In the novels Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky and The Stranger by Albert Camus, the sun, heat and light play an important role in development and understanding of the novel and the characters in it. When first reading The Stranger, the reader may have a general recognition of a relationship between the novel's protagonist, Mersault, and the sun and heat, either before or after one of the novel's significant events. What is more difficult to understand on first reading is why this is important and what it means. On the other side of the field are Crime and Punishment. Images related to weather and heat have obvious connotation and importance, as they usually appear before an important event, but the aspect of the novel's setting has a different importance. As author Thomas Foster states in his reading guide How to Read Literature Like a Professor, “Weather is never just weather. It's never just about rain. And that goes for snow, sun, heat, cold, and probably sleet” (75). Regarding these two novels, the sun and the heat are never just sun and heat, but have a special implication that some readers may overlook. While the VOIDness of The Stranger regarding the sun and its incredible heat may be linked to Meursault's impaired judgment, the sun in Crime and Punishment may be linked to Raskolnikov's gradual descent into madness, weakening his judgment and reducing his patience . Because the sun plays a crucial and symbolic role in Crime and Punishment and The Stranger, the meaning and relationship within each of the novel's protagonists are partly similar. In both novels, during periods of heat, both characters become incredibly confused and exhausted. Often their...... middle of paper ...... goes [. . .] All he knew, all he felt, was that everything had to be changed “one way or another,” he repeated with desperate, unwavering self-confidence and determination. » (156-157). This quote refers to the idea that if Raskolnikov and his obsessive willpower were left unchecked, he would eventually go insane. This is the difference that separates the two protagonists and their relationships with the sun. Devoid of the important similarity between the images of sun and heat, the reader misses crucial information regarding the analysis and characterization of the protagonists of Crime and Punishment and The Stranger. While both main characters are greatly affected by the heat and environment, Raskolnikov's insecure and easy-to-pressure personality and Meursault's hatred of love are what reinforce the differences between the two protagonists...