The Stranger – Albert Camus

The irrationality of human actions and decisions is one of the major themes of The Stranger. Camus presents the character of Meursault to show this irrationality in human actions, decisions, life, and relationships. For example, Meursault does not take his mother’s death to heart and, aside from a brief leave of absence to bury her, continues his routine work. It is irrational from a societal standpoint that a person does not experience sorrow as they bury their mother. On the other hand, it seems irrational to Meursault that he should weep when the old lady’s death was inevitably to come one day.
In the same way, whether Meursault speaks during his trial or not, he is to be condemned to death as the world is entirely indifferent to his plight. Therefore, it seems irrational to him to explain his position. The trial and its sequence seem a social attempt to give a rational order to the things that seem meaningless. Meursault’s reaction and his sham trial prove that irrationality is at the very heart of human affairs.
The Stranger – Albert Camus