The Stranger by Albert Camus

Interactive Oral Discussion by Felex Lau

Class and Race

Albert Camus

Albert Camus

Algeria-born French

Albert Camus

Algeria-born French à pied-noir

Albert Camus

Algeria-born French

Working class

à pied-noir

Albert Camus

Algeria-born French

Working class

à pied-noir

Poor segment

Albert Camus

Algeria-born French à pied-noir

Working class

Poor segment

Meursault

Pied-noir

Pied-noir

“A person of European origin living in Algeria during the period of French rule” Oxford Dictionary

Pied-noir

“A person of European origin living in Algeria during the period of French rule”

“Meursault and the Arab are rivals as well as brothers” Oxford Dictionary

Paul McCarthy, P.10

Pied-noir

“A person of European origin living in Algeria during the period of French rule”

“Meursault and the Arab are rivals as well as brothers” Oxford Dictionary

Patrick McCarthy, P.10 Arabs moving into city for jobs

Pied-noir

“A person of European origin living in Algeria during the period of French rule”

“Meursault and the Arab are rivals as well as brothers” Oxford Dictionary

Patrick McCarthy, P.10 Arabs moving into city for jobs

Pied-noirs as a new nation

Working Class

Working Class

Office jobs

Working Class

Office jobs à Repetition

Working Class

Office jobs à Repetition

à Suspicious of ideals, sceptical of reason

Working Class

Office jobs à Repetition

à Suspicious of ideals, sceptical of reason

When I was a student, I had lots of ambitions like that.

But when I had to give up my studies I learned very

quickly that none of it really mattered. P. 41

Working Class

Office jobs à Repetition

à Suspicious of ideals, sceptical of reason

When I was a student, I had lots of ambitions like that.

But when I had to give up my studies I learned very

quickly that none of it really mattered. P. 41

I said it didn’t make any difference to me and that we could if she wanted to [marry me]. P. 41

Pied-noir

Working class

Pied-noir

Working class Against authorities

Pied-noir

Working class Against authorities

[The boss] told me that I never gave him a straight

answer, that I had no ambition, and that that was

disastrous in business. P. 41

Pied-noir

Working class Against authorities

[The boss] told me that I never gave him a straight

answer, that I had no ambition, and that that was

disastrous in business. P. 41

The director spoke to me again. But I wasn’t really listening anymore.

P.5

Pied-noir

Working class Against authorities

[The boss] told me that I never gave him a straight

answer, that I had no ambition, and that that was

disastrous in business. P. 41

The director spoke to me again. But I wasn’t really listening anymore.

P.5 She asked me to go find a policeman, but I told her I didn’t like the cops.

P.36

Pied-noir

Working class Against authorities

I was about to tell [the examining magistrate] he was

wrong to dwell on it, because it really didn’t matter. …

[He asked] me if I believed in God. I said no. P. 69

Pied-noir

Working class Against authorities

I was about to tell [the examining magistrate] he was

wrong to dwell on it, because it really didn’t matter. …

[He asked] me if I believed in God. I said no. P. 69

As for me, I didn’t want anybody’s help, and I just didn’t have the time to interest myself in what didn’t interest me.

P.117

Is class and race a crucial element of the novel? Does Camus attempt to show other values (such as

absurdism) or does he want to reflect on / present the social attitudes of the pied-noir?

Meursault claims that he killed the Arab “because of the sun”. Is the difference in race a key factor

(or the “real real truth”)?

Consider the conflicts that had arouse between the Arabs and the pied-noirs in Algeria.

Is Meursault’s prejudice to the Arabs justified?

Consider that the Arabs have been posing a threat to the pied-noir’s job security. (Consider that the mainlanders have been posing a threat to your social security*)

*Social security: the agreement that the society to help a person to develop and make the most out of all advantages in culture, work and social welfare

offered in the country.

Sources  Camus,  Albert.  The  Stranger.  New  York:  Vintage  Interna<onal,  1989.  Print.  McCarthy,  Patrick.  Camus:  The  Stranger.  Cambridge:  Cambridge  University  Press,  2004.  Print.  United  Na<ons.  Universal  Declara6on  of  Human  Rights.  United  Na<ons.  Web.  11  May  2013.  “pied  noir”.  Oxford  English  Dic6onary,  2nd  Edi6on  XI.  Oxford:  Clarendon  Press,  1989.  Print.      Photos  •  Page  1:  hRp://0.tqn.com/d/goafrica/1/0/o/E/dv676195.jpg  •  Pages  2-­‐13,  19-­‐24:  hRp://i.imgur.com/JATDa.jpg  •  Pages  14-­‐18:  hRp://www.flickr.com/photos/40607578@N05/5361847906/