The Stranger summary

After Meursault’s aimless Sunday, we are introduced to his neighbors. One is Salamano, a widowed, older man who routinely berates and abuses his poor, mangy old dog. Then there’s Raymond Sintés, a notoriously unsavory character who engages Meursault in conversation.

Despite rumors surrounding Raymond's poor reputation, Meursault finds his company intriguing and agrees to join him for some sausage and wine. He isn’t excited to spend time with this neighbor, but he also can’t identify a reason why he shouldn’t accept the offer. After all, it would save him the trouble of making his own dinner. 

As Raymond, Meursault, and Marie are starting their journey to the beach, Raymond motions for Meursault to look across the street. A group of Arab men are standing by a tobacco shop, and one of them is the brother of his mistress. Raymond assures them it should be fine, and they continue walking.

They take a bus toward the outskirts of Algiers, toward the beach, and finally meet the other couple – a man named Masson and his wife – at the beach house. They all enjoy a swim together as well as a nice home-cooked meal. After, the men go for a walk together and realize that the Arab men have followed them.

As the second part begins, Meursault has been arrested and the authorities are trying to figure out the details of what happened. As always, Meursault is honest in answering questions, but his dispassionate, indifferent responses are met with frustration and bewilderment.

This is most apparent in his interactions with the young, eager lawyer who’s been assigned to his case. At first, the lawyer is optimistic, assuring Meursault that there’s a good chance this case will go in his favor. Yet, when the lawyer informs him that the prosecutors have been investigating his private life and are interested in the recent death of his mother, things begin to take a turn.

After a year in prison, Meursault’s trial finally begins. As he’s brought into the courtroom, he’s surprised by how many people there are. Unbeknownst to him, his case has become a popular item in the local newspapers. He’s also surprised by how oppressive the heat is. The windows are closed, making the air thick and stifling. As he sits in the dock, surrounded by curious eyes, he feels like a passenger on a crowded streetcar being scrutinized by strangers.

As the proceedings begin, a series of witnesses take the stand, and we hear the events of the first part of the book play out once again, this time under the intense scrutiny of the lawyers. 

Welcome to the last section, where we’ll dig into some of the themes of Camus’s The Stranger. 

As you can probably imagine, The Stranger has been scrutinized and debated pretty much nonstop since its publication. Two of the biggest themes that tend to come up are absurdism and existentialism.