The Lone Stranger, By Albert Camus

The Lone Stranger
To some a life has a purpose, but to others a life is only a life. In The Stranger by Albert Camus is not a typical romance novel. It is about a man named Meursault, who endures the sudden loss of his mother but feels no pain or remorse in her passing because he lives for the sensual pleasures of the present moment, free of any system of values. The next day he reunites with a long lost love and they reconnect with each other. Meursault later kills an Arab and is convicted of premeditated murder because he feels no regret for killing him. Throughout the novel he is criticized by other people all because he lives an honest life and refuses to sanction feelings that he does not possess. He is faced by challenges that lead to numerous people looking at
Three people help explain how Meursault fits the definition of an absurd hero by showing how he views the world and existence, they include, his girlfriend Marie Cardona, the Magistrate,
When Meursault’s mother had died the caretaker was present at the funeral conversing with Meursault. The caretaker had been telling him stories about his mother. That is when Meursault says, “I wanted a cigarette. But I wasn’t sure if I should smoke, under the circumstances—in Mother’s presence. I thought it over; really, it didn’t seem to matter, so I offered the keeper a cigarette, and we both smoked” (7). Meursault could not see anything wrong with smoking a cigarette next to his mother’s coffin because of his sensual pleasures. Meursault wanted a cigarette so he had a cigarette regardless of how others may judge him. This action comes back to hurt Meursault in the trial when the caretaker talks about Meursault saying, “I’d declined to see Mother’s body, I’d smoked cigarettes and slept, and drunk coffee” (56). After Meursault hears this he realizes that the actions that were committed had been wrong and he now is believing that he is