such as ‘The Guest,’ ‘Caligula,’ ‘The Plague,’ and ‘The Myth of Sisyphus.’ WriteMyEssayOnline knows about strict demands students get about choosing topics for their essays. If you want to start the writing process with ease, our service prepared this list of research topics relating to ‘The Stranger’ by Albert Camus. Use one of them and enjoy your research on the topic you really like.

‘The Stranger’ Albert Camus Essay Topics

• What gives Meursault a feeling of calm and peace at the end of ‘The Stranger’? Analyze the evolution of Meursault’s character as he concludes.
• How does Albert Camus describe the relations between family and friends in his novel ‘The Stranger’?
• Is Meursault’s memory hindering or aiding the mourning process through the novel ‘The Stranger’ by Albert Camus?
• The alienation of an individual in Albert Camus’ novel ‘The Stranger.’
• The contrast of the protagonist and the resentment of others with the way they live lives in the novel ‘The Stranger’ by Albert Camus.
• Comparison of protagonists’ reactions towards death between ‘The Stranger’ by Albert Camus and ‘The Shawl’ by Cynthia Ozick.
• The society and its impact on the individual through ‘The Stranger’ by Albert Camus.
• Comparison of the system and the man between Albert Camus’ ‘The Stranger’ and George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm.’
• How does the prosecutor’s judgment in Albert Camus’ ‘The Stranger’ fair? How would you act as a lawyer on Meursault’s behalf? Write a defense of Meursault using evidence from the text.
• How does Albert Camus reveal nonconformity in ‘The Stranger’?
• The central message about life or truth the book ‘The Stranger’ conveys.
• A general statement about the causes and effects of human behavior in ‘The Stranger’ by Albert Camus.
• The fundamental ideas of ‘The Stranger’ by Albert Camus are freedom and death. How does the author connect them?
• Will the protagonist’s harsh punishment in ‘The Stranger’ by Albert Camus deter future criminals?
• How does violence affect the characters in ‘The Stranger’ by Albert Camus?
• Does the death penalty effectively deter crime? The individual point of view through the novel of Albert Camus’ ‘The Stranger.’
• What does Albert Camus mean by the absurd reactions of characters from the events that happen to them?
• How does Albert Camus use the genre of the absurd in his novel ‘The Stranger’?
• Feminism lens in ‘The Stranger’ and how Albert Camus reveals this theme.
• Compare ‘Metamorphosis’ by Franz Kafka and ‘The Stranger’ by Albert Camus by asking if the reader should criticize the judgments made by the societies that the two protagonists live in.
• The idea of the absurd in ‘The Trial’ by Franz Kafka and ‘The Stranger’ by Albert Camus.
• In what ways do Jean-Paul Sartre’s ‘Nausea’ and Albert Camus’ ‘The Stranger’ represent existentialism?
• The meaning of death in ‘The Stranger’ by Albert Camus.
• Is the world described in ‘The Stranger’ irrational?
• How does the realization of one’s place in the world affect how people see themselves in Hermann Hesse’s ‘Siddhartha’ and Albert Camus’ ‘The Stranger’?
• How does the prosecutor use rhetorical strategies to persuade his audience in Albert Camus’ ‘The Stranger’?
• The differences and similarities between Meursault from ‘The Stranger’ by Albert Camus and Ivan from ‘The Death of Ivan Ilyich’ by Leo Tolstoy.
• The individual style of Albert Camus used in his novel ‘The Stranger.’ How does Meursault’s language correspond to the subjects he describes?
• Comparison of protagonists from Albert Camus’ two novels ‘The Plague’ and ‘The Stranger.’
• What are the existential motives in Camus’ “Stranger”? What problems does the author rise in this novel?.

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Top 100 Stranger Essay Topics for Students

Sep 15, 2021 | 0 comments

Sep 15, 2021 | Topics | 0 comments

The Stranger by Albert Camus is a novel about Meursault, an indifferent man who commits suicide and commits incest with his mother. The book contains many moral lessons that you will find in essays written after reading it thoroughly. Though the topics are plentiful, students often find them difficult to choose from; however, those who read attentively can gain much more than they would expect out of this interesting story. We get students interested in the novel The Stranger by giving them excellent essay topics. We will list some of our favorites below, but we want you to feel free to choose your favorite from this list! These ideas are perfect for any student, and they can help you write an engaging paper on one of the most influential novels ever written.

• What Makes a Metaphysical Rebel in Albert Camus’ The Stranger?
• The Character of Masson in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Philosophical Background of Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Meursault as Anti-Christ in Albert Camus’s The Stranger
• Essay About The Death In Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Influential Characters in The Stranger by Albert Camus
• Callousness in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Philosophy in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Analysis of Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Meursault’s In Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Albert Camus’s The Stranger: The Nonconformist
• Albert Camus’ The Stranger: A World Without Purpose
• The Value of Life in Albert Camus’s The Stranger
• Disillusionment In Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Albert Camus’ The Stranger: The Absurdity Of Life
• Optimism In Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Allusions in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Why Is Meursault Considered To Be an Anti-Christ In Albert Camus’ The Stranger?
• Analysis Of The Rape Scenario In Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• The Character Of Emmanuel In Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Meursault’s Indifference In Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Meursault’s Subconscious Mind in The Stranger by Albert Camus
• Mortality in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Is Meursault Really A Monster in The Stranger by Albert Camus
• Cultural Analysis of Albert Camus’s The Stranger
• The Truthfulness of Meursault Albert Camus’s The Strange
• Symbolism in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• The appeal in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• The Role Of Existentialism In Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Stylistic Devices In Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• What makes Meursault a Sisyphus in The Stranger by Albert Camus
• Apathy In Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• The Motif of the Sun in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• The Character Of Raymond In Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• The Character Of Marie in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• The Idea of Existentialism in Albert Camus’s The Stranger
• The Role Of The Minor Characters In Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Freedom in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Defining Events in Albert Camus’The Stranger
• Love in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• The motif of Violence in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Moral Dilemmas Of Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• The Grief of Existentialism in The Stranger by Albert Camus
• Conformity in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Albert Camus’ The Stranger: The Meaning Of The Book’s Title
• Relationships in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• The Unemotional Meursault in Albert Camus’s The Strange
• Hospitality in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Literary Analysis of Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Albert Camus’ The Stranger: A Rational God Revealed In Nature
• The pursuit of Freedom As Depicted In Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Meursault’s Atheistic Views As Portrayed In Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• The Significance Of First-person Narration in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Similarities Between Albert Camus’s The Stranger and Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
• The Hero in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• The character of Meursault in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Albert Camus’ The Stranger: An Analysis of Title Choice
• Albert Camus’ The Stranger: The Meaning Of Life As Depicted In The Novel
• Albert Camus’ The Stranger – Man or Monster?
• The Major Themes in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• The Prevalence of Existentialism in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• The Absurdity in Albert Camus’ The Stranger

Table of Contents

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“The Stranger” by Albert Camus: Literary Analysis Essay

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Literary Analysis of The Stranger by Albert Camus

Literature has always been reflecting major trends in various spheres of social and political life at a certain period. Philosophical views also have an immense impact on the development of literary works which represent the core ideas of the epoch. The philosophy of existentialism emerged in Europe, sharing the ideas of individuality and freedom based on which people make decisions. Albert Camus is considered as existentialist, but he acknowledges his contributions to absurdism the basic principles of which are highlighted in his novel The Stranger .

Albert Camus is a famous author and philosopher who was born in the family of French expatriates in Algiers. He studied philosophy at the university so that after obtaining a degree he explored the concepts of existentialism in the middle of the 1930s and examined the principles of the absurdity of human existence several years later. Based on the analysis of the newly acquired philosophical ideas, Camus started to work on his first novel The Stranger .

It incorporates the ideas of absurdity which question the value and sense of human life depicted throughout the subjective experiences of the protagonist. He acts based on his prejudices and choices but realizes what he is doing and knows the value of words (Camus 100). In general, the literary works of the writer explore a search for justice, liberty, and faith in human dignity, disregarding the external factors and neglect of personal identity. Nevertheless, the philosophy of Camus states that people have enough opportunities to determine destiny by making deliberate choices but not chances determined by fate.

The themes of existentialism and absurdism are discussed in The Stranger , a novel about the man who considers the universe is pointless. Meursault, the protagonist, obviously lacks remorse when his mother dies so that his behavior is not typical during the funeral. When the caretaker invites him to the room, he drinks some coffee with milk and smokes (Camus 12). Such behavior is perceived as disrespectful and inadequate because people are usually upset when their family members pass away, while the main character remains unflappable.

Indeed, society is formed based on some ideological principles the neglection of which may lead to the disruptions and uncertainties in the system (Camus 101). Subsequently, the ideas of absurdism affect the audience because they define uncommon values associated with a differentiating behavior that expresses the inner self of the person rather than masks one’s true feelings and motivation for actions. In this case, the existentialism dogma questions the freedom of choice and juxtaposition of subjective and objective values.

The inner struggle between personal values and external expectations are clearly illustrated in the actions and thoughts of the protagonist. Camus admits that human beings form themselves based on their values and freedom of choice. Thus, Mersault takes his chance to fight with Arab and shoot him five times (Camus 59). This case proves that he is a man of a free will that is essential to support one’s human dignity.

Throughout the novel, the protagonist often refers to the power of the sun as the agent that usually provokes Meursault to lose temper and commit some unreasonable actions. Even during the examination when he is asked about the pause between the first and the second shot, the protagonist only reminds of the power of the burning sun on his forehead but could not explain anything (Camus 67).

The life of the main character is the sequence of random and impulsive choices that form his individuality. His values and preferences contradict the external social environment and identify him as a man with no remorse, lack of emotions, and moral premises. The concept of the stranger in the novel symbolizes an enemy of society who ignores fundamental rules (Camus 102). It means that the value of the freedom of choice and action is undermined by justice, ideologies, and moral principles that regulate social order.

Apart from the inability of the individual to resist the power of social regulations, and understanding of the role of religion constitutes another problem of existentialism discussed in The Stranger . The protagonist of this novel breaks the rules, declines the power of religion, questions the sense of life, but his mother said that happiness can be found in any aspect of life (Camus 113). Meursault is happy even before his death which makes him a respected hero of the existentialist philosophy.

Furthermore, he does not change his principles before execution so that during the last chaplain’s visit the protagonist confidently affirms that he still envisions no sense in religion (Camus 117). Despite rejecting the existence of God, Camus acknowledges that a world with no religion will be full of chaos so that everything would be uncontrolled due to no restrictions or moral regulations.

Overall, the themes of existentialism covered in The Stranger affect the audience by the irrationality of life and the inconsistency of the moral principles. The writer’s philosophy implies that people have enough freedom to determine their destiny by making deliberate choices. These actions form a particular individual through the evolvement of personal values that sometimes contradict social regulations and moral principles. Thus, the protagonist neglects the truth of religion, rebels against the rules, and lives an irrational life but declares himself happy, which makes him a respected existentialist hero.

Works Cited

Camus, Albert. The Stranger . Translated by Matthew Ward, Vintage, 1989.

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IvyPanda. (2020, December 13). "The Stranger" by Albert Camus: Literary Analysis. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-stranger-by-albert-camus-literary-analysis/

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IvyPanda . 2020. ""The Stranger" by Albert Camus: Literary Analysis." December 13, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-stranger-by-albert-camus-literary-analysis/.

1. IvyPanda . ""The Stranger" by Albert Camus: Literary Analysis." December 13, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-stranger-by-albert-camus-literary-analysis/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . ""The Stranger" by Albert Camus: Literary Analysis." December 13, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-stranger-by-albert-camus-literary-analysis/.

Everything begins with an idea!

The Stranger Essay Topics

The Stranger is a novel by Albert Camus. The novel’s storyline centers on Meursault, a man who is indifferent to all the things happening around him. Albert Camus has carefully included a lot of moral lessons in the storyline. Readers that aim to gain maximally from the novel will have to write essays about some topics in the book after reading it thoroughly. Although one will expect readers to get essay topics from this interesting novel easily, many of them, especially students, find it hard to do so. We like helping students get the best essay topics on a worthy book like this. For this reason, we shall list the best The Stranger essay topics for students to use. As you read on, you will find these topics. Go through them and choose the one you are most comfortable with. Every The Stranger essay idea that you find below is easy enough for students to write about, so be confident that you’ll easily know what to write about them. You will gain maximally from the novel when you use the topics below for essays.

• Analysis of Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Defining Events in Albert Camus’The Stranger
• Love in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Hospitality in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Mortality in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• The character of Meursault in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• The motif of Violence in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Literary Analysis of Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Moral Dilemmas Of Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Influential Characters in The Stranger by Albert Camus
• What makes Meursault a Sisyphus in The Stranger by Albert Camus
• Meursault’s Subconscious Mind in The Stranger by Albert Camus
• Philosophical Background of Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Philosophy in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• The pursuit of Freedom As Depicted In Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Symbolism in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Allusions in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Albert Camus’ The Stranger: The Absurdity Of Life
• The Hero in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Albert Camus’ The Stranger – Man or Monster?
• The Role Of Existentialism In Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• The Prevalence of Existentialism in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Albert Camus’s The Stranger: The Nonconformist
• Cultural Analysis of Albert Camus’s The Stranger
• The Idea of Existentialism in Albert Camus’s The Stranger
• Meursault as Anti-Christ in Albert Camus’s The Stranger
• The Unemotional Meursault in Albert Camus’s The Strange
• The Truthfulness of Meursault Albert Camus’s The Strange
• Similarities Between Albert Camus’s The Stranger and Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
• The Value of Life in Albert Camus’s The Stranger
• The Absurdity in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• The Grief of Existentialism in The Stranger by Albert Camus
• Is Meursault Really A Monster in The Stranger by Albert Camus
• Analysis Of The Rape Scenario In Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Albert Camus’ The Stranger: An Analysis of Title Choice
• The appeal in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Apathy In Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Conformity in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Albert Camus’ The Stranger: A Rational God Revealed In Nature
• What Makes a Metaphysical Rebel in Albert Camus’ The Stranger?
• Meursault’s Indifference In Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Albert Camus’ The Stranger: A World Without Purpose
• Optimism In Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Essay About The Death In Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• The Character of Masson in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Stylistic Devices In Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• The Motif of the Sun in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Disillusionment In Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Freedom in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Relationships in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• The Significance Of First-person Narration in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• The Character Of Raymond In Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Meursault’s In Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Why Is Meursault Considered To Be an Anti-Christ In Albert Camus’ The Stranger?
• Meursault’s Atheistic Views As Portrayed In Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• The Role Of The Minor Characters In Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Albert Camus’ The Stranger: The Meaning Of The Book’s Title
• Callousness in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• The Major Themes in Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• Albert Camus’ The Stranger: The Meaning Of Life As Depicted In The Novel
• The Character Of Emmanuel In Albert Camus’ The Stranger
• The Character Of Marie in Albert Camus’ The Stranger

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This Lenovo student laptop is usually $1,519 — today it’s $624

Student laptop deals are everywhere we look right now, and that’s because most retailers are in full back-to-school sales mode. Whether you’re looking for a low-cost laptop with zero frills, or a souped-up Alienware setup for weekend gaming, there’s no shortage of options on the market. Sometimes though, we stumble across an exceptional markdown that elevates one sale above all others. And today, the honor belongs to Lenovo:

For a limited time, the company is selling the Lenovo ThinkBook 16 for only $624. That’s a whopping $895 discount, which is why Lenovo has declared this a doorbuster sale.  

Why you should buy the Lenovo ThinkBook 16

Nestled smack-dab between entry-level laptops and flagship PCs, the ThinkBook 16 is packed with all the internals you’ll need for a fast and reliable high school or college computer. We’re talking an Intel Core i5-1335U CPU, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and Windows 11 Pro. From essay drafting to multimedia presentations, the ThinkBook 16 is designed to handle pretty much any scholarly workflow.  

Equipped with a 16-inch WUXGA IPS screen that delivers 300-nit peak brightness levels and a 60Hz refresh rate, the display’s anti-glare coating makes it easy to see in even the most brightly-lit classroom. HD movies and shows should look crisp, clear, and colorful, and the same goes for any PC gaming you plan on doing.

On a full charge, the ThinkBook 16 should provide a little over six hours of battery life. Other noteworthy features include a 1080p webcam, a built-in fingerprint reader, and several useful ports; including HDMI 2.1, USB-C, and an SD card reader.  

We’re not sure exactly how long Lenovo will be offering this discount for, so now is always the best time to buy. Save $895 when you order the Lenovo ThinkBook 16 directly through the manufacturer, and be sure to check out some of the other Lenovo laptop deals we found today!  

We also have a more general list of laptop deals , including markdowns from popular brands like Lenovo, Dell, and HP! While not all brands are created equal, these are definitely three of the best names in the PC business.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The Dell XPS 14 and 16 both have hefty price cuts today
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• Samsung’s MacBook alternative is more than $600 off today

If you're a student, you probably don't have a massive budget to buy a new laptop, but luckily, there are some excellent laptop deals that you can take advantage of. You can absolutely get all your work done on the best budget laptops without too much hassle, although if you do want to spend a little bit extra, then there are options there, too. For those who don't rely on Windows, you can also consider grabbing yourself some Chromebook deals, and while these may not compete with the best laptops, they get pretty close depending on how much you want to spend.

Below, you'll find some of the cheaper options of HP laptop deals, Dell laptop deals, Acer laptop deals, and Lenovo laptop deals. HP Laptop 14 -- $200, was $250

Microsoft is the home of one of the better laptop deals at the moment, with up to $600 off select models of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2. The discount varies depending on the specification you go for, so essentially the more you spend, the bigger the saving. Models start from $1,900 instead of $2,000 and the highest end option costs $3,100 instead of $3,700. We’re on hand to take you through all the different options available so you can find what works best for you and your budget. These deals will end on August 25. To check out all the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 options, click the link below or keep reading while we take you through it.

Why you should buy the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 It wasn’t that long ago that the idea of Microsoft being one of the best laptop brands felt unimaginable. Since then though, its Surface series has easily earned that place. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2, for instance, is designed for creative professionals so it’s powerful and stylish.

Whether you need a laptop for professional use or something more entry level, you can’t go wrong with a Lenovo laptop. Lenovo is also a great laptop brand to shop if you want some of the best laptop deals available. Despite its popularity and typical place among the best laptop brands, Lenovo laptops almost always see a discount. There are all sorts of Lenovo laptop deals taking place right now, so we’ve made shopping a little easier by rounding up the best Lenovo laptop deals below. You can read onward for all of those details, and if you aren’t finding what you’re looking for among what Lenovo has to offer you can check out the current Dell laptop deals, HP laptop deals, and MacBook deals. Lenovo IdeaPad 1 — $200, was $250

The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 is a great alternative to the best budget laptops. It’s hard to beat this price tag when it comes to a Lenovo laptop, and even at this price point, the IdeaPad 1 doesn’t hold back on features. It has 14-inch HD display that’s great for binge watching on, and it’s about as portable as most laptops get, coming in at just over three pounds and not much more than half an inch thick. You’re able to connect an HD monitor to this laptop via HDMI connection, and a built-in webcam with privacy shutter and dual array microphone makes it a great way to keep in touch with family, friends, and colleagues.

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The Artist Tackling One of Our Last Taboos

Camille Henrot has filled a gap in the canon by investigating the labor of motherhood.

The multidisciplinary artist Camille Henrot in her Flatiron district studio in Manhattan on May 16, 2024. Credit... Justin French

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By Sasha Weiss

Photographs by Justin French

• Aug. 16, 2024 Updated 11:46 a.m. ET

AFTER HER FIRST son was born in 2018, the painter, sculptor and conceptual artist Camille Henrot returned to the studio, eager to make work about anything other than birth. But to her surprise, sheets of blank white paper had become unbearable, and she soon found herself painting them a deep red, a color she’d never been drawn to before. “The whole studio looked like a blood factory,” she said, laughing. One day she went out to walk her dog, and a stranger asked if she was OK. She realized that her clothing was smeared with red paint — she looked as if she had just been through some violent event. “ Am I OK?” she wondered. Maybe the aversion to white came from memories of being in the hospital, she thought. Or maybe it was about understanding “the dark side of the worship of purity and minimalism.” Whatever the reason, she started making many red paintings, some of which depicted women pumping milk.

She had stumbled into a gap in art history. While there’s no shortage of representations of mothers with their children, Henrot could find few of mothers on their own. The mother is “never dissociated from the gaze that turns her into an object or attribute of the child,” she writes in a 2023 essay called “Pump and Dump.” She thought of the pervasive image of the Pietà, but “that is a very disagreeable archetype because it’s an archetype of extreme suffering,” she told me recently. How, she’d wondered, could she portray a mother in a more neutral situation, as a subject in her own right?

Henrot scoured books and the internet for images of breast pumping — a technology that had been in use for millenniums but had almost never been depicted in painting. It’s a task that represents so many of the contradictory demands of motherhood — sitting still amid what can feel like nonstop motion, performing labor that isn’t compensated or particularly valued yet can also be a source of pleasure and pride. For Henrot, the hours she spent pumping were a nice break. The swooshing of the breast pump was soothing. It reminded her of summers in her youth when she milked goats at a farmhouse that her family rented in Chamonix, France.

The drawings and paintings that emerged from her pumping research became part of a series she titled “Wet Job” (2018-20). Like many of Henrot’s works, they are elegant yet childlike, with a tint of menace. In one, a brilliant red figure sits naked, with one leg folded across her knee, a pump attached to each breast, their cords snaking back to a compact yellow case. Her posture is relaxed, her big toe flicked upward, perhaps keeping time to the pump’s rhythmic underwater sounds. Her head is elongated, as if in a medieval helmet or a shroud. Milk seems to leak out of the pump onto her right breast and pool on her stomach. The image is ambiguous: inviting and sensuous and also a little gross, which is exactly what pumping is like, and the intersection where Henrot likes to place her work.

MOTHERHOOD HAS LONG been put in tension with serious art making. The feminist pioneer Judy Chicago, 85, lamented in 1985 that “as soon as one gives birth to a child, one is no longer free,” writing sympathetically of “a highly gifted artist whose conflicts between self-fulfillment and her child’s needs tear her apart with guilt.” Two decades later, Tracey Emin, now 61, whose most famous artworks include a catalog of the people she’s slept with and an installation of her own disheveled bed, said, “There are good artists who have children. … They are called men.” (Chicago and Emin never had children.) The conceptual artist Mary Kelly, 83, described being a woman artist as a “double negative.” Her own piece “Post Partum Document” (1973-79) is a rare example in contemporary art of a mother making serious work from her experience. In “Document,” Kelly investigated her son’s development — printing diagrams drawn from Lacanian psychoanalysis alongside her son’s stained diaper liners, making casts of his tiny hands and indexing minute shifts in his behavior.

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