Discussion Questions on the Stranger, by Albert Camus

Discussion Questions on The Stranger, by Albert Camus

(Questions taken from “What to Look for in Fiction”)

SETTING/BACKGROUND

1. What is the setting of the story? Is it significant? Why might the protagonist feel alienated from the setting?

2. What evidences are there that environment, chance, or other outside influences shaped the design of the plot?

1. What happens in the story? Draw a Story Map, that includes 3 events in the rising action, the climax, and two (or more) events in the falling action. 2. Is there any suspense in the story? How? Where?

3. What examples are there that a minor incident influenced a character’s whole life thereafter?

CHARACTER

1. Did Meursault and his mother have a bad relationship? Why is he unmoved by her death?

2. What do you think of Meursault’s decision to help Raymond beat up his girlfriend? Did you find that more or less appalling than his killing of the Arab? 3. What are Meursault’s strengths? What are his weaknesses? What do you admire about him? What do you hate?

4. Does Meursault love Marie at all? Is he capable of love?

1. Circle the phrase that you think best explains Albert Camus’ reason for writing The Stranger:

to amuse to preach to convert to criticize to shock to seek solution to a social problem to gratify a wish to tell a contemporary story.

Explain your answer. 2. What is the main point of the story, expressed in a single sentence.

3. What is the main conflict in the story?

4. If you were designing a book jacket, what illustrations or symbols would you draw to point up the main idea?

5. In what ways do you agree or disagree with the author’s themes? What experiences in your own life either support or refute his findings?