1. Albert Camus The Stranger

2. Background: - Born 1913 in Algeria - French father – dies early - Spanish mother – illiterate Algeria: - country in northern Africa - colony of France until 1950’s - dominantly Arab, considered second class citizens - French ruled by intimidation

3. Philosophies Not an existentialist, but his works are considered existential in nature Camus and Sartre held common beliefs: Universe is chaotic There is no divinity Freedom surmounts basic despair Absurdist Life defies logical explanation Life is ultimately irrational Life still has value and is worth living because meaning is found in human experience.

4. The Absurds Camus wrote three pieces during World War II while in exile from Algeria: Novel: L’Etranger Essays: Le Mythe de Sisyphe Play: Caligula

5. L’Etranger Although The Stranger is often seen with a humanist slant, it is Camus’ eventual rejection of the humanist idea of solidarity as the guiding value in life which seperates Camus from Sartre The novel is structured into three deaths, beginning with the protagonists mother.

6. “For Camus, the absurd was not negative, not a synonym for the “ridiculous”, but the true state of existence. Accepting the view that life is absurd is to embrace a realistic view of life: the absence of universal logic.” (Wyatt) “Absurdity does not render life meaningless, people have meaning because they interact with each other, while remaining in control of their own destinies.” (Wyatt)