Why does Meursault shoot the brother of Raymond’s mistress in The Stranger?

In Albert Camus’s novel The Stranger, the protagonist Meursault does not kill the brother of Raymond’s mistress out of revenge or premeditated malice. Instead, Meursault explains that he commits the act due to the disorienting, intense heat and the blinding brightness of the sun reflecting off the man’s knife.1

This pivotal moment highlights Meursault’s detachment and the absurdity central to Camus’s work. While the murder is often interpreted as a metaphor for the French occupation of Algeria and the systemic mistreatment of native Algerians, within the narrative, the act underscores Meursault’s refusal to conform to societal expectations or provide a rational, emotional justification for his behavior.1