1. When and where was Albert Camus born? What do you know about the climate of this place? (You may have to do a separate search for this question.)
Albert Camus was born in a French part of Algeria, which is in Africa, on November 7th of 1913. He moved to France at the age of 25. Algeria has a Mediterranean that’s rather mild. In the summer it’s about 21 to 24 degrees Celsius, while the winter is about 10 to 12 degrees Celsius. Lots of rainfall during September to December, but summer brings drier climate.
2. What was his family like?
He was born to a rather poorer family who had moved to Algeria with him. His father was a vineyard laborer, and his mother was a cleaner. They were both very interested in philosophy. He had had a brother named Lucien.
3. What is The Stranger about? Write a short summary.
The story revolves around a man named Meursault who has become involved in a murder case. That’s the essential plot, not the summary. I honestly do not think that we should be writing the summary when we haven’t even read the book. Oh well. Here goes.
The Stranger is narrated by the main character, Meursault who lives in Algiers. He receives a telegram that his mother has passed away, and goes to see her in the old person’s home. There, he meets the caretaker who keeps him up all night by talking unceasingly. At the funeral later, Meursault doesn’t remember anything, even when Thomas Perez (a friend of Meursault’s mother) faints. That night, Meursault goes back to Algiers. The next day, Meursault meets former co-worker Marie Cardona while at the beach for a swim. They go on a date, and spend the night together. When Meursault wakes up though, Marie is gone. On Monday (the next day) Meursault goes to work. He and his friend Emmanuel have lunch together, then work for the rest of the afternoon. At home, he ends up having dinner with a neighbor, who confesses to want revenge on his adulterous wife. He asks Meursault to write a letter to lure her back to him. Meursault agrees to do so. On Saturday, Marie visits Meursault who is at his home. Marie asks him if he loves her, and he says that probably no, he doesn’t. Then they hear shouting from the neighbor’s apartment, and end up seeing a policeman slapping the neighbor for having to have hit his wife. He is summoned to the police station, but he asks Meursault to testify for him, and once again, Meursault agrees. Marie asks Meursault if he wanted to wed her. He says they can if she wants to, so they become engaged. Then on Sunday, Marie, Meursault, and Raymond (the neighbor) go to the ocean to have fun. They run into the brother of Raymond’s wife, who stabs him. Raymond later shoots the brother. Because of this, Meursault is arrested. Meursault’s lawyer is disgusted that Meursault feels no remorse at the murder, nor even at his mother’s funeral. Later, they meet with the examining magistrate, who can’t seem to understand the motivation for Meursault’s actions. Meursault is told to put his faith in God, which he does not. Marie comes to visit Meursault in the jail, and expresses her hope that they will soon get married when he is out. Waiting for his trial, Meursault becomes accustomed to the life in the jail. He soon does not need any company of women, cigarettes, and so on. He sleeps. At the courthouse of his trial, the subject switches from murder to Meursault’s character. Everyone says that Meursault has a lack of emotion. Meursault is found guilt and is sentenced to a beheading. Meursault then returns to his prison to wait for his execution. He has trouble accepting that what is happening is inevitable. He images escaping to freedom with a successful appeal. One day, the chaplain visits Meursault and encourages him to turn to God, but Meursault refuses. Meursault becomes angry and grabs at the chaplain and declares that his own belief of existentialism is correct. He abandons all hope for the future and it finally makes Meursault happy.
4. When was The Stranger published? What language was it originally published in?
The book was first published in 1942 in French. After this though, the novel has been printed into more languages.
5. What major world events were happening around this time?
In 1942, the Battle of Midway happened. It was a naval battle between the United States of America and Japan. America won eventually, and sunk four aircraft carriers in a single day.
6. How did people respond to the novel?
People these days regard it as a great novel. However some argue that although the content of the book and critical thinking it causes you to do is good, the essential plot itself is a bit drab and boring. I saw a review that went so far to call it “pointless.”
7. How and when did Camus die?
He died in 1960, January 4th. He was involved in a car accident, on the way to the train station. The man who crashed into his car also passed away that day. His children hold the right to his books.
8. What existentialism? Who were the major players in this philosophical movement?
See above for So Existentialist, Existentialism... What Does it Mean? for the definition of existentialism. The major players in this philosophical movement are Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Soren Kierkegaard, Gabriel Marcel, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Simone de Beauvoir, Karl Barth, Karl Jasper, Martin Buber, Paul Tillich, Karl Rahner, Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger, Franz Kafka, Boris Pasternak, Fyodor Dostoevsky, C.S. Lewis, and Woody Allen according to http://hub.webring.org/hub/existentialism.
Albert Camus was born in a French part of Algeria, which is in Africa, on November 7th of 1913. He moved to France at the age of 25. Algeria has a Mediterranean that’s rather mild. In the summer it’s about 21 to 24 degrees Celsius, while the winter is about 10 to 12 degrees Celsius. Lots of rainfall during September to December, but summer brings drier climate.
2. What was his family like?
He was born to a rather poorer family who had moved to Algeria with him. His father was a vineyard laborer, and his mother was a cleaner. They were both very interested in philosophy. He had had a brother named Lucien.
3. What is The Stranger about? Write a short summary.
The story revolves around a man named Meursault who has become involved in a murder case. That’s the essential plot, not the summary. I honestly do not think that we should be writing the summary when we haven’t even read the book. Oh well. Here goes.
The Stranger is narrated by the main character, Meursault who lives in Algiers. He receives a telegram that his mother has passed away, and goes to see her in the old person’s home. There, he meets the caretaker who keeps him up all night by talking unceasingly. At the funeral later, Meursault doesn’t remember anything, even when Thomas Perez (a friend of Meursault’s mother) faints. That night, Meursault goes back to Algiers. The next day, Meursault meets former co-worker Marie Cardona while at the beach for a swim. They go on a date, and spend the night together. When Meursault wakes up though, Marie is gone. On Monday (the next day) Meursault goes to work. He and his friend Emmanuel have lunch together, then work for the rest of the afternoon. At home, he ends up having dinner with a neighbor, who confesses to want revenge on his adulterous wife. He asks Meursault to write a letter to lure her back to him. Meursault agrees to do so. On Saturday, Marie visits Meursault who is at his home. Marie asks him if he loves her, and he says that probably no, he doesn’t. Then they hear shouting from the neighbor’s apartment, and end up seeing a policeman slapping the neighbor for having to have hit his wife. He is summoned to the police station, but he asks Meursault to testify for him, and once again, Meursault agrees. Marie asks Meursault if he wanted to wed her. He says they can if she wants to, so they become engaged. Then on Sunday, Marie, Meursault, and Raymond (the neighbor) go to the ocean to have fun. They run into the brother of Raymond’s wife, who stabs him. Raymond later shoots the brother. Because of this, Meursault is arrested. Meursault’s lawyer is disgusted that Meursault feels no remorse at the murder, nor even at his mother’s funeral. Later, they meet with the examining magistrate, who can’t seem to understand the motivation for Meursault’s actions. Meursault is told to put his faith in God, which he does not. Marie comes to visit Meursault in the jail, and expresses her hope that they will soon get married when he is out. Waiting for his trial, Meursault becomes accustomed to the life in the jail. He soon does not need any company of women, cigarettes, and so on. He sleeps. At the courthouse of his trial, the subject switches from murder to Meursault’s character. Everyone says that Meursault has a lack of emotion. Meursault is found guilt and is sentenced to a beheading. Meursault then returns to his prison to wait for his execution. He has trouble accepting that what is happening is inevitable. He images escaping to freedom with a successful appeal. One day, the chaplain visits Meursault and encourages him to turn to God, but Meursault refuses. Meursault becomes angry and grabs at the chaplain and declares that his own belief of existentialism is correct. He abandons all hope for the future and it finally makes Meursault happy.
4. When was The Stranger published? What language was it originally published in?
The book was first published in 1942 in French. After this though, the novel has been printed into more languages.
5. What major world events were happening around this time?
In 1942, the Battle of Midway happened. It was a naval battle between the United States of America and Japan. America won eventually, and sunk four aircraft carriers in a single day.
6. How did people respond to the novel?
People these days regard it as a great novel. However some argue that although the content of the book and critical thinking it causes you to do is good, the essential plot itself is a bit drab and boring. I saw a review that went so far to call it “pointless.”
7. How and when did Camus die?
He died in 1960, January 4th. He was involved in a car accident, on the way to the train station. The man who crashed into his car also passed away that day. His children hold the right to his books.
8. What existentialism? Who were the major players in this philosophical movement?
See above for So Existentialist, Existentialism... What Does it Mean? for the definition of existentialism. The major players in this philosophical movement are Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Soren Kierkegaard, Gabriel Marcel, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Simone de Beauvoir, Karl Barth, Karl Jasper, Martin Buber, Paul Tillich, Karl Rahner, Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger, Franz Kafka, Boris Pasternak, Fyodor Dostoevsky, C.S. Lewis, and Woody Allen according to http://hub.webring.org/hub/existentialism.
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