The Stranger Meaning

The title of The Stranger, by Albert Camus, points out the disconnects between both the characters of the story and the characters disconnects within themselves. Throughout the entire novel the characters connect on a very shallow level and only when they are in need of something. This inevitably leads to them never really understanding each other but just being with each other to escape loneliness and fit in with the social standards. The novel also exhibits how the characters sell themselves short of their true desires and settle for something much less than what they truly want, pointing out their internal disconnects. The title of The Stranger identifies with the concept of how the characters in the novel are both strangers to each other …show more content…
Mearusault shows no enthusiasm for anything in his life until the very end of the novel. Whenever Marie would ask Meauralt if he wants to marry her or if he loves her he would reply stating that it did not matter to him they could do whatever she wants to. These scenes help to point out that the relationship between Marie and Mearsaut is purely to show they both could have companionship. Their relationship has nothing to do with true love but more with the fact that they did not want to be alone. Mearsault saw Marie more as an opportunity; he did not ever display true affection towards her. Marie and Mearsault are ultimately strangers because they did not truly know anything personal about one another they just spent time with the other to fulfill their necessities. Mearsault shows no ambition or passion in his life, not even for his love interest. After Mearsult is arrested for shooting the Arab man he refuses to accept any type of religion, which makes all of the people at the trial see him as a monster. They point out the fact that he felt no grief towards his mother’s death, no remorse for the man that he shot, and ultimately no emotions towards any aspect of his life. Mearsaut highlights the fact that he is a stranger to himself because he realizes that he has never really been happy in life but does not do anything to try to fix this. The turning point for Mearsaut is when he realizes that his death is inevitable and that he will just have to accept the indifferences of the world. His internal dying wish is that he has a group of spectators at his execution that will remember him because of aspects they hate about him. This is the only moment in the novel where Mearsaut feels content and accepts his inner desirers. He is no longer a stranger to himself at this moment because he realizes what he truly desires, but this makes him even more