The Stranger

Albert Camus · 1942 · Novel

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Existential alienation and moral ambiguity Moral Compromise in a Corrupt World The Unsolvable or Morally Ambiguous Case Individual alienation against oppressive systems

It is a foundational text of existentialism and absurdism, exploring themes of alienation, the meaninglessness of life, and the individual's confrontation with an indifferent universe.

What it is

Meursault, an indifferent and emotionally detached man, commits a murder and is subsequently tried, not for the crime itself, but for his perceived lack of grief at his mother's funeral.

↑Inherited from(1)

Crime and Punishment· 1866↑ open

Both protagonists grapple with profound feelings of detachment and face moral judgments from society that challenge conventional ethics.

↓Passed on to(1)

Nineteen Eighty-Four· 1949↓ open

Both works depict protagonists who are isolated and struggle against overwhelming, often absurd, societal or political forces.