The Stranger....Two questions please?

Question

Can someone give me a little detailed information on Meursault's thought through the last chapter...and what conclusion does he come to about life?....

Thanks

Answer 1

'The Stranger' by Albert Camus is an excellent novel! (you may want to read 'The Trial' by Franz Kafka as a point of comparison). Below is an excerpt on Meursault, somewhat relevant to what you are looking for.

Meursault’s raison d’étre is grounded in the physical and sensual planes of existence. He refuses to dedicate his life to beliefs as the chaplain does, who he sees as “living like a dead man.” In a moment of crystallised understanding, Meursault realises that he yearns for Marie, her face appearing to him in “the colour of the sun and burning with desire.” The terms ‘colour’, ‘sun’, ‘burning’, ‘desire’ form a cumulative lexical field, showing the importance of physical pleasure to Meursault. He is exactly as Camus states, a “poor and naked man, in love with a sun which leads no shadows.” Meursault cannot understand the intricacies of society, the concept of ‘half-lies’ and ‘white-lies’; he can only see black and white, truths and lies, and the concept of grey ambiguity which society demands is foreign to him. Society cannot accept the apparent irrationality of Meursault’s actions, in his immeasurable yearning for physical contentment; the society of Meursault is founded upon rituals and expectations, in an attempt to endow existence with meaning. Meursault lives his life instinctually, and thus often neglects social constructs, repeatedly infringing upon taboos. His failure to perceive social boundaries make him infinitely more dangerous towards society. Meursault provides no motives for murdering the Arab, nor does he have any explanation why he fired four more times into a dead body. Society attaches significance to Meursault’s actions, and his inadvertent murder of the Arab is believed to be “premeditated.” This sentiment is expressed by the prosecutor, who categorically states that Meursault’s crime was “no ordinary murder, a thoughtless act which you might consider extenuated by circumstances.” Society does not recognize motiveless crime based solely on instinct, and is sufficiently threatened by his lack of justification to attach false labels to Meursault. In addition, Meursault is essentially an amoral character; his actions are not founded on principles, but on impulse. However, society perceives in this amorality an “unconscionable immorality”. Threatened by what it perceives to be a “heart…so empty that it forms a chasm which threatens to engulf society,” society oppresses Meursault, interpreting innocent traits as attributes of an “immoral monster.” In reality, Meursault as not so much an immoral monster, but perhaps something even more frightening; he is amoral.

Meursault accepts and bares his soul open to the “benign indifference of the world”. Through self-reflection, Meursault verifies a hidden knowledge of the absurd truth, and realises a self-created purpose of pursuing physical pleasures. Meursault eventually comprehends the entire truth, and in doing so achieves contentment in life.