How do you understand a stranger? How do you judge their actions? In Albert Camus's existentialist text, The Stranger, the protagonist is a stranger to everyone except himself and, due to his character, society finds Meursault guilty of being an incomprehensible and dangerous alien. The court that judges Meursault sentences him to death for ignorance. However, the first-person perspective narration allows the reader a glimpse into his mind, giving him the ability to understand his character and the actions that inevitably lead him to the guillotine. Although difficult to interpret, Meursault's character, as it develops over the course of his "normal" life, can be expressed through more familiar means. The main aspects of Meursault's character - his detachment from society, his strong morals, integrity, and his acceptance of his fate in the midst of the absurd - are reflected in Simon and Garfunkel's song, The Sound of Silence. Meursault's monotonous and emotionally detached character is represented by the second voice of the song. The higher voice – the predominant melody – tends to be more expressive, with a wider range of pitch and volume. Distinctly separate from the melody, the harmonizing vocal remains almost monotone, holding the same notes only to play them again and again. Meursault's character aligns with the tone of this harmonic voice: monotonous, repetitive and detached. In emotionally charged situations, Meursault rarely responds with anything other than his typical cold, logical observations. Meursault's story begins with this clinical detachment. “Mom died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don't know. I received a telegram from home: "Mom is dead." Funeral tomorrow. Best regards." This meant nothing. Maybe it was yesterday... middle of paper... and the acceptance, represented by Simon and Garfunkel's song The Sound of Silence, shows the uniqueness and importance of Meursault's character. They explain the actions that inevitably lead to Meursault's execution. When Meursault was absurdly tried and sentenced to death, it was clear that he was being accused based on his character. However, his character was constantly misunderstood and misunderstood by society, because they found it unnatural. More importantly, Meursault's character is what makes him an existentialist or an absurdist. It is the most important aspect of the book: whether its characteristics allowed it to triumph over the absurd. The aim of The Stranger is not to understand Meursault; it means recognizing his struggles against the useless and realizing that his character allows him to win. Works Cited The Stranger, by Albert Camus