The Stranger

3 Pages 859 Words

In The Stranger, by Albert Camus the character Meursault, who is the book's narrator and main character is very detached, and unemotional. He does not think much about events or their consequences, and he doesn’t express feeling in relationships or at emotional times. He displays a un-intrest if you will throughout the book by his reactions to the people and events described in the book. After his mother's death he didn’t cry or show any emotion on the subject at all. He shows limited feelings for his girlfriend, Marie Cardona, and shows no remorse at all for killing an Arab. He is called “the stranger” because of his reactions to life and to people. Despite this behavior of his, there is a young woman who seems to want to have a relationship with Meursault and a neighbor who wants a friendship. Meursault rarely shows any feeling when in situations, which would, for most people, create strong emotions. Throughout the vigil, and at her funeral, he never cries. He’d rather enjo!
y a cup of coffee with milk during the vigil, and have a smoke with a caretaker at the nursing home where his mother died. The following day, after his mother's funeral, he goes to the beach and meets Marie Cardona. They swim, go to a movie, and then spend the night together. Later in their relationship, Marie asks Meursault if he wants to marry her. Once again he shows a blatant amount of emotion by responding that it doesn't matter to him, and if she wants to get married, he wouldn’t abject. Then she takes an even bigger shot in the dark and asks him if he loves her. And he responds that he probably doesn't, and says that marriage really isn't such a serious thing and that it doesn't really need love. This reaction is well to say the least, typical of Meursault. He is casual and indifferent about life events. Nothing is very significant to him. Later on in the book, after he kills an Arab, not once does he show any remorse or guilt for what he did....