The Stranger

Sintes invites Meursault to join him and another couple at a seaside bungalow outside Algiers. When Meursault mentions that he will be with Marie, Sintes invites Marie as well, so that his friend’s wife will not the only woman. On the same telephone call, Sintes tells Meursault that “some Arabs” (34) have been following him, including his mistress’s brother. If Meursault sees the young men around the apartment building, Sintes says, he should warn Sintes as soon as possible.

Meursault’s employer offers him a promotion for a new position in the company’s Paris branch. Meursault is willing to accept but also mentions that he does not “care too much one way or the other” (34), causing the employer to be annoyed by Meursault’s lack of ambition. Meursault reflects that his life is not unpleasant, so he does not see the need to change anything. He was much more ambitious as a student, but he was required to stop his studies and soon realized that ambition was fairly meaningless.

That evening Marie asks Meursault whether he would ever marry her. Meursault says that he does not mind and might do so, “if she was keen on it” (35). He again refuses to say whether he loves her, causing Marie to study him carefully and mutter to herself that Meursault is a strange person. He tells her about the promotion. Marie is interested to know about Paris, where Meursault lived for a short time. However, he considers the city dull and dingy. Meursault offers to have dinner with Marie, but she says she has plans. Before she departs, she asks Meursault why he did not ask her any questions about her plans for the evening. Meursault says nothing and Marie laughs. Meursault dines alone at Celeste’s, where an “odd-looking little woman” (36) catches his eye. She eats quickly and writes meticulously in a notebook. Afterward, Meursault follows her through the streets but cannot keep up, so he returns home.

Meursault meets Salamano in his building. The old man reveals that his dog is definitely lost: The pound does not have it and it has likely died. Salamano does not want another dog, as he got the dog when his wife died and the animal was a huge comfort to him. A new dog would not be the same. Salamano tells Meursault nostalgic stories about his pet. When Meursault offers his condolences about the dog, Salamano does the same for Meursault’s mother. While other people criticized Meursault for sending her to a home, Salamano always thought the decision was correct. They shake hands awkwardly and say goodnight.

On Sunday morning, Meursault struggles to wake up. Marie has to shake him and shout his name. He still feels weak as they prepare to go to the beach, but the sight of Marie in a white dress fills him with lustful thoughts. They call for Sintes and wait for him in the street, where the bright light burns Meursault’s eyes. Eventually, they are joined by a cheery Sintes. The previous evening Meursault gave a witness testimony at the police station in which he claimed that Sintes’s mistress cheated on him. No one checked this statement and Sintes received only a warning.

As they wait for a bus, Sintes points out the crowd of Algerian youths on the opposite side of the road. One of them is his mistress’s brother, whom Meursault thinks of as the Arab. Marie wants to leave, and Sintes laughs at the idea that the young men could be a threat. As they ride the bus, Meursault can tell that Sintes is attracted to Marie, who hardly says a word to him, which pleases Meursault.

They arrive at the beach and walk to the bungalow belonging to Sintes’s friends, Masson and Masson’s wife. Marie charms the hosts, though Meursault is bored by Masson’s boring style of speech. The sun and the setting improve Meursault’s condition, and he feels better. Meursault and Marie swim far out from the beach and float beside one another. After a while Meursault tires, so they return to the beach and he falls asleep.

Marie wakes Meursault and asks for a kiss. They swim together again and then return to the bungalow, where they eat a lunch of fresh fish. They sit and drink for so long that they lose track of time. As the women wash the dishes, the three men go for a walk along the beach in the scorching sun. As they sit on the sand, Sintes notices two young Algerian men walking toward them, one of whom he recognizes one as his mistress’s brother. The three men try to walk in a different direction but the youths follow, so Sintes plans an attack. Sintes confronts the Algerians and attacks first. Masson joins in the scuffle while Meursault, as instructed, stands by to help. Masson and Sintes begin the fight well, but the Arab draws a knife, slashing Sintes’s arm and mouth. The youths back away and then run. Masson leads Sintes to a local doctor while Meursault stays at the bungalow with the shocked, weeping women.

The doctor bandages Sintes’s wounds. Sintes then insists on going for a walk alone, but Meursault follows behind him. Sintes seems to head directly to a certain part of the beach where the two young men are sunbathing. They watch Sintes and Meursault approach. Sintes draws a gun and threatens to shoot the Arab. Meursault tries to resolve the situation and convinces Sintes to hand him the gun, just as the tension seems to slow everything to a standstill. Suddenly, the two young men run away. Sintes seems satisfied and walks back to the bungalow, leaving his gun with Meursault. Meursault cannot bring himself to go inside and, after the tense standoff, does not want to return to normal conversation.

Meursault goes for a walk under the burning hot sun, only to encounter the Arab again. This time, the young man is alone. Meursault feels the oppressive heat of the sun and winces in the blinding light. The Arab pulls out his knife again, and light flashes off the blade into Meursault’s eyes. He pulls the trigger and shoots the Arab. Then he fires four more times. Meursault realizes that he has killed the young Algerian man. The sound of each shot echoes through his mind.