Translated from the French by Matthew Ward

Raymond, an unpleasant friend, is eventually arrested for assaulting his lover and asks Meursault to answer for him to the police. Meursault accepts without emotion. Raymond soon runs into a group of men, including his lover's brother. The brother, known as "the Arab", cuts Raymond with a knife after Raymond punches the man repeatedly. Meursault breaks into the altercation and shoots the brother dead, not out of revenge but, he says, from the disorienting heat and annoying glare of the sun, which blinds him as it reflects off the brother's knife. This murder is what separates the two parts of the story. The second part of the novel begins with Meursault's pre-trial interrogation, which focuses primarily on the defendant's callousness towards his mother's funeral and her murder of the "Arab". His lack of remorse, combined with the lack of sadness expressed towards his mother, works against him and earned him the nickname "Monsieur Antichrist" from the coroner. During the trial itself, Meursault's character witnesses do more harm than good, because they highlight Meursault's apparent apathy and disengagement. Ultimately, Meursault is found guilty of murder with malice and is sentenced to death by guillotine. As he awaits his impending death, he becomes obsessed with the possibility of his appeal being accepted. A chaplain visits Meursault against his wishes, only to be greeted by Meursault's intense atheistic and nihilistic views. In a cathartic burst of rage, Meursault brings the chaplain to tears. This, however, brings Meursault peace and helps him accept his death with open arms.