Meursault as the metaphysical rebel in The Stranger (The Outsider) The Stranger by Albert Camus was published in 1942. The setting of the novel is Algiers, where Camus spent his youth in poverty. In many ways the main character, Meursault, is a typical young Algerian. Like them, and like Camus himself, Meursault was in love with the sun and the sea. His life is dedicated to the appreciation of physical sensations. He seems so emotionless. Something about Meursault's character has primarily attracted readers since the book's publication. Is he an absurd antihero? Is he a moral monster? Is he a rebel against conventional morality? Both critics and readers have taken issue with a variety of approaches to Meursault. I believe he is the embryo of Camus's metaphysical rebel as articulated in the philosophical essay The Rebel. He is the man who says by his actions, “I will get this far, but no further.” To understand Meursault's rebellion we must first understand the nature of his personality as depicted by Camus. The novel begins with the laconic statement "Mom died today. Or maybe yesterday; I'm not sure." The death of his mother briefly interrupts the pleasant flow of Meursault's life, a life dedicated to the appreciation of sensations. She loves the feeling of a cool towel in the bathroom. He likes to eat, drink and smoke cigarettes. He loves looking at the sea and the sky. Swimming and making love with beautiful girls like Marie are his favorite pastimes, so much so that he doesn't like an offer of job promotion in Paris in the slightest. When something bores or distresses him, he simply goes to sleep, as he does on the bus to his mother's funeral and even to prison. He is a detached observer of life. Symbolic of this quality... middle of paper... noble act. We might be able to do it too. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bree, Germaine. Camus. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1964. Camus, Albert. The rebel. New York: Vintage Books, 1954Champigny, Robert. A pagan hero. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1969.Cruickshank, John. Albert Camus and the literature of revolt. New York: Oxford University Press, 1960. King. Adele. Camus. New York: Capricorn Books, 1971. Lottman, Herbert R. Albert Camus: A Biography. New York: George Braziller Inc. 1980.Masters, Brian. Camus: a study. London: Heinemann, 1974. McCarthy, Patrick. Camus: a critical study of his life and works. London: Hamish Hamilton, 1982. O'Brien, Conor Cruise. Albert Camus of Europe and Asia. New York: Viking Press, 1970. Quillot, Roger. The sea and the prisons. University of Alabama: University of Alabama Press, 1970