The Stranger by Albert Camus is a story about an ordinary man who unwittingly is drawn into a senseless murder on an Algerian beach. The book is written in two parts and each part reflects upon the actions occurring in the other. The book is revolved around the main character, Meursault. Meursault is an average individual who is distinctive more in his apathy and passive pessimism than in anything else. He rarely talks because he generally has nothing to say, and he does what is requested of him because he feels that resisting commands is more of a bother than it is worth.
Part I of the novel begins with Meursault receiving a telegram about his mother's death. He is not sure whether she has died today or yesterday because the letter was not specific. He goes to a pre-funeral vigil, where he spends the night next to his mother's coffin. With him are several old people who were friends of his mother at the home in which she had been living in at the time of her death. Meursault has a stranger feeling that he can see all of their faces clearly, that he can observe every detail of their clothing, and that they will be indelibly imprinted on his mind. He also gets the strange feeling that they are all watching him or making judgement over him and that they hold him responsible for his mother's death.
The following day he goes to the beach and when he arrives, he sees Marie Cardona a woman from work he was once attracted too. They spend time together by going to the movies, swimming, or hanging out at Meursault's house. When arriving home from work one day, Meursault runs into Raymond, who invites him over for dinner. They talk about Raymond's fight with an Arab and then, his cheating girlfriend. Raymond then tells Meursault they are pals and asks him to write a letter to his girlfriend to make her feel bad about what she did. Later that night Marie was over Meursault's and she asked him if he loved her, his reply was no.
