The Outsider, by Albert Camus. Meursault Character Analysis

<Tab/>In the novel, The Outsider, written by Albert Camus, the protagonist, Meursault, commits murder to a man, known as "the Arab", for no apparent reason and struggles against society's attempts to explain for his attitudes and actions. Albert Camus sets the novel in Algeria, during the time when Arabs were natives and the French began invading. Meursault is an emotionally detached character, amoral, and honest. <Tab/>…

…with the chaplain, Meursault concludes that the universe is, like him: totally indifferent to human life. He decides that people's lives have no importance, and that their actions have no effect on the world. This realization is the conclusion of all the events of the novel. When Meursault accepts "the benign indifference of the world," (p. 117) he finds peace with himself and with the society around him, and his development as a character is complete.