In some novels, even the tiniest ordinary objects are subjects of great importance and symbolism; after all, symbolism that adds meaning to the text that cannot be overlooked. In the work The Stranger by Albert Camus, outerwear is given great importance throughout the text and expresses difficult social situations, particularly the main character Meursault's rejection of social constructs. Clothing is generally a constant within society and represents normality because it is uniform. Although clothing can be found in many shapes, colors and sizes, the social expectations of wearing such clothing do not wane. However, Meursault is unable to conform to understanding the importance of particular clothing in specific situations due to his rejection of social constructs, and this mindset would not allow him to lead an authentic and spiritually fulfilled life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay One character that Meursault spends a lot of time with throughout the first half of The Stranger is Marie, his love interest. However, it becomes clear that this relationship with Marie is nothing more than a superficial, lust-filled affair from Meursault's point of view. This superficial, lust-filled attraction that Meursault develops for Marie is particularly illustrated through Meursault's continued descriptions of Marie's outerwear. When Marie and Meursault meet up to go to the beach, the first description given is: “I really wanted to sleep with her because she was wearing a pretty red and white striped dress and leather sandals” (p.31) . The emphasis here is not on Mary herself as a person, but on her outward appearance. She is objectified and carefully examined - the only feeling of emotion the reader feels is the desire Meursault feels while observing her. Marie is a sensual delight here, her clothes being the main aspect that caught the main character's attention. Furthermore, the tone of this statement is one of indifference: Meursault is not referring to Marie as being pretty, but to the dress she is wearing. Meursault here emotionally detaches himself from his love interest, rejecting social constructs. It is also important to emphasize the color of Mary's dress; it is red and white, composed of colors that contrast deeply. Red is the color of sensuality, of sexual desire, while white represents innocence and purity. It can be interpreted that the dress represents the social norm of relationships and love: a balanced mix of sexual desire and pure emotions, something Meursault finds very fascinating. But there is also the implication that Meursault desires to undress Marie as he wants to "sleep with her" (p.31), indirectly showing that he wishes to break with the social constructions implemented on Marie and take her in her most visible form. more raw, devoid of any construction. Marie plays the world here: she conforms to the norm of relationships by sincerely caring about Meursault and wanting a real romantic relationship. However, it is clear that Meursault has opposite intentions and openly rejects any deep emotional connection with a person of the opposite sex. This focus is a rejection of the inauthentic life that social constructs bring, something Meursault does not want to experience. Formal clothing is also often mentioned in The Stranger, and Meursault often feels uncomfortable in circumstancesformal, further reinforcing his feeling of alienation from the foreigner. society and their normal customs. Meursault attends his mother's funeral in the preamble to The Stranger, surprising the others with his emotionless response to her death. However, it is not only this that shows his rejection of social constructs, but also his feeling of unease in wearing black for the funeral: “I felt a little foreign because I had to go up to Emmanuel's house to borrow a black tie and armband” (p.3). Meursault still pays great attention to the clothing worn by the other people present at the funeral (which correlates with his great interest in Marie's clothing), noting that "there were four men in the room dressed in black" ( p.12). This is again where the individuals themselves have no importance, only the social constructions they carry. The specific colors and shades worn by individuals are continually emphasized by the main character, as Meursault even says: “I felt a little lost between the blue and white of the sky and the implacable darkness of these other colors: black sticky. burning tar, the dull black of the mourning clothes, the shiny black of the hearse” (p.15). The color black brings a sense of uniformity and persistence, qualities that seem inauthentic and leave an individual lacking any individuality. This is what Meursault seeks to avoid, because he does not want to conform to the social constructions of this French society. The consonance used in this statement draws more attention to the color, as well as the hard "ck" in the term black, adding meaning to the image produced. The contrast between the light sky and the dark clothing should also be noted as it intensifies the sense of displacement that Meursault feels at the funeral. Furthermore, Meursault is “hot in (his) black clothes” (p. 13), further expressing the discomfort felt by this character and calling into question French social customs, which do not coordinate with the climate of a country colonized. Meursault continues to reject the formal outerwear that every individual is required to wear due to their inability to conform to the social constructs established by society. Although he attempts to follow society's rules, his attempts are ultimately in vain. But a moment when Meursault feels more at ease is when he swims with Marie. The descriptions given here are clearer and the images softer, with "the late afternoon sun" not being "very hot" and the water being "warm, with lazy, long, low waves" ( p.31). A contrast with other scenes is immediately generated here as the sun is not extremely hot and uncomfortable, but rather relaxing and warming. Additionally, Marie and Meursault are not restricted in their clothing in such scenes – which has an immediate effect on Meursault. It is in this scene that he seems to be happiest, because the tone of this passage is lighter and more playful. Additionally, a lot of movement is included in the scene, particularly that of the water as the two characters play with it, the foam gushing into the sky then falling on their faces "like warm rain" (p. 31). The comparison gives a pleasant picture, because the rain is neither too hot nor too cold and is light in its movement. We see here that Meursault is more comfortable when he is not enveloped or surrounded by masses of clothing. The imagery and use of color recalls features of an essay written by Albert Camus, Summer in Algiers, in that there is an emphasis on color and movement in both works. Summer in Algiers describes the simple and authentic life of the Algerians, which Meursault tries to..