Albert Camus, a French author born in Algeria, emerged as a seminal figure in literature, deeply influenced by the tumultuous history of his era. His works, notably The Stranger, are imbued with existentialist themes that challenge readers to confront the absurdities of life. Camus's unique perspective, shaped by personal and societal upheavals, continues to resonate through the powerful narrative and philosophical inquiries of his writings.

Early Life and Philosophical Foundations

Albert Camus's life was marked by profound personal loss and the broader calamity of global conflict. Born just before World War I, he lost his father at the Battle of the Marne and later joined the French resistance during World War II. This backdrop of violence and injustice fed into his philosophical musings and literary output.

While studying at the University of Algiers, Camus’s aspirations of teaching were dashed by tuberculosis, leading to a convalescence that spurred his writing career. During this time, he developed the philosophical ideas that would define his future works, earning him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1957.

Existentialism and "The Absurd"

Camus is closely linked to existentialism, particularly its atheistic strain, which emphasizes life's inherent lack of meaning in a godless universe. He posited that human beings, unique in their awareness of mortality, futilely seek meaning in an indifferent world—a condition he and others termed "the absurd." This philosophical stance is central to his novel The Stranger, where the protagonist, Meursault, embodies this absurdity through his detachment and eventual confrontation with mortality.

The Narrative of Meursault

In The Stranger, Meursault begins as an unreflective character, oblivious to the significance of death until a pivotal event—a senseless murder—shatters his routine. His trial and condemnation expose societal illusions that obscure humanity's absurd existence. Rather than embracing societal comforts offered through religion, Meursault accepts the inevitability of death, finding value in life by engaging with it authentically, albeit too late.

The novel’s unsettling narrative and Camus’s flat, objective style—which some attribute to Hemingway’s influence—underscore the equal value of all things in an absurd universe, challenging conventional moral and literary assumptions.

Critical Reception and Philosophical Debate

The Stranger has been a magnet for critical acclaim and philosophical debate. Early reviews, notably by Jean-Paul Sartre, hailed Camus as a French moralist, though some critics, like Philip Thody, argued that the novel’s moral contradictions are best understood through its absurdist lens. Camus's work also spurred interest in the "new hero," one who embodies truth against societal pretense, a theme explored by critics like Norman Podhoretz and Colin Wilson.

Camus's Legacy in Literature

Despite political controversies and personal challenges, Camus's literary contributions, including The Plague and The Fall, were celebrated, culminating in his Nobel Prize recognition. Following his death in 1960, critics like Henri Peyre acknowledged his "pagan message," while Germaine Bree lauded his rapid ascent in French literature.

By the 1970s, criticism revisited established themes in Camus's work. However, post-colonial critiques, such as those by Philip Thody, highlighted his failure to address colonialism within his fiction, noting the anonymous portrayal of Algerians in The Stranger as indicative of a broader oversight. Camus's rich, complex legacy continues to provoke debate and admiration in equal measure.