Stranger 4

The Sun: sun is a reacuring symbol in the book

• "The office overlooks the sea, and we took a minute to watch the firefighters in the harbor, which was ablaze with sunlight," (Camus 25). This passage is interesting because the author uses the sun not just to portray the setting but also describes the harbor as "ablaze" with sunlight as the characters are watching the firefighters.
• "The four o'clock sun wasn't too hot, but the water was warm, with slow, gently lapping waves," (Camus 34). The sun is used to reflect the setting of the scene in multiple ways; first it gives the time of day (four o'clock) but it also creates a mood for the reader (peacful, tranquile, non-hostile) by saying that it was "not too hot."

Celeste's (the restaurant): a symbol of the community

• "Cheleste was there, as always, with his big belly, his apron, and his white mustache," (Camus 26). This restaurant is were the characters go to eat and talk. It is a public place and the author depicts it as a comfortable place, the description of the owner also gives it that "generic european restaurant feel."
• "I had dinner at Cheleste's. I'd already started eating when a strange woman came in and asked me if she could sit at my table," (Camus 43). The resaurant is again where Meursault meets people and interacts with the culture. It is a symbol of the european culture and community because in Europe restaurants are meeting places and places where people go to people watch or meet new people. In this scene the protagonist is doing just that.