The Stranger

Raymond Sintes is the closest character to a villain in The Stranger. How does his character compare and contrast with Meursault?

Salamano and his dog are caught in a vicious cycle. How does their acrimonious relationship echo the travails of the other characters?

Meursault repeatedly tells Marie that he does not love her. Why does Marie remain loyal to Meursault despite his emotional unavailability?

Swimming is one of the few pastimes that Meursault misses while in prison. What is the significance of swimming in The Stranger?

Sintes’s pistol is taken by Meursault and used to kill a man. How does the pistol and its use represent Meursault’s emotional state? What does the pistol represent compared to the other weapons featured in the novel?

Meursault is one of the French Algerian characters in the novel. How do these characters acknowledge or ignore the colonialist nature of their existence? How is the theme of colonialism established and developed throughout the novel?

Consider the role of names in the novel. The young Algerian murdered by Meursault is referred to as the Arab, and his sister is known as Sintes’s mistress. The jailer, the judge, and the magistrate are known only by their titles. What is the significance of this lack of names?

The novel begins with Meursault’s mother’s funeral and ends with a court case in which Meursault’s actions at the funeral play a key role. What is the structural significance of the funeral, and how does the event reflect Meursault’s development as a character?