The Stranger — Chapter-by-Chapter Notes
Use this as you read - important points and questions for each section
☀️ Part I: The Free State (Chapters 1-6)
Chapter 1: The Funeral
What Happens
- Meursault receives word that his mother has died in a home at Marengo.
- He travels there, refusing to see her body. He smokes, drinks coffee, and sleeps by the casket.
- He doesn’t cry. He is more bothered by the heat and the long walk during the funeral procession.
- He returns to Algiers, feeling relieved that he can sleep for twelve hours.
Important Points
- The Opening Line: “Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday; I can’t be sure.” This immediately establishes Meursault’s emotional detachment.
- Physical vs. Emotional: Meursault’s “suffering” is entirely physical (heat, fatigue). He lacks the social vocabulary for grief.
- The Crowd: The other old people at the home cry. Meursault watches them like an outsider watching a strange ritual.
Questions to Consider
- Does Meursault’s lack of crying mean he didn’t love his mother?
- Why does he focus so much on the technical details of the travel and the heat?
Chapters 2-3: The Return to Algiers
What Happens
- Meursault goes for a swim and meets Marie Cardona, a former coworker. They go to a movie (a comedy) and start an affair.
- He returns to his routine. He meets his neighbors: Salamano, who abuses his dog but loves it, and Raymond Sintès, a local pimp.
- Raymond asks Meursault to write a letter to lure his mistress back so he can beat her. Meursault agrees because he “doesn’t mind.”
Important Points
- The Movie: Going to a comedy the day after his mother’s funeral is a key piece of evidence used against him later.
- Raymond vs. Meursault: Raymond is motivated by emotion (revenge, honor). Meursault is motivated by compliance and lack of effort.
- Salamano and the Dog: They mirror a traditional relationship (love/hate/dependency) which contrasts with Meursault’s lack of dependency on anyone.
Questions to Consider
- Why does Meursault agree to help Raymond, even though he knows Raymond is a “pimp” and a “bad guy”?
- Is Meursault’s relationship with Marie based on love or just physical proximity?
Chapters 4-5: The Escalation
What Happens
- Raymond beats his mistress; the police intervene. Meursault testifies for Raymond, saying the woman “cheated” (which he doesn’t actually know).
- Marie asks Meursault if he wants to marry her. He says it “doesn’t make any difference” but he’s willing if she wants to.
- Meursault’s boss offers him a promotion in Paris. Meursault refuses, saying “one never changed his way of life.”
- Salamano’s dog goes missing; Salamano is devastated.
Important Points
- The Refusal of Ambition: Meursault rejects the “Paris” offer—the traditional path of social climbing. He is content with nothing.
- The Marriage Proposal: This scene is the ultimate example of Meursault’s honesty. He won’t lie and say he loves her just to satisfy a social script.
Questions to Consider
- Why does Marie want to marry a man who says it “doesn’t matter”?
- Compare Meursault’s reaction to his mother’s death with Salamano’s reaction to losing his dog.
Chapter 6: The Beach (The Crime)
What Happens
- Meursault, Marie, and Raymond go to a beach house owned by Masson. They are followed by a group of Arabs, including the brother of Raymond’s mistress.
- There is a scuffle; Raymond is wounded.
- Meursault returns to the beach alone, blinded by the sun. He encounters “the Arab.”
- Overwhelmed by the heat and the light reflecting off the Arab’s knife, Meursault fires his gun once, then four more times into the lifeless body.
Important Points
- The Sun as Antagonist: Camus describes the sun as a physical weight, a “blade” that causes the murder. It is a “crime of the elements.”
- The Four Extra Shots: These shots are crucial. The first might have been an accident/reflex; the next four are a “knocking on the door of unhappiness.”
Questions to Consider
- Why does Meursault go back to the beach with a gun?
- Describe the sensory details of the murder scene. How do they replace “motivation”?
⚖️ Part II: The Trial (Chapters 1-5)
Chapters 1-2: The Investigation
What Happens
- Meursault is arrested. His lawyer is frustrated by Meursault’s honesty.
- The Examining Magistrate (The “Judge”) tries to get Meursault to turn to God for forgiveness. Meursault refuses, leading the Judge to call him “Monsieur Antichrist.”
- Meursault adjusts to prison life, eventually realizing that “killing time” is his only occupation.
Important Points
- The Antichrist: The legal system is built on religious moralism. Meursault’s lack of faith is seen as more threatening than the murder itself.
- The Adaptation: Meursault realizes that memory can replace experience. He spends hours mentally inventorying his room at home.
Questions to Consider
- Why is the Magistrate so obsessed with Meursault’s lack of belief in God?
- How does Meursault’s perspective change when he is deprived of the sun and the sea?
Chapters 3-4: The Trial
What Happens
- The trial begins. The prosecutor focuses almost entirely on Meursault’s behavior at his mother’s funeral.
- Witnesses (Marie, Raymond, the Director of the Home) are questioned about Meursault’s “soul.”
- The prosecutor argues that Meursault is a monster whose cold heart led to the death of his mother and thus the murder of the Arab.
- Meursault is found guilty and sentenced to be beheaded in public.
Important Points
- The Trial as Theatre: Meursault feels like an audience member at his own trial. He sees the lawyers “talking about me” rather than to him.
- The Nameless Victim: Notice that throughout the trial, the victim’s name is never mentioned. The trial is about Meursault’s “character,” not the “Arab.”
Questions to Consider
- Is it fair to use someone’s lack of grief as evidence of their guilt in a murder?
- Why does Meursault say he killed the Arab “because of the sun”? Why does this make everyone laugh?
Chapter 5: The Execution (The Epiphany)
What Happens
- Meursault refuses to see the Chaplain several times. Finally, the Chaplain enters and tries to force a confession.
- Meursault explodes in rage, grabbing the Chaplain and shouting that nothing matters—not God, not afterlife, not morality.
- After the Chaplain leaves, Meursault feels purged. He looks up at the night sky and recognizes “the gentle indifference of the world.”
- He feels happy and hopes for a large crowd of hateful spectators at his execution to seal his status as a “stranger.”
Important Points
- The Outburst: This is the most emotional Meursault ever gets. It is the moment he fully articulates his philosophy of the Absurd.
- The “Gentle Indifference”: By accepting that the world doesn’t care, Meursault finds a final, paradoxical peace.
Questions to Consider
- Why does Meursault feel “happy” at the end, even though he is about to die?
- What does he mean by wanting a “large crowd of spectators” to greet him with “cries of hate”?
📝 Your Notes
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Chapter-by-Chapter Notes created: 2025-12-25
For Great Literature 101 - Book 2 of 10