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The Stranger Essay Example

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The Stranger Essay Example
The Theme of The Stranger

In the novel The Stranger by Albert Camus Meursault has to deal with his own problems as well as others problems. He goes to his mother’s funeral and when he returns a few of his friends present him with their own problems as ask him for help. Almost every character in this book faces a problem or multiple problems sometime during the story. The main theme of this book is that problems will always exist in everyone’s life. Just deal with what you have to deal with and move on. Meursault has the problem of facing his mother’s death and the problem of killing a man, Raymond has the problem with his girlfriend and her brother, and Salamano has the problem with his dog. Also Marie Cardona has to deal with Meursaults actions and what he has done to her. The two problems that Meursault has to deal with his mother’s death and the man that he killed, which sends him to jail for life. In the beginning of the book, Meursault’s mom dies and he attends her funeral. Most people are devastated from their mother’s death for weeks or months after the funeral. Meursault is not like most ordinary people because he gets over the death of his mom very quickly. Maursault thinks “It occurred to me that anyway one more Sunday was over that Maman was buried now, that I was going back to work, and that, really, nothing had changed” (24). This shows that he moves on with life as if it had never happened. Also he shot the brother of Raymond’s girlfriend because he stabbed Raymond and they always fought. He was sentenced to jail and then ordered to be beheaded. While Meursault was in jail, he thought about everything he had done and he wished he could just be happy and free. He eventually learns to make the best of what he has, which is the best thing to do with problems. Even though Meursault goes through the toughest times of his life, he gets over his problems and goes on with life. Raymond, who is known as a pimp, has problems with his

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