Camus Stylistic Analysis

Another principle evident in the novel through narrative style is the importance of developing personal meaning. This is established through the observation motif introduced by first-person narrative. First-person establishes the idea that the story is Meursault’s, with everything filtered through him as he is the sole lens into his world. This narrative technique allows for a relationship to build between Meursault and the philosophical principles in the novel. The motif is constructed early, as Meursault watches the streets from his apartment balcony after his date with Marie. He watches as “families [go] out for a walk; two little boys in sailor suits, with trousers below the knees, looking a little cramped in their stiff clothes, and a

Thus, this characteristic results in the perception that everything is observed by Meursault, creating the observation motif. Through observation, Meursault can better develop meaning for himself as he observes different levels of existence within humanity, reflecting an aspect of Camus’ philosophy. However, his observations are surface-level. He describes how people look and act rather than focusing on the significance of their emotions, such as when he describes how Thomas Pérez has “strange, floppy, thick-rimmed ears [that] stuck out through his fine, white hair”

While apparent throughout the novel, the influence of this principle is highly visible during Meursault’s trial for murdering the Arab. The first-person narration limits the perspectives offered to the reader as the story only has one viewpoint. While beneficial in understanding the narrating character more in depth, this technique hinders a reader’s ability to see Meursault’s world differently. During the trial, witness testimonies from supporting characters are used to better understand why Meursault committed murder. Yet, the words from these characters and others are spoken through Meursault. He narrates the words of his lawyer on multiple occasions, such as when his lawyer “asked the caretaker if it wasn’t true that he had smoked a cigarette with [him]” (90). Meursault continues the same narrative pattern when the caretaker “said that he was the one who offered me the coffee” and Marie “said she was my friend” (90; 93). While it is stylistic of first-person to narrate dialogue, it is notable that the narrator rather paraphrases much of what others say. This displays others’ dialogue more as Meursault’s abbreviation in his understanding of what was said, rather than their own words because of the lack of possession and separation created without quotation marks. This is significant in the exploration of the philosophical principle within