In The Stranger, Albert Camus personifies the eyes as a source of knowledge. Characters gain knowledge through many different sources, from touch to hearing. Knowledge gained through the eyes can range from self-discovery to understanding events as they occur. The eyes and the knowledge all seem to be linked to Meursault. Meursault's ability to understand events and circumstances depends on his clarity of vision. Unlike other characters, Meursault's eyes do not provide knowledge, thus leaving the characters to misunderstand him. Characters who have blue eyes help Meursault realize a truth about himself. Unlike the other characters, Meursault's eyes lack knowledge. To understand why Meursault killed the Arab or why he refused to convert to Christianity, the characters continually look him in the eyes in hopes of finding his reasons. Even when Meursault answers them, they continue to doubt and ask more questions. For example, the magistrate: Suddenly […] raised his head and looked [Muersault] in the eyes. “Why,” he asked, “don't you let me come and see you?” [Muersault] explained that [he] didn't believe in God. "Are you really so sure about this?" [Muersault] said that [he] saw no reason to worry me about the matter; whether [he] believed or did not believe was, in [his] mind, a matter of so little importance. Even though Meursault answers the magistrate honestly and looks him straight in the eyes, the magistrate still finds no truth in Meursault. answer. The magistrate tries once again to see if he can get Meursault to confess. When I didn't say anything, he looked at me again and asked, "Don't you agree?" I said it seemed quite possible. But, even though I wasn't so sure what I was interested in, I was... halfway... I regretted it only because they were criminals: "But then [he] realized that [he] also fell into that description. Somehow it was an idea that [he] could never reconcile with” (44). Any of these truths would be difficult to accept. without the information or knowledge provided by these sincere blue-eyed characters, Meursault would never have made these discoveries, all eyes in The Stranger always return to Meursault, whether it is his own eyes or those of others Most knowledge comes from the eyes, unfortunately the characters cannot find the knowledge they seek in Meursault's eyes. Therefore Albert Camus personifies the eyes and/or sight as the source of knowledge, except for Meursault's eyes. Works Cited Camus, Albert. The stranger. New York: AA Knopf, 1942.