Uncommon IndividualsMeursault in The Stranger is similar to Esteban Trueba in The House of Spirits. Both male characters struggle to express their true inner feelings. They were never depicted crying in sorrow. They are both strangers because they seem detached from the world around them. They prefer to live on their own terms. Their actions are not intended to please others, but rather to please themselves. Most people do not accept them because of their opposing views on society. For this reason, they are considered atypical. The unique personalities of Meursault in Albert Camus' The Stranger and Esteban Trueba in Isabel Allende's The House of Spirits allow them to live in their own world. In The Stranger, Camus's style beautifully integrates the central theme of the absurd. According to Camus, an absurd person is an amorally indifferent person. Mersault is an essential reflection of Camus' definition of the absurd. The character of Mersault clearly displays indifference towards the universe. Meursault is apathetic and has no value system. At the beginning of The Stranger, he seems to have no interest in human existence. A perfect example is the death of his mother. At the funeral, Meursault does not show emotional pain, but instead focuses on his physical pain because “[his] back hurt” (11). He never cried “with sighs and sobs” like one of the mourning women (11). Certainly Meursault loved his mother, but he did not demonstrate it in the same way as Thomas Pérez. Mersault and Thomas Perez are foil characters. Mersault has never been depicted having shed a tear of mourning. On the contrary, Pérez was the only person to express genuine agony over Mom's death. Pérez had "big tears of frustration" and immense "e...... middle of paper ......rias... to [be able to] read, write and do simple calculations" (59 ). Unfortunately, Esteban cannot hide his sexual desires. In Tres Marias, Esteban “savagely” engages in “useless [sexual] brutality” (57). He “slept like an angel” (58) after “throwing himself into [an innocent girl] without preamble” (57). Thus, thanks to Esteban's help, "Tres Marias and the mine were both producing as they should for the first time since God had put them on this planet" (65). Allende's diction helps the reader understand that although Esteban Trueba has accomplished great wonders for the agriculture of Tres Marias, he remains a vile monster. Number of words: 1,243 works cited Allende, Isabel. The House of Spirits. Trans. Magda Bogin. New York: Bantam Books, 1982. Camus, Albert. The Stranger. Trans. Matthew Ward. New York: international vintage, 1988.