l'etranger themes

La mort

• His mother dies then the arab then him

• THe death of the arab exemplefies lifes absurdities

• During thre trial Meursault is robbed of his voice as the Arab is robbed of his identity

• Death highlights the absurdity of life

La mère

• Second word of the whole book

• Meursault says mummy instead of mother

• Even more unusal that we have a matter a fact account of what he does rather than an emotional response

• Comes back to haunt him at the end of his trial

Le soleil

• Novel takes place in June when the sun is at it’s hottest

• Harmful presence from the onset particularly during the funeral

• We learn during the conversation with his lawyer that physical sensations have always had a direct effect on Meursault

• IN prison Meursault develops peace in the shade which allows him to think clearly for the first time

Quand Raymond m’a donné son révolver, le soleil a glissé dessus

Direct link between the sun and the gun which he uses for the murder

• Heart is only enough to explain a murder if life is truely absurd

La mer

• Soothes the desctruction of the sun

• Link between the french words Mer and Mère

• Goes straight to the sea after the funeral

• No negative references to the sun when he is in the sea

• Only glimpses of the sea in the second part of the novel such as out his window

• In the final lines of the book Meursault links the feeling of peace to the feeling of the sea