THE QUESTION OF IDENTITY, POWER AND AGENCY IN POST-COLONIAL CONDITION: POST-COLONIAL STUDY OF THE STRANGER BY ALBERT CAMUS

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze Albert Camus masterpiece novel “The Stranger” as a quintessential postcolonial text that focuses on the themes of colonialism, identity, and moral ambiguity. Meursault, the protagonist, serves as a lens through which the complexities of colonial identity are explored. His emotional indifference coupled with his detached perspective reflect on the broader alienation experienced within a colonial context. It highlights the disconnection between the colonizer and the colonized in significant ways. By employing a postcolonial framework, this analysis seeks to reveals how Camus critiques the subalternity, hegemonic structures and power dynamics inherent in colonial relationships. Meursault’s interactions with the Algerian landscape and its inhabitants reflect the absurdity of existence in a world marked by violence, oppression and cultural dislocation. It is suggested that "The Stranger” critiques the moral and psychological implications of colonialism, urging readers to confront the ethical void that arises from such extractive systems. “The Stranger” reassess the understanding of identity and belonging in a ruthlessly indifferent post-colonial world.

Keywords:” Post colonialism, Absurdity, Identity, Colonialism, Albert Camus, “The Stranger”