El Extranjero

INTRODUCTION
Although The Stranger is the first novel of Albert Camus, a well-known twentieth century French author, it is usually considered his best work. The book is written in anautobiographical mode with Camus incorporating a part of his early personal life into its pages. In spite of its autobiographical nature, Camus maintains a critical distance with the reader through his use of thenarrator/protagonist, Mersault. Through Mersault, Camus portrays the social conditions and injustices existing in the Arab community in Algiers. As he describes the inadequacies of the legal system,Camus also describes the degradation of mankind. Although The Stranger was started much earlier, it was not published until 1942. Written between the two world wars, it reflects the negative attitude ofthe times.
SETTING
The novel is set primarily in Algiers, after it has been invaded and colonized by the French. The narrative proclaims the dark humor and the pessimism of the younger generationthat resents the French presence in Algeria. Since the novel was written after World War I and before the outbreak of World War II, a sense of absurdity and hopelessness is visible throughout thebook. The book is also set in a small beach town outside of Algiers. It is on the beach that Mersault kills the Arab.
LIST OF CHARACTERS
Major Characters
Mersault
The protagonist and narrator ofthe novel. He is a young man caught in a situation that is essentially futile and absurd. He is drawn into a conflict with a group of Arabs because of his neighbor, Raymond, and winds up killing oneof them. After the murder, he is taken into custody, put on trial, and sentenced to execution on the guillotine.
The Prosecutor
The public prosecutor who deals with the murder case involvingMersault. In a way, he serves as the spokesperson of the society.
The Chaplain
A religious leader who unsuccessfully attempts to make Mersault admit his guilt and ask forgiveness. He stands for the...