Estimated Reading Time: 20 min
Before you begin the quiz, ensure you have a complete comprehension of the summary of The Outsider by Albert Camus.
The Outsider MCQs
Part One
1. Where is the old people’s home where Meursault’s mother died located?
A. Paris
B. Céleste’s restaurant
C. Marengo
D. Algiers
2. How did Meursault learn of his mother’s death?
A. A telegram
B. A letter
C. A phone call
D. A visit from the director
3. What was Meursault’s reaction when the caretaker offered to open the coffin lid for him to see his mother?
A. He asked the caretaker to do it later.
B. He said no.
C. He immediately said yes.
D. He hesitated but eventually agreed.
4. What did Meursault do at the wake that caused some indignation in court later?
A. He fell asleep and snored loudly.
B. He argued with the director.
C. He drank coffee and smoked a cigarette.
D. He refused to eat any food.
5. Who was the old friend of Mama’s granted permission to walk behind the funeral cortège?
A. Emmanuel
B. Thomas Pérez
C. Céleste
D. Salamano
6. What was Meursault’s final feeling when the bus pulled into Algiers after the funeral?
A. Anger at the day’s events.
B. A sense of relief and joy at being able to sleep.
C. Overwhelming sadness.
D. Confusion about what had happened.
7. Who did Meursault meet at the public swimming pool?
A. His boss.
B. Céleste.
C. Raymond Sintès.
D. Marie Cardona.
8. What type of film did Marie want to see on their first date?
A. A drama.
B. A thriller.
C. A documentary.
D. A Fernandel film.
9. What was Meursault’s concluding thought at the end of this Sunday?
A. He needed to find a new apartment.
B. Mama was dead and buried, and nothing had really changed.
C. He was looking forward to the next Sunday.
D. He regretted not having done more.
10. What was the physical condition of Salamano’s dog?
A. It had a skin disease (mange) and reddish patches.
B. It was a stray that Salamano had recently adopted.
C. It was very old but well-groomed.
D. It was healthy and playful.
11. What was Raymond’s main complaint about his mistress that led to him beating her?
A. She was spending too much money.
B. She didn’t clean the apartment.
C. She was cheating on him.
D. She refused to marry him.
12. What was Meursault’s contribution to Raymond’s plan for his mistress?
A. He agreed to write a letter for Raymond.
B. He offered to talk to her.
C. He suggested another method of punishment.
D. He refused to get involved.
13. When Marie asked Meursault if he loved her, what was his response?
A. He said he would think about it.
B. He said he didn’t think so, and that it didn’t mean anything.
C. He said yes, very much.
D. He avoided the question.
14. What was Meursault’s reaction when Marie asked him to get a policeman during Raymond’s fight?
A. He told her to get one herself.
B. He said he didn’t like the police.
C. He immediately went to get one.
D. He said he was too scared.
15. What did Meursault agree to do for Raymond regarding the fight with his mistress?
A. Offer financial support.
B. Be a witness for him, saying the girl had cheated.
C. Help him apologize to the girl.
D. Find the girl and bring her back.
16. What thought did Meursault have about Mama when he heard Salamano crying over his lost dog?
A. He thought Mama would have been angry.
B. He thought Mama would have understood his grief.
C. He realized he too should cry for Mama.
D. He simply thought of Mama, but didn’t know why.
17. How did Meursault react to the prospect of changing his life by moving to Paris?
A. He asked for more time to consider it.
B. He said yes, but that he didn’t care one way or the other, and that all lives are the same.
C. He refused the offer outright.
D. He was excited and accepted immediately.
18. When Marie asked Meursault to marry her, what was his reply?
A. He said it was all the same to him and they could if she wanted to.
B. He said he needed more time to think.
C. He refused because he didn’t love her.
D. He enthusiastically agreed, expressing his love.
19. What did Salamano tell Meursault about people’s opinion of him?
A. They admired his resilience.
B. They thought badly of him for putting his mother in a home.
C. They were indifferent to him.
D. They thought he was a good neighbor.
20. What characteristic way did the group of Arabs at the tobacco shop watch Meursault, Raymond, and Marie?
A. They watched silently, “looking through us as if we were rocks or dead trees.”
B. They ignored them completely.
C. They openly threatened them.
D. They were laughing and jeering.
21. What caused Raymond’s injury during the first confrontation with the Arabs?
A. The Arab punched him.
B. He was stabbed with a knife.
C. He cut himself on a rock.
D. He tripped and fell.
22. What was Meursault’s initial reaction when Raymond asked, “Should I kill him?” regarding the Arab?
A. He ran away in fear.
B. He said no, it wouldn’t be right to shoot him as he hadn’t said anything.
C. He encouraged Raymond to do it.
D. He took the gun from Raymond immediately.
23. What specific physical sensation overwhelmed Meursault just before he fired the first shot?
A. A sudden feeling of joy.
B. Intense hunger and thirst.
C. The burning sun crashing against his cheeks and forehead.
D. Extreme cold.
24. What did Meursault realize he had done after firing the first shot?
A. He had destroyed the natural balance of the day and the exceptional silence.
B. He had finally found peace.
C. He had made a grave mistake.
D. He had avenged Raymond.
25. How many additional shots did Meursault fire into the lifeless body of the Arab?
A. One.
B. Two.
C. Three.
D. Four.
Part Two
26. What did Meursault’s lawyer suggest he say in court about his emotions at the funeral?
A. That he was too sick to attend properly.
B. That he had kept his emotions under control.
C. That he had cried privately.
D. That he was overwhelmed with grief.
27. What did the examining judge brandish at Meursault during an interrogation, asking if he knew what it was?
A. A Bible.
B. A picture of Jesus.
C. A cross.
D. A silver crucifix.
28. What was Meursault’s response when the judge demanded he state whether he believed in God?
A. He was unsure.
B. He said yes.
C. He refused to answer.
D. He said no.
29. What did Meursault initially find most difficult about his imprisonment?
A. The poor food.
B. The noise from other prisoners.
C. Having the thoughts of a free man.
D. The loneliness.
30. How did Meursault eventually overcome boredom in prison?
A. By exercising.
B. By talking to other prisoners.
C. By learning how to remember and meticulously list items in his bedroom.
D. By writing letters.
31. What was the “story of the man from Czechoslovakia” about?
A. A soldier’s wartime experiences.
B. A man murdered by his mother and sister for money after returning home disguised.
C. A man who escaped prison.
D. A love story.
32. What other major case was scheduled immediately after Meursault’s at the Crown Court?
A. A fraud case.
B. A parricide.
C. A kidnapping.
D. A robbery.
33. Which witness for the defense characterized Meursault’s crime as “just one of those unfortunate things”?
A. Raymond.
B. Salamano.
C. Céleste.
D. Marie.
34. What was the prosecutor’s key accusation against Meursault during Marie’s testimony?
A. That he had manipulated Marie.
B. That he went swimming, started an affair.
C. That he was violent towards women.
D. That he was a habitual liar.
35. What was the lawyer’s shouted objection to the prosecutor’s arguments about Meursault’s mother?
A. This is irrelevant to the murder charge!
B. My client loved his mother deeply!
C. Is this man on trial for burying his mother or for killing a man?
D. The prosecutor is biased!
36. According to the prosecutor, how was Meursault’s “moral murder” of his mother connected to the actual murder?
A. It was a separate, minor offense.
B. It paved the way for the second crime.
C. It showed Meursault was mentally unstable.
D. It was an unfortunate coincidence.
37. What did Meursault notice his lawyer doing during the summing up that he found surprising?
A. His lawyer was constantly interrupting the judge.
B. His lawyer kept saying “I” when he meant Meursault.
C. His lawyer was falling asleep.
D. His lawyer was laughing at the prosecutor.
38. What did the presiding judge pronounce the verdict?
A. Hard labor.
B. Head cut off in a public place in the name of the French People.
C. Acquittal.
D. Life imprisonment.
39. What detail about his father’s past did Meursault remember that helped him understand the importance of an execution?
A. His father had always spoken against the death penalty.
B. His father had been sick at the thought of going to an execution.
C. His father had been a criminal.
D. His father had died in prison.
40. What did Meursault identify as the fundamental flaw of the guillotine system?
A. It was not quick enough.
B. It was too public.
C. No one had a chance, none whatsoever.
D. It was too painful.
41. What was Meursault’s method for coping with his impending death and appeal?
A. He tried to be logical, accepting the worst outcome.
C. He developed a vivid imagination.
D. He prayed constantly.
42. What was Meursault’s direct reply when the chaplain asked him why he refused to see him?
A. He was too busy.
B. He was in despair.
C. He didn’t believe in God.
D. He felt too ashamed.
43. What ignited Meursault’s outburst against the chaplain?
A. The chaplain’s calm demeanor.
B. The chaplain’s question about his father.
C. The chaplain’s insistence on prayer and certainty.
D. The chaplain’s offer of forgiveness.
44. What did Meursault assert he was “sure of” during his angry outburst?
A. His life, his impending death, and that he had always been right.
B. His innocence.
C. His appeal being granted.
D. God’s existence.
45. What did Meursault realize about “everyone” during his outburst?
A. Everyone is good at heart.
B. Everyone was privileged.
C. Everyone is equal in the eyes of the law.
D. Everyone deserves a second chance.
46. What did Meursault feel after his outburst against the chaplain?
A. Renewed hope for his appeal.
B. Deep regret for his actions.
C. A sense of dread and loneliness.
D. A wonderful peacefulness and the “tender indifference of the world.”
47. What was Meursault’s final hope for his execution?
A. That he would die peacefully and alone.
B. That he would be pardoned at the last moment.
C. That there would be many spectators who would greet him with cries of hatred.
D. That Marie would be there to comfort him.
48. What are the multiple meanings of the French word “étranger”?
A. Enemy, adversary, opponent.
B. Outcast, pariah, outcast.
C. Wanderer, nomad, transient.
D. Outsider, stranger, foreigner.
49. What did Camus famously say about Meursault’s character?
A. That Meursault was “a lost sheep.
B. That Meursault was “the only Christ we deserve.
C. That Meursault was “a modern-day prophet.
D. That Meursault was “a saint in disguise.
50. What writing style did Sandra Smith maintain to reflect Meursault’s character?
A. Lyrical and descriptive language.
B. Direct, staccato style.
C. Formal and academic tone.
D. Colloquial and slang-filled dialogue.
Brief Overview
The Outsider by Albert Camus follows Meursault, a man living in French Algeria who shows little emotional response to life events. When his mother dies, he remains detached and returns quickly to his normal routine.
He begins a casual relationship with Marie and spends time with his neighbor Raymond, who involves him in a conflict with a group of Arabs. During a trip to the beach, Meursault, overwhelmed by the intense heat and emotional emptiness, shoots one of the Arabs.
He fires four more shots at the body, showing no remorse. At his trial, he is judged not only for the murder but also for his lack of emotion, especially his indifference at his mother’s funeral.
Society sees him as dangerous because he does not follow its moral expectations. Meursault is sentenced to death, and in prison, he begins to reflect deeply on life.
He accepts the idea that life is meaningless and that death is inevitable. In this acceptance, he finds a form of inner peace, embodying Camus’s philosophy of the absurd.
