The Stranger: Innocence vs Evil

In this novel, our protagonist, Meursault, is a very strange young man in Algers who lives a very boring, monotone, and simple life that is based off routine. Meursault, throughout the novel, is portrayed to be indifferent, cold, and emotionless to many odd and inhumane scenarios that surround him. Early in the novel, we learn a bit about Meaursault's childhood, as he is describing this once he learns about his mother's death. Meursault shows no emotion to this, and seems indifferent to the fact that his mother has died. The author, Albert Camus, seems to point to the reader that he and his mother may have had a bit of a strained relationship, since he decided to send her to a caring home instead of taking care of her at his house. There is also no evidence that a father or father figure was present during Meursault's life at all. Eventually in the novel, Meursault commits a senseless murder of an Arab, whom he didn't know at all and had only had one previous encounter with him. He kills the arab with 5 shots by a handgun, and claims to have done it because of the "beating, hot sun."

Is Meursault a bad character? I believe he is. Anyone with the mental capability to commit such a horrendous, and senseless crime should be labeled as bad or evil. Taking another persons life isn't the answer, and there should be severe consequences to his actions, which there is. But why did Meursault do this? What made him get to this point? I think Meursault's peculiar and odd character made him kill the arab. And although this is never stated, but is slightly pointed too, his odd childhood had to have been a part of his character and even crime.