A Book Report

L’Etranger is a short novel written by Albert Camus and it was first published in 1942 in Oran by Gallimard.
Albert Camus was born in Algiers, Algeria, on November 7th, 1913, the second child of a soldier who was killed in World War I when Albert Camus was just one year old. The last work of Camus, Le premier homme, was just written in memory of his father. Unfortunately, Camus died from a traffic accident on January 4th, 1960, before the book was finished.
L’Etranger is divided into two parts and is composed of eleven chapters altogether. The hero of the book, Meursault, is known for his indifference to the world. He did not weep when he received the telegram telling him that his mother had died. He was unwilling to open the coffin to have a glance at his mother. He even smoked and had coffee by his mother’s coffin. After his mother was buried, he went swimming, went to movie with Marie, his girlfriend, and returned his residence with her for night. He agreed when his neighbor who was a rascal asked him to write a letter to wreak his mistress since he thought there was no reason to disappoint him. He showed no enthusiasm when his boss suggested he go to Paris to launch a branch office. He regarded Paris as an unsatisfactory place although almost everyone else was longing for developing there. He said OK when Marie expressed her wish to marry him. But when Marie asked whether he loved her or not, he said “maybe not”. At last, he killed a person unintentionally. He was not concerned about the accusation and the defense in the courthouse but he thought his attorney’s talent was not so excellent as the judge’s. Faced with the capital punishment, he even thought he had been and was happy. He also hoped that there would be enough people to show their hatred to him since he was not willing to be lonely when he was going to be put to death.
Readers always feel indignant and astonished because of Meursault’s passive attitude towards life, his dull reflection to the people and matters surrounding him, his nonchalance to the values people comply with and his strong demand for instinctive satisfaction. Actually Meursault is well-educated and used to hold so-called “ambition”. He also feels guilty when he has done something against the conservation. He does not go by the traditional values and is not willing to tell lie or to exaggerate something. He just wants to be an honest man. In author’s opinion, Meursault is normal, sensible, and intelligent, but he is not accepted by the world. Camus used to summarize the theme of L’Etranger as follows: “Anyone who does not cry when his mother is buried will run the risk of being sentenced to death.” But why not view something from another aspect? As a matter of fact, Meursault is the one who has abandoned the society instead of the one who is abandoned by the society. He has realized the split and the absurdity between man and the world.
We have mentioned “absurdity”. L’Etranger is regarded as a philosophical novel concerning and against absurdity. Since “absurdity” is sensed, Meursault’s passiveness and indifference have got a symbolized meaning which clarifies the novel philosophically. Camus pointed out that the absurd person was the one who did not deny eternity but never did anything for eternity, which will easily remind us of Meursault. L’Etranger is a successful novel whose independent existence demonstrates a kind of relationship, the one between man and the world. The reason why this relationship attracts us so much is that it forces us to question ourselves whether the world is obscure or discernible, whether it is reasonable or irrational, whether the people living in the world are happy or painful, whether the relationship between man and the world is harmonious or contradictory… Meursault has just answered these questions by his own experiences. He pursues a truth, that is to live honestly. Just as Camus wrote in the American version, “Meursault is far from insouciant. He holds some firm and deep passion which is about pureness and honesty.”
The readers of L’Etranger may have little idea of Meursault’s appearance but it’s impossible for them to forget him. They will easily recall him under many circumstances. The age is changing. The environment is changing. The social relationship is changing. But we will always remember that there was a man named Meursault living in France or in some other similar countries during World War II or during some other periods of time.