L’Étranger

Meursault

Also known as Monsieur Meursault

The first-person narrator, whose mother has died. He works in an office in Algiers and is Raymond Sintès’s neighbor and friend; he is convicted of killing an Arab man and sentenced to death. Awaiting the outcome of his appeal, he rejects the chaplain’s religious consolation and accepts the world’s indifference.

Meursault’s mother

Also known as maman · Mme Meursault

Meursault’s mother, who lived at the Marengo home for elderly people and died shortly before the story. She formed a close friendship there with Thomas Pérez; Meursault later imagines she found freedom and companionship near the end of her life.

Meursault’s employer

Also known as the patron

Meursault’s employer, who grants him leave for his mother’s funeral and later offers him a possible transfer to Paris.

Céleste

The owner or host of the restaurant where Meursault often eats and a friend of his. He testifies in Meursault’s defense, calling the killing a misfortune.

Emmanuel

Meursault’s coworker in shipping. He lends Meursault mourning clothes and spends time with him outside work.

The military passenger

An unnamed soldier who shares Meursault’s bus ride to Marengo and briefly speaks with him.

The home director

Also known as the director

The director of the Marengo home, where Meursault’s mother lived. He explains her circumstances, arranges the funeral, and testifies about Meursault’s conduct at it.

The home concierge

Also known as the concierge

An unnamed concierge at the Marengo home, himself a former resident. He assists Meursault during the wake and funeral, then testifies about Meursault smoking and taking coffee at the wake.

The Arab nurse

Also known as the nurse

An unnamed nurse at the Marengo home who attends Meursault’s mother’s wake. She has a facial condition and wears a bandage around her head.

The crying friend of Meursault’s mother

An unnamed resident of the Marengo home who says Meursault’s mother was her only friend there.

Thomas Pérez

Also known as M. Pérez · Pérez

An elderly resident of the Marengo home and close friend of Meursault’s mother. Deeply affected by her death, he follows her funeral procession and testifies that his grief kept him from observing Meursault closely.

The visiting nurse

Also known as the delegated nurse

An unnamed nurse who accompanies the funeral procession from the Marengo home.

The priest of Marengo

Also known as the curé

The unnamed priest who leads the religious funeral service for Meursault’s mother.

The altar boys

Also known as the choirboys

Two unnamed children who accompany the priest; one carries the censer.

The funeral director

Also known as the undertaker

An unnamed employee of the funeral service who helps manage the funeral procession.

The funeral workers

Also known as the men

Four unnamed men who carry Meursault’s mother’s coffin.

The coachman

The unnamed driver of the funeral carriage.

Marie Cardona

Also known as Marie

A former typist at Meursault’s office and his lover. She asks whether he loves her, proposes marriage, visits him in prison, and testifies at his trial; while he awaits execution, he wonders whether she has moved on or died.

The woman supported by Raymond

Also known as Raymond’s mistress · the Mauresque

An unnamed woman who had been Raymond Sintès’s mistress. Raymond accuses her of deceiving him and beats her; she is the sister of the man Raymond fights.

Raymond Sintès

Also known as Raymond

Meursault’s neighbor and friend, who says he works as a warehouseman. He beats his former mistress, becomes involved in a fight with her brother, and gives Meursault his revolver; he later testifies for Meursault.

The old Salamano

Also known as Salamano

Meursault’s elderly neighbor, who has lived for years with and mistreated his dog. Distraught when the dog goes missing, he later testifies that Meursault had been kind to it.

Salamano’s dog

Also known as the spaniel

Salamano’s sick, elderly spaniel, who has lived with him for years and goes missing.

The brother of Raymond’s former mistress

Also known as Raymond’s type

An unnamed man who is the brother of Raymond’s former mistress. He confronts Raymond and wounds him with a knife; Meursault later kills him.

The second Arab

An unnamed Arab who accompanies the brother of Raymond’s former mistress during the confrontation at the beach. He plays a small reed instrument and later retreats with the other man.

The plumber in the second-floor apartment

Also known as the second-floor tenant

An unnamed neighbor who comes into the hall during Raymond’s violent argument with his former mistress.

The police officer

Also known as the agent

An unnamed officer who responds to the disturbance in Raymond’s apartment, slaps Raymond, and orders the woman to leave.

Raymond’s friend

Also known as Masson

A large man who owns a beach cabin near Algiers and invites Meursault, Marie, and Raymond to spend the day there. He joins Raymond in fighting the two Arabs and testifies for Meursault.

Masson’s wife

Also known as Mme Masson

Masson’s unnamed, friendly wife, who hosts Meursault and Marie at the beach cabin.

The small woman at Céleste’s restaurant

Also known as the woman with the radio-program magazine · the small automate · the little automatic woman

An unnamed woman who meticulously marks radio programs in a magazine while eating alone at Céleste’s restaurant. She attends Meursault’s trial and watches it intently; Meursault later considers her as culpable as himself.

The distinguished man

Also known as the small, frail man with the boater

An unnamed man Meursault recognizes by sight in his neighborhood. He is often seen walking with his large wife and children.

The distinguished man’s wife

Also known as the large woman in the brown silk dress

The unnamed, large woman seen walking with the distinguished man.

The two boys in sailor suits

Two unnamed children seen walking with their family in Meursault’s neighborhood.

The little girl with the pink bow

An unnamed child seen walking with her family in Meursault’s neighborhood.

The examining magistrate

Also known as the judge of instruction

The magistrate who questions Meursault about the killing and his beliefs. He urges Meursault to repent and believe in God, then conducts later, more routine examinations.

Meursault’s lawyer

Also known as the defense lawyer

An unnamed, young, small, round lawyer appointed to defend Meursault. He objects to the prosecution’s focus on Meursault’s conduct after his mother’s death and argues for his acquittal or leniency.

The court clerk

Also known as the young clerk

An unnamed young clerk who records Meursault’s questioning before the examining magistrate.

The prison guard

Also known as the guard

An unnamed guard who escorts Meursault in prison, informs him of visits, and speaks with him about the loss of freedom.

The chief prison guard

Also known as the chief warder

An unnamed senior prison guard who accompanies the kitchen boy at mealtimes and talks with Meursault about prison and women.

The kitchen boy

An unnamed boy who accompanies the chief prison guard at prison mealtimes.

The prison visitors

Unnamed people who visit prisoners, including Arab families and other women and men in the visiting room.

The little old woman visitor

Also known as the prisoner’s mother

An unnamed elderly woman dressed in black who visits her imprisoned son and silently bids him farewell through the bars.

The young prisoner

Also known as the little young man with fine hands

An unnamed young prisoner who sits opposite the elderly woman visitor; they look at one another intently before he leaves with her.

The loud woman visitor

Also known as the large woman in her hair

An unnamed, loud visitor who talks to her imprisoned husband about a basket and what it contains.

The blond prisoner

Also known as the loud woman’s husband

An unnamed, tall blond prisoner with an open expression, visited by the loud woman.

The Paris newspaper correspondent

Also known as the special correspondent

An unnamed correspondent sent from a Paris newspaper to report on the parricide trial who is also assigned to report Meursault’s case.

The older journalist

Also known as the sympathetic journalist

An unnamed, older journalist who knows one of the guards and tells Meursault that the newspapers have given his case extra attention.

The young journalist

Also known as the journalist in the gray flannel jacket · the journalist with the blue tie

An unnamed young journalist who watches Meursault closely throughout the trial.

The public prosecutor

Also known as the prosecutor · the attorney general

The unnamed prosecutor who argues that Meursault is a remorseless moral monster and demands the death penalty. He treats Meursault’s behavior after his mother’s death as evidence against him.

The presiding judge

Also known as the president

The unnamed presiding judge at Meursault’s trial. He directs the proceedings, questions witnesses and Meursault, and announces the death sentence.

The other trial judges

Two unnamed judges who sit with the presiding judge during Meursault’s trial.

The jurors

Also known as the jury

The unnamed jurors who hear Meursault’s trial and find him guilty of murder.

The court usher

Also known as the usher

An unnamed usher who announces the court, calls witnesses, and guides proceedings at Meursault’s trial.

The gendarmes

Also known as the guards at court

Unnamed officers who escort Meursault between prison and court, sit beside him at trial, and carry out the court’s instructions.

The parricide

Also known as the man accused of killing his father

An unnamed defendant whose trial is scheduled after Meursault’s; the prosecutor invokes his case to portray Meursault as morally akin to a son who kills his father.

The Tchécoslovaque

Also known as the Czech traveler

An unnamed man in a newspaper story Meursault reads in prison. After returning wealthy to his home village, he is murdered for his money by his mother and sister, who do not recognize him.

The Tchécoslovaque’s mother

An unnamed woman who runs a hotel with her daughter and murders her returning son for his money; she later hangs herself.

The Tchécoslovaque’s sister

An unnamed woman who runs a hotel with her mother, helps murder her returning brother, and later throws herself into a well.

The Tchécoslovaque’s wife

The unnamed wife of the man in Meursault’s prison newspaper story. She waits with their child at another establishment and unwittingly reveals his identity.

The Tchécoslovaque’s child

The unnamed child who returns with the man in Meursault’s prison newspaper story and waits with his wife at another establishment.

Meursault’s father

Also known as his father

A man Meursault never knew. According to Meursault’s mother, he once attended the execution of a murderer and returned so sick that he vomited.

The chaplain

Also known as the prison chaplain

An unnamed prison chaplain who repeatedly visits Meursault after his death sentence, urging him to turn to God. Meursault rejects his consolation and, in a furious outburst, grabs him by the cassock before the chaplain calms the guards and leaves.