Albert Camus who believed in “Absurdism” and was quite vocal about it puts across a story in “The Stranger” that is rooted and stays true to his belief.
Mersault, the protagonist in this novel hears about the demise of his mother in the retirement home that he left her in. He reaches the home for her funeral, but he is not able to feel any sense of grief and he refuses to see his mother’s face for one last time. Since, he is not able to feel any grief which is expected out of him by the society he lives in, he looks like a stranger to himself. The novel starts off with this interesting yet strange scene.
The journey of Mersault from leading a life that he thinks is filled with meaningless events to accepting the inevitability of death is brilliantly portrayed. What makes Mersault feel a stranger in the society is society’s compulsive need to search for a rationale behind one’s actions or the happenings everyday.
When Mersault is on trial for a crime in the later half of the novel, the same compulsive need makes the jury stand against the fair judgement of the crime. But, some of Mersault’s actions seem strange to us, even if it is justified from his point of view - may be we are driven by society’s collective mindset too!
The characters in the novel who influence Mersault’s actions are well written. These characters and how they link themselves with the protagonist are well established. Finally, when these characters serve as witnesses in Mersault’s trial, there is a proper closure to each of them.
A slow paced yet impactful novel!
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