What are the themes and motifs in“The Outsider” by Albert Camus?

Answer

What are the themes and motifs in “ The Outsider/ The Stranger” by Albert Camus? [NU: 2020]

Albert Camus’s (1913–1960) “The Outsider” (1942) shows life as absurd. The hero Meursault is cut off from society. He feels no sorrow at his mother’s death. He kills an Arab on the beach. His trial shows themes of alienation, absurdity, and nature.

Alienation and Society: From the beginning, Meursault is shown as cut off from family. He says, 

“Mother died today. Or, maybe, yesterday; I can’t be sure.”

At Marengo, he does not cry at the funeral. He smokes and drinks coffee. The Caretaker talks, but Meursault stays quiet. Later, Thomas Pérez faints in the hot sun. Meursault only notices the heat. Society calls him heartless. At the trial, the Prosecutor says, 

“This man, who is morally guilty of his mother’s death, is no less unfit to have a place in the community.”

This shows alienation as a main theme.

Absurdity of Life: The murder of the Arab shows absurdity. At Masson’s beach house, Meursault walks alone. The sun blinds him. The Arab raises a knife. Meursault fires. He says, 

“It was because of the sun.” 

This reason shocks the court. It proves life has no clear meaning. In prison, the Chaplain asks him to pray. Meursault shouts, 

“I didn’t believe in God.” 

He accepts life is absurd. This motif of absurdity runs through the novel.

Nature as Motif: Nature plays a strong role. At the beach, Meursault enjoys swimming with Marie Cardona. The sea gives him joy. Later, the sun brings violence. During the funeral, he suffers from the heat. At the murder, the sun blinds him. He says the sun made him shoot. Thus, sun and sea become repeating motifs. They show both happiness and destruction.

“The Outsider” uses alienation, absurdity, and nature to build its meaning. Meursault is judged more for not crying than for killing.