"The Stranger" by Albert Camus Quiz

Answer: Algeria

Meursault was a French Algerian, as was Albert Camus. In "The Stranger", Meursault mirrors Camus in a number of other ways. Camus was brought up in near poverty and Meursault is a man also of little money. Meursault works as a clerk, work that Camus had once also done. And Meursault is an atheist, as was Camus.

Answer: His mother

The book opens with Meursault on a bus, then he arrives at the nursing home where his mother lived, he attends her wake, and then her funeral.

During these events he never expresses any sorrow for the death of his mother. He remains very calm and carefully observes all that he sees when at the nursing home. He thinks fondly of his mother but does not miss her in any fashion.

Answer: Marie

Meursault finds joy in spending romantic time with Marie. He is kind to her and she is fond of him. Meursault clearly is not devoid of human emotion; however, Marie is surprised when he tells her that his mother had just died.

Answer: He writes the letter

Although Raymond is clearly a bad man, Meursault helps him to do his dirty work. Meursault does not look down at or fear Raymond's evil ways; he accepts Raymond for who he is and even becomes his friend.

While Meursault is amoral (without morality), Raymond is immoral (with bad morality).

Answer: Went back to the beach house

Now the chaos begins. How did poor Meursault get himself involved in this nonsense? Just earlier in the novel, things had been so peaceful and carefree for him.

Camus has brilliantly brought us into his philosophy of the absurd. We immediately want to be in control and understand our human situation; but the truth, Camus demonstrates, is that we are not in control and we are unable to understand. Yes, this is uncomfortable; but it still is the truth.

Answer: He shoots him

"Then everything began to reel before my eyes, a fiery gust came from the sea, while the sky cracked in two, from end to end, and a great sheet of flame poured down through the rift. Every nerve in my body was a steel spring, and my grip closed on the revolver.

The trigger gave, and the smooth underbelly of the butt jogged my palm. And so, with that crisp, whip crack sound, it all began. I shook off my sweat and the clinging veil of light. I knew I'd shattered the balance of the day, the spacious calm of this beach on which I had been happy.

But I fired four shots more into the inert body, on which they left no visible trace. And each successive shot was another loud, fateful rap on the door of my undoing."

Answer: His atheism

Meursault is a French Algerian who has murdered an Arab Algerian. All he has to do is to play along with the lawyer and the magistrate and his punishment will be light. But Meursault refuses to be a phony! He will not pretend that he had feelings at his mother's funeral; nor will he pretend to believe in God.

Thus, these two characteristics become Meursault's crime. Sadly, no one cares about the dead Arab.

Answer: A monster

"After asking the jury and my lawyer if they had any questions, the Judge heard the doorkeeper's evidence. On stepping into the box the man threw a glance at me, then looked away. Replying to questions, he said that I'd declined to see Mother's body, I'd smoked cigarettes and slept, and drunk café au lait. It was then I felt a sort of wave of indignation spreading through the courtroom, and for the first time I understood that I was guilty."

This quote from "The Stranger" makes it very clear that it is for Meursault's behavior at his mother's funeral for which he is being tried, not for any other crime he may or may not of committed.

Answer: Absurd-ism

The notion of the Absurd contains the idea that in human life the only real meaning is that what we choose to assign to it. No one person or thing is bad or good unless we decide to believe that they are.

Because tragedy is all too familiar to humanity we can never have the confidence then we are in complete control. Ironically, Camus himself died in an auto accident at a young age and at the height of his popularity.

Answer: Not given

Once alone again Meursault is able to relax. No longer is he nervous and afraid of his execution. His outburst on the unkind priest is the one time in the novel that Meursault shows excessive emotion. It is his catharsis.

Meursault knows that he is innocent, but what is more important is that now he deeply feels that the awesome universe knows that he is innocent. What does it matter what all those silly courtroom people think; in fact, Meursault hopes that all those silly people scream hatred at him during his execution.