The Outsider: Tour Guide to Algeria

The Outsider: Tour Guide to Algeria

The Outsider is published in 45 different languages, and is not only classified as World Literature, but also a great piece of World Literature in regards to the second requirement of World Literature: "a piece of World Literature must represent the land of origin and its culture." Throughout the novel by Albert Camus, we learn many things about his native country, Algeria, and the people that lived in Algiers. We are given a short yet detailed tour, a better understanding, of a world that most of us know next to nothing about.

The setting in The Outsider is very descriptive, and conveniently reflects Algiers as Camus knew it. Camus spent several years living in a poverty-stricken community of Algiers during his childhood. Most of chapter two describes the street Meursault lived on, which was modelled after the Rue de Lyon in the Belcourt section of Algiers. We are told about the way some people spent their lives in Algiers back in early 20th century - their clothing, entertainment, mode of transportation, work habits. We are also able to visualize parts of the street through Camus's descriptive wording, which helped to create the mood. During the depiction of the street below Meursault's apartment, a carefree atmosphere is generated. People lived in poverty, and yet they seemed to enjoy life as much as they could. In other chapters of the novel, the climate of the region affected the choices of each character. Most importantly, there was the scorching sun, "the dazzling red glare", "the blinding rain that was pouring down out of the sky." It caused Meursault to pull the trigger on the revolver, which led to the trial of his murder.

This trial represented another aspect of Algiers nearly a century ago - social status. The population of Algiers was dominantly Arab or French. During the French Colonization of Algeria, a third of the Algerian population was wiped out due to the French policy of extermination against the Algerians. As a result, the more you were French, the higher your social status was, and as an Arab, you were the primary target of racism. During the first meeting between Meursault and his lawyer, the lawyer was described as "confident of success." Since the French had a presumed superiority over the Arabs, murdering an Arab was more a demonstration than a crime. In The Outsider, Meursault