The Outsider by Albert Camus 1942 (Translation by #StuartGilbert 1946) Penguin Books 1976 edition.

The Stranger (French: L'Étranger ), also published in English as The Outsider, is a #1942 #novella written by #FrenchAuthor #AlbertCamus. The first of Camus' #novels published in his lifetime, the story follows Meursault, an *Indifferent* settler in #FrenchAlgeria. It is a #FirstPerson #Narrative.

Once again, it took me awhile to complete this book: my executive function was fritzed. One of the reasons I decided to try the #PicturePromptBingo card, was because it was a prompt not a challenge, and it was very open to interpretation of choices.

This "well known" #20thCentury classic is problematic. It is a translation, and there is an element of interpretation of word choice. There are critical differences in translation of the #book's opening sentence, and in a number of sentences in the final section of the narrative, This includes the final lines of the #novel.

The treatment and the #DepictionOfWomen, together with that of the native Arabic population, reflects the cultural attitudes of the setting. What must be kept in mind is that this is presented through the lens of the #Protagonist's First Person Narration. Everything hinges on how the reader views and relates to Meursault.

In this particular case, the reader is a 69-year-old man, with a background in #Philosophy and #EnglishLiterature, whose career was that of a #SecondarySchool Teacher ( #English, #MediaLiteracy, #DevelopmentalLiteracy, & #SpecialEducation). While my background in philosophy and literature has some does shape my view, more important is my years as a Special Education teacher. First let's consider
Meursault, the #narrator and #Protagonist

Meursault is seen as *indifferent*. He tends to speak bluntly, in a matter-of-fact manner. Others see his behaviour and manner of speech as offensive/insensitive. His intelligence combined with his speech & behaviour appears to others as smug uncaring attitude. He observes himself in a detached way, analyzing/interpreting his own actions/motivation, the same way he does of others. Even his romantic-physical relationships play-out in a methodical step-by-step sequence. Meursault has no regrets, as he evaluates his actions in terms of the present moment.

Various interpretations have looked at Meursault & his story as #Absurdist, and #Existentialist. Themes of #Alienation from self and society have been brought up in critical reviews. Other's looked at the mother-son relationship, while still others considered critiques of law, morality, and colonialism. In my view, Meursault shows some signs of #Autism and #Neurodivergent characteristics. Does this make this a novel about Autism and #AspergersSymdrome? No.

Camus was unaware of Autism as a condition, but he had a friend, #PierreGalindo, on whom, in part, he based Meursault. Camus, however, did not see the characteristics in terms of communication processing, but rather as a template for his own philosophy & views. This why there is an inconsistency in the protagonist's thoughts and actions. Meursault seems off to both the reader and the other characters. Camus used his friend as a template, but Meursault is a figure through which the writer can express his views.
This is why the final segment of the story, where Meursault confronts the priest, seems such an explosive change in character. At this point Camus is fighting with the orthodoxy of belief, with which he is vehemently opposed.

This work is flawed & problematic, in part, because Camus has built a protagonist based on neurodivergent characteristics that he did not fully understand. If the reader can appreciate this background, the weaknesses in the work are less disconcerting.
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