The Stranger By Albert Camus: A Cultural Analysis

The sun beams down, its smoldering rays spread to all they can reach. In the distance there stands a man, Monsieur Meursault, his hand in his pocket clenching the trigger of a gun. He stands there, watching another man along the beach, the Arab, anticipating him to make a move. And at the sight of seeing the Arab move, Meursault raises the gun and shoots -- hesitates a moment more then, fires four more shots at the now still body.
Most people when trying to understand why things happen, ask the question: why? And most of time the answer to this question never ceases to include an individual's viewpoints, beliefs and feelings. For it is these very things that shape how others see the world. He lives an emotionless, removed man in a world filled of people who value the very things he deems unimportant. The culture of people around him, are ones who need explanations for why things happen or why things don’t happen. However, the main character of Albert Camus’s The Stranger, Monsieur Meursault sees no purpose in the
However, similar to how he reacted at his mother's funeral, he showed the same indifference, replying to her romantic gesture with the same phrase, “It doesn't matter”. The fact of the matter is that to Meursault it wouldn’t make a difference to him whether they get married or not, things would still be the same before, during and after. While the disconnect from his mother’s funeral proved he felt no sadness, the disconnect from Marie’s proposal shows he is incapable of expressing happiness in a situation in which happiness is typically felt. The same, “so what” mentality is shown in both of the varying events further showing how withdrawn Meursault is from the rest of society. He accomplishes the impossible task of feeling nothing, no matter what situation he is faced