zaaaAP Lit SuperBlog

Meursault Chases Existentialism

While reading The Stranger, I struggled to accept that Meursault was truly an existentialist. To me, it seemed that Meursault was trying to be someone he was not. Each time he showed emotion, he tried to explain it away or take an action that would eliminate any reader’s thought that the world had affected on him.

A great example of this was when he had dinner at Celeste's and the "robot woman" sat down and had dinner with him (p 43-44). Meursault showed obvious interest in her as he was so intrigued with her mannerisms that he followed her out the door for bit. Once he lost sight of her, he said that he soon forgot her. I feel that he was shocked that he had paid her that much attention and was now trying to cover up how much she had affected him with an act of indifference.

I was unsure of the validity of my argument until the end of the book when I read how Meursault stated how he wanted a large crowd of people to come to cheer at his execution. He wanted people to acknowledge his indifference to the world. If Meursault who truly individualistic, wouldn't he be indifferent as to whether or not people realized how he lived his life? If he were a true a existentialist, wouldn't he have been happy to accept and receive his death with out wishing for people to react to it?

In my eyes, Meursault is the least existential person in the book because he was a hypocrite. He obviously lived his life trying to be something he was not. If the point of a existential life is living individualistically and creating your own meeting, he failed miserably.

Neccessary Social Constructions

I've been thinking a lot about existentialism lately, specifically in its connection to religion.

I read an article in the New York Times Magazine two years ago that argued that religion is a social construct created by humans as a security device. Believing in a higher power, they argued, was a mechanism that aided humans throughout their daily lives. Without religion, many saw little meaning in existence and were unable to handle the stress of daily life. They went so far to suggest that daily praying was beneficial for the human body as a moment of relaxation and rest from a hectic and stressful day.

It seems to me that perhaps social constructions are unconsciously created by humans to aid our lives. This subconscious creation would then suggest that religion, friendship, love ext.. are not social constructions, but devises central to human life.

No Judgements

As I was pondering what theme I could use for our essay assignment, one jumped out at me that had never occured to me before. It occured to me that maybe what Camus is trying to say is that there is no way that moral institutions can be used to fairly judge human nature. Meursault is judged in many ways, and as a result he is executed.

One "moral institution" that came to mind was the church. Meursault repeatedly refuses to talk to the Chaplin, and when he does, completely rejects his ideas, which are basic ideas about God. "I said that I didn't believe in God. He wanted to know if I was sure and I said that I didn't see any reason to ask myself that question: it seemed unimportant" (116). To some of us this seems unusual, and to others it doesn't. Religious beliefs are certainly meant to be individual, but in this case, the moral institution of the church is unfairly judging Merusault to be a bad person when he proclaims that God is unimportant to him.

Another "moral institution" of some sort would be society and the way society expects people to act. Maman's funeral would be an example of this. Meursault is immiedately caste as a bad person because he didn't cry at his mother's funeral. He was judged without being able to express his reason for doing this, which is certainly unfair.

This theme seemed glaring to me after I thought about how Meursault's nature was being judged unfairly by so many different aspects of the moral spectrum. Do you think that this could be one of the themes Camus portrayed? Is there any more evidence that supports it?

Thomas Perez and His Connection With Maman

The connection that Monsieur Perez had to Maman obviously is a stronger relationship then that of Meursault's.  Perez's affection and reliance on Maman is obvious in his actions on the day of the funeral.  First, he walks behind the hearse, and although the pace is too fast for him, he walks it anyways.  Clearly for a man with a limp, and with his age he has trouble with the route, but his love overshadows his pain.  Also, the director told Meursault that only the family was invited to the burial, but in this case he made an exception for Perez. 

On page 18 it states, "Big tears of frustration and exhaustion were streaming down his cheeks.  But because of all the wrinkles, they weren't dripping off."  Although Nabokov tells us not to connect with the characters, this saddens me, and I cannot help to feel sorry for him and angered at Meursault.  Meursault doesn't comfort him,  walk with him, or even try to talk to him.  Where is his compassion?  Will this lead to a visit with Monsieur Perez in the future of the book? What does Perez truly mean to this book?

WWMD: What Would Meursault Do?

At the end of The Stranger, Meursault has an epiphany and accepts his fate.  Meursault also considers Maman's final days and understands why she took a "fiance".  He reasons, "So close to death, Maman must have felt free then and ready to live it all again.  Nobody, nobody had the right to cry over her.  And I felt ready to live it all again too" (122).

Meursault's ability to realize that Maman did not want to end her life in a sad way seems like a progressive step for him.  Throughout the whole book, he seemed to have difficulty understanding people's emotions and feelings, yet at the end of the book, this event changes my outlook on him.

It's also interesting that Meursault is feeling happy, considering that he will be executed that day in front of a crowd of people.  He says he's ready to live it all again, too.  If Meursault were let out of prison on that day, and allowed to live, what would he do?  How would he change his life - or would he change his life? 

Celebration or Critique?

Does The Stranger argue for existentialism? Or is it a critique of this ideology?

It seems that, on one hand, Camus celebrates existentialism. The main character has an epiphany, finds himself realizing the existential perspective, and then is able to come to terms with his death. This seems to be a positive. Perhaps the book is, in actuality, a critique on the society that will not permit Meursault to be existentialist without consequences.

However, I could also read the novel as one that questions that applicability of existentialism, or its very foundation. Maybe, through Meursault, Camus intends to expose the flaws in the existentialist theory.

Thoughts?

Meursault and the Bare Necessities

I found Meursault's apathy shocking at first, and a little disgusting. But after our class discussion about existentialism, I realized that it was really the best way to be happy. Meursault makes himself happy- he doesn't need anyone else to tell him, "you are a success", "you are handsome", or anything else that we usually rely on other people for. I think that existentialists might be the most self-confident people because they really are all they'll ever need. Meursault talks about how he could live in a hollow tree trunk staring at the sky his whole life. From a traditional perspective, his life would have no meaning or purpose. Yet from an existentialist perspective, his life would be considered beautiful and fulfilling. Meursault is called "Mr. Antichrist" by the magistrate, but this nickname is not abhorrent to him like it would be to us, in fact, he "was almost surprised at having even enjoyed anything better than those rare moments" (88). Meursault might just be a role model for anyone who is lacking confidence in their own ability to live meaningfully.

A Hope for Existentialism

Towards the end of The Stranger I began thinking about hope and the role it does or does not play in existentialist thought.  When Marie comes to visit him she talks about hope, and at that point in the story Mersault although he certainly doesn't hope for the same things as maybe Marie or his peers do but he does have hope.  Towards the end i think the realization that Mersault finally comes to is that hope has been what was holding him back.  While in Prison he fantasizes about an appeal and escaping from his execution but soon enough he comes to terms and becomes realistic.  "I would reason with myself, though, and try not to think about them anymore (pg. 112)."  After his liberation from false hopes Mersault is able to live the last day of his life in peace, and in acceptance of the inevitable.  I know that existentialism is a complex set of ideas, but I'm wondering if all you really have to do is give up on false hopes?  Is it all that simple?  Does it in fact matter what you are hoping for whether it be physical or mental? Can existentialist's hope for anything? 

Seinfeld and The Stranger

When I was reading the trial scene in The Stranger I kept thinking of the Seinfeld episode when Jerry, Elaine, George, and Kramer were all on trial.  There were lots of similarities between the two trials. When Mersault was on trial the prosecutors focused on  how Mersault was disconnected from society and were trying to show how dangerous he was.   In the Seinfeld episode the prosecutors did the same thing.  Instead of just trying them for laughing at an obese man as he was robbed, witnesses were brought in to show how dysfunctional they were in society.  The characters of Seinfeld also display their own type existentialism. The characters don't fit in with society, they live ,like Mersault, for the present day and rarely if ever looking towards the future.  The characters also do things and say things that would seem immoral but to them is just the truth.  While the characters of Seinfeld don't fully display existentialism, they do have existentialist qualities.

Mersault's Final Thoughts

I believe the significance of Mersault wanting to hear the crowd's cries of hate is because he has finally come to the realization that he is an outsider to society and he wants confirm it. Throughout the second book he becomes more and more aware of the fact that he is a nonconformist to society. He does not believe in God which appears to be extremely important to the magistrate and other people in his town. Furthermore, during his trial he realizes that most of the people who testify hate him. Finally, when he "had only to wish that there be a large crowd of spectators the day of my execution and that they greet me with cries of hate" (123), shows that he has finally realized and accepted the fact that his views and ideas make him an outsider to society.

Story of Meursault's Father

What do you think about the story Meursault tells us about his father?  He says the only thing he knew about him was the story Maman told him about his father going to an execution.

Maybe the only thing I did know about the man was the story Maman would tell me back then: he'd gone to watch a murderer be executed. Just the thought of him going made him sick to his stomach.  But he went anyway, and when he came back he spent half the morning throwing up.  I remember feeling disgusted by him at the time.  But now I understood, it was perfectly normal  How had I not seen that htere was nothing more importnant than an exuecution, and that when you come right down to it, it was the only thing a man could truly be interested in. (110)

Do you think it is significant that the only story Meursault knows about his father is about him watching an execution, and Meurault was to be executed?  For me I think it's strange that that is all he knows about his father.  Am I reading too much into this or is this important?  Also, what do you think about Meursault saying that there was nothing more important than an execution?

The Strange Little Woman

Who is the strange little woman that Camus mentions on first in book one? She is described as having "robot movements and making her way with incredible speed and assurance" (Camus 43). This woman meticulously eats her food and rapidly marks the radio programs for the week.

Is this woman a foil for Meursalt? He takes such interest in her that he follows her out of Celeste's restaurant until he eventually loses her trail. Why does this woman interest Meursalt? Perhaps he is intrigued by someone who lives their life with as little attention to social constructs as he.

When the woman asks to sit at his dinner table he responds, saying "Of course she could." (Cumus 43) It seems that her choice to sit with another stranger defies societies polite dinner etiquette. Meursalt though is not phased by this breach of the norm. Instead he sets his own construction by graciously allowing her to sit with him, even overly qualifying her response with the use of the words "of course".

Later in Part II when Meursalt on trial he sees the strange little woman sitting with the other witnesses. Yet, her deposition is never revealed or discussed in The Stranger. Why is she called as a witness? Who is this strange little woman?

Another Way of Looking at Meursault

We have already discussed in class the approach to Meursault's personality by saying he is an individual, that he is as human as one can be.  But why then, do all human societies revolve around so-called cultural "constrictions"?

I think another way to look at Meursault is to see him as moving away from the becoming purely human. Because a part of being human is to be social, and conforming to a point to whatever society hands you.  I feel that Meursault is completely disregarding the social aspect of his nature, because although he does interact with other people, he does not get involved with them, he does not even identify with anyone but himself. 

I think that Meursault is an incredibly unique and beautiful character, but only within certain restrictions.  If you look at his character from a larger perspective, you could see that he does fulfill the individual aspect of his own life, but not his natural instincts to immerse himself in society. 

Who is the Mystery Man?

There is one part of The Stranger that we never discussed in class that has me completely confused. During Meursault's trial, he is very unaware of the people around him and is more consumed in his own thoughts. However, there are two people he focuses on particularly. One of them is the robot woman from the restaurant who we talked about in class. The other, however, is who is puzzling me.

There is a young journalist amongst the rest of the press people that Meursault pays particular attention to more than once during the trial. Meursault describes him first by what he is wearing, then by what he is doing. "One of them, however, much younger than the others, wearing gray flannels and a blue tie, had left his pen lying in front of him and was looking at me" (85). I believe the physical description of this man is not as important in what his character signifies, which is surprising because of Meursault's love for all things physical that we've discussed. The interesting part is that for some reason, even though all of the press are watching his every move, Meursault only feels as though he is being watched by this man and the robot woman, but not the rest. "The reporters were writing the whole time. I was conscious of being watched by the youngest of them and by the little robot woman" (87).

What makes this man stand out to Meursault? Could it be that he's intrigued that he has not picked up his pen like the rest of the press? Meursault also notices that this man has no "definable emotion" (85). Does this man represent someone who is very much like Meursault himself? All I understand is this: Meursault is concerned with two people during his trial. One of them, the robot lady, we concluded was there to be the opposite of Meursault's character. The other, the young journalist, is suspiciously like him.

I Don't Understand Meursault!

After finishing reading The Stranger I was so confused by Meursault. In the beginning of the novel, I wanted to punch him in the face and yell, "Show some emotion, you robot!" But at the end of the novel, I found myself feeling sorry for Meursault. He is obviously so connected to the Earth, and life (not the social constructs of life, but life itself), and he has to spend his numbered days in a cell, looking at just a little bit of the sky. Once I realized what I was feeling, and about whom, I tried to snap out of it.

This is Meursault I'm thinking about! The man who didn't cry at his mother's funeral! But the way Meursault phrases it, "So close to death, Maman must have felt free then and ready to live it all again. Nobody, nobody had the right to cry over her" (122), it seems to make sense to me. Death doesn't have to be a dark and depressing thing.

But of course, now I'm more confused than ever. I feel bad for Meursault. "Sounds of the countryside were drifting in. Smells of night, earth, and salt air were cooling my temples" (122). He loves the physicality of the earth. But after hearing what he said about crying over his mom, do I have a right to feel bad for him? He ends his life knowing he is happy. He has enjoyed the sun, the sea, the air. Now he's going to die. But everybody dies.

So I don't really understand Meursault, at all. Everything to me seems to be contradictory, or at least confusing. What do you think? Should we feel bad for him? Should we hate him? 

Everything and Nothing

"Here we have a perfect reflection of this entire trial: everything is true and nothing is true!" (91)

This line here refers to the absurdity of the trial. Monsieur Perez is being interrogated, and the prosecution implies from Perez's testimony that Meursault did not cry, however, he was simply not sure. For me, this sentence is more significant than just to the importance of the trial.

Meursault lives a very unique life, in which he attempts to block out society. This becomes nearly impossible once he kills the Arab.

I have come to the understanding that this sentence also explains Meursault's view on life and society. He does see that society affects all lives, however he is able to see that society is a social construct and if blocked out, can be seen as purely a lie. Societal values are true for Meursault in that he realizes they exist, and are a primary part of other's lives. Societal values also don't exist for Meursault given his character.

Do you find this sentence on page 91 to be significant, and if so, how so?

Maman and Existentialism

I am left wondering if there was something in Meursault's upbringing that led him to embrace Existentialism...

It is unclear to me whether his mother also followed this ideology. Did she influence him? Or was she hurt by his lack of emotional connection to her?

During the trial, we learn that "...she used to reproach [Meursalt] for having put her in the home" (89). However, he also says that "...it was one of Maman's ideas, and she often repeated it, that after a while you could get used to anything" (77).

Are these quotes contradictory? It seems to me that if she was, in fact, existentialist, she would not be upset about being in the home. On the other hand, her idea that you could get used to anything seems to suggest that she did have something to do with his existential outlook on the world.

Religion

The pastor that comes into Meursault's jail cell seemed much more concerned with forcing religion upon Meursault rather than talking about religion. The idea of "human justice [being] nothing and divine justice [being] everything" (118) comes up, and it pairs well with the the idea of repenting for one's sins. Meursault then says he doesn't know what a sin is and that human justice had condemmed him.

Meursault disagrees completely with religion, and believes in nothing but death. He shows his views in the quote:

"Deep down, I knew perfectly well that it doesn't much matter whether you die at thirty or at seventy, since in either case other men and women will naturally go on living--and for thousands of years. In fact, nothing could be clearer. Whether it was now or twenty years form now, I would still be the one dying." (114)

Meursault is pessimistic and faithless. He does not believe in any form of higher life, but never fully explains why. I believe the reason he does not have faith is because he has no reason to believe, just like he had no reason to cry at his mother's funeral. I believe love was nonexistent in Meursault's life, and even he showed his lack of love by not caring if he loved his future wife, Marie. I believe this lack of love could be connected to his lack of faith because there can not be God's love without love from another human.

If religion was guided towards Meursault instead of pushed towards him, would it have made a difference? Do you think Meursault ever had a chance of becoming a religious person, or repenting for his sins, or was the pastor completely wasting his time? Did Meursault ever change his view on religion anytime in the book? Is love connected to religion in the book?

The Trial Was Ridiculous

That trial for Meursault really irritated me. First of all, because I thought Meursault was being judged based on events that had nothing to do with the murder of the Arab. A good example is his mother's funeral. How is taking a cup of coffe make him a cold blooded killer? The judges and jury do not know anything about the relationship between Meursault and his mother, so how can they decide if Meursault's lack of emotion was due to being a "cold blooded murder" or someone that had a rocky relationship with his mom? And so what if he didn't cry? I didn't cry at my Ah Kong's (grandpa) funeral when I was 10-years-old, does that mean I'm meant to randomly kill someone because I was so heartless that I couldn't even cry? I understand that doing on a date with a girl the day after you mother died is kind of weird, but does that even have value in a court of law? I do not know anything about law, but maybe someone does and can explain to me if that information would be kept or throw out of the records?

Also, how are the prosecutor and the defense lawyers allowed to pass judgement on whether Meursault is "human." There is first the prosecutor that all he seems to be able to do is attack, attack, attack, without even consitering that he is, with his agrument, putting a man to death. Then, there is the defense lawyer that keeps telling Meursault not to worry about the case and that they are going to win. Clearly, they are not! So how can he lie to a man, possibly getting his hopes up (even though Meursault is not that type of guy), when he knows that he is going to lose the case? Doesn't that also make him "unhuman?" He is not living "truthfully."

Do you think that Meusault had a fair trial? What information do you think was fair, and what was not? Who is the most "human" person?

Is Meursault Changing?

While Part One of The Stranger introduces Meursault as being emotionally disconnected and only interested in sensual things, Part Two seems to show how Meursault is changing.  As Meursault is on trial, I am beginning to see more emotions from him.  Rather than ignoring what people think of him or what peoples' reactions are to what he says, Meursault is finally expressing some emotion.  For example, when Meursault is thinking "for the first time in years I had this stupid urge to cry, because I could feel how much all these people hated me" (90). 

From my perspective, Meursault is realizing that people are judging him and he can no longer ignore what society thinks of him.  As he listens to the prosecutor continue, Meursault thinks, "for the first time I realized that I was guilty" (90).  This makes me think that for the first time Meursault is actually considering the consequences of what he did.  He is more in tuned to the trial now because he notices that there is a good chance that he will be charged guilty. 

Meursault's emotions can also be seen when Celeste is being questioned by the prosecutor, and Meursault is thinking:

And as if he had reached the end of both his knowledge and his goodwill, Celeste then turned toward me.  It looked to me as if his eyes were glistening and his lips were trembling.  He seemed to be asking me what else he could do.  I said nothing; I made no gesture of any kind, but it was the first time in my life I ever wanted to kiss a man (93).

Why is it that Meursault's emotions are starting to show? Is it a reaction to being judged by society or something else?

Meursault's Big Realization

Well, I know that it seems for most of the book like Meursault's emotions are flat and, frankly, almost nonexistent. He shows a disinterest at his mother's funeral which is, to the unprepared reader, shocking.

However, when read from an existentialist perspective, Meursault's emotions are easily seen. It becomes obvious in the second half of the book when Meursault narrates that he was "conscious for a few brief moments of the once familiar feel of a summer evening out-of-doors... I recognized, echoing in my tired brain, all the characteristic sounds of a town I'd loved..." (Chapter 3).

Meursault may not have been fully invested in every small drama of life, and from the existentialist perspective this is beautiful. Meursault is able to pinpoint what is important to him- he knows what he enjoys without having societal judgments impair him.

In fact, he only becomes aware of societal judgments when he is on trial. He states that as the opposing lawyer stares at him, he "had a foolish desire to burst into tears. For the first time I'd realized how all these people loathed me... For the first time I understood that I was guilty." (Chapter 3)

Meursault is finally realizing that society does not value what he values, and that the difference can hurt him.

Meursault Has No Soul

My impression from the first few chapters led me to think Meursault is a very unlikable character. He is so self-centered and impolite that it is aggravating to read all of his thoughts. For example, he says "I didn't pay too much attention to him after that" (9). But then I started thinking about it, and I can't speak for everyone but I do the same thing almost every day, and by that I mean not pay attention when I am disinterested. I think that most of us think some of the same things that Meursault is thinking, however we differ in that his thoughts turn into actions whereas ours stay as thoughts because we have been taught to use self-control, something that Meursault is obviously lacking.

Do you think that any life-changing event will ever happen to Meursault and force him to see the world beyond himself?

Mersault's Emotions! Or Lack of

Mersault seems to have some type of emotion buried within him, some events suggest that.  For example, when Marsault was talking with Raymond about how much Raymond missed his dog, Mersault was reminded of his mother.  "I realized he was crying.  For some reason I thought of Maman."  Before he didn't care too much about his mother passing, it wasn't until Raymond talked about how much he missed the dog and tears were shed that Mersault made some type of connection.  Perhaps Mersault realized he would never be able to see his mother again.

I believe that at one point Mersault was able to have some type meaning, emotion, and something he stood for in life.  "When I Was a student, I had lots of ambitions like that.  But when I had to give up my studies I learned very quickly that none of it really mattered."  From this quote it seems that Mersault at one point had ambitions, something that mattered to him.  I'm just theorizing, but the thing that could've made him have to give it up was having to provide for his elderly mother.  That could be why he doesn't really care about her and other things. 

Meursault Isn't the Only One to Blame

So I really didn't like Meursault at first because I thought he was an emotionless, opinionated robot that constantly needed to be recharged (sleep). But once I got into the 5th and 6th chapters, he became more pleasant to read about. He was started to enjoy life. He got a girlfriend, he has some friends, and he's starting to enjoy life. He's not just staring at the window watching everyone. For example, in page 50 it says, "Just then his wife was laughin with Marie. For the first time maybe, I really thought I was going to get married."

And then he had to murder someone.

But, I guess conflict is kind of the point. I can understand why Meursault reacted in murder. Meursault was starting to enjoy life, and he didn't want to have that taken away. He is also not used to making big decisions. I also think that Raymond is to blame as well. If Raymond didn't play up the event, Meursault would have probably not felt as in dangered. Also, if Raymond had just "let it go," there would have never been a conflict. Also, the two Arab men should have never followed them to the beach. The two groups could have walked away of the situtation, instead of trying to see how far they could push the other one.

Why do you think Meursault reacted so drastically? Do you think that he is the only one to blame?

Sensory Overload

As I read The Stranger chapters 1-6, I noticed multiple occasions where Monsieur Meursault was greatly affected by his sensory perceptions. It seems that in major events such as the vigil, funeral procession, and his social encounters, Meursault either gets annoyed or almost sick by what his senses notice. Outside of the vigil, Meursault experiences an almost crippling sensory overload when the funeral makes its way through town. Meursault describes the setting of the glowing countryside flooded with sunlight, the heat, and the speed of the procession.

"I felt a little lost between the blue and white of the sky and the monotony of the colors around me- the sticky black of the tar, the dull black of all the clothes, and the shiny black of the hearse. All of it-the sun, the smell of leather and horse dung from the hearse, the smell of varnish and incense, and my fatigue after a night without sleep- was making it hard for me to see or think straight."

My question(s): Why is Meursault so concerned and affected by what he sees, hears and smells? Isn't it strange that he his more affected by a sunlit room rather than the death of his mother? Are his cigarettes a good remedy for his nausea?

Is Meursault Emotionally Disconnected?

At the end of chapter 2, Meursault acts as though nothing has changed in his life, especially when he thinks, "It occurred to me that anyway one more Sunday was over, that Maman was buried now, that I was going back to work, and that, really nothing had changed."

Does Meursault really care about Maman, because his actions reflect ambivalent feelings towards her death?  First, he prefers not to see his mother in her casket.  Then, he makes no effort to get to know any of his mother's friends, especially Mr. Perez, who appears to be the closest friend Maman had.  Finally, his description of Maman's funeral is blurry.  Meursault hastily paints a picture of what happened after they reached the cemetery:

"Then there was the church and the villagers on the sidewalks, the red geraniums on the graves of the cemetery, Perez fainting, the blood red earth spilling over Maman's casket, the white flesh of the roots mixed in with it, more people, voices, the village..."

Why does Meursault act like this?  It seems as though he was not very close to his mother, and has many excuses as to why he could not visit her more often.  He not only acts disconnected from his mother, but also from the outside world.  Thus far, he does not appear to have a close friend, or many friends.  Does Meursault just not show his feelings or does he not have any?

Meursault Cares

I find it very hard to connect with Meursault as a character, because he does not seem to care about anything. Why is he so indifferent? Like Paula said, I don't even know if we are supposed to connect with him. After reading chapters 1-3, my initial thoughts were that Meursault has no emotions, and he does what he wants based on his physical feelings at that moment.

However, upon inspection, Meursault does seem to experience emotion. It seems that he cares what everybody thinks about him. Why does Meursault apologize to his boss if he honestly does not care what his boss thinks? And at the home, he gets embarrassed when he tells the caretaker he doesn't want to see his mother. "He was quiet, and I was embarrassed because I felt I shouldn't have said that." (6)

Meursault seems so isolated within himself, so I really don't understand why he is always worried about pleasing others. If Meursault usually acts upon his physical feelings at the time, why does he feel the need to do what others think he should do or say?

Habits

There seem to be actions that become habitual throughout The Stranger. For example, when Maman was first put in the home, she cried a lot because the home was out of her comfort zone, and she wasn't used to it. Once seh got used to it , the protagonist says, "A few months later and she would have cried if she'd been taken out. She was used to it" (5).

Another example of the routines seen in the book is the relationship between old man Salamano and his dog. Every day, the two take the same route on their walk and every day, the old man trips and then beats his dog. The story itself is sad, but the old man clearly has more feeling for the dog than he shows.For example, he says, "[The dog is] always there" (27-28). If the dog was not always there and died, I'm sure the old man would feel bad, and I'm sure the protagonist and Mr. Perez would sympathize, because they too just lost their best friend.

Will habits or habitual actions play an important role later in the book?

Nabokov's Point of View

If we follow Vladimir Nabokov's advice on being a good reader, we would immerse ourselves in Meursault's story, including his moral universe.  I think this is the best way to look at this book since, at least from my stand point, Meursault is not a very likable character, and neither most of the other characters that were introduced.

I am trying to understand his complaints about...well everything in the story.  But my main problem is trying to understand his morals.  Is Meursault amoral? Or am I just completely on a different moral plain as him? Are we soposed to connect with him or are we just soposed to step back and examine him as a representative of existentialism?

Monsieur Meursault

I was surprised by Meursault's reaction to his mother's death. He reacts with little emotion and does not seem to be phased by the passing of his own mother. He does not know his mothers age or the exact day she dies and does not want to. On the day of her burial he focuses more on his physical relationship with the woman he meets at the beach and very little on the actual burial of his mother. When he returns home he says "Mother now was buried, and tomorrow I'd be going back to work as usual. Really, nothing in my life had changed" (30).

In the first three chapters he shows very little emotion and all of his descriptions are physical. He speaks of the heat while walking to his mothers burial and the physical relationship he shares with the woman from the beach.

Is Mersault simply an  incompassionate son or is there a story behind his nonchalance to his mothers death?