Matthew not Maria

When watching "Trust" and thinking about Meursault and the other themes in The Stranger it was fairly easy to see the similarities.  All three characters isolate themselves from society and seem to have no care for the customs of society.  When I really thought about the characters in the movie though, especially Maria I began to think that maybe they aren't as isolated and against society as Meursault was.  

Maria isolated herself because she was kicked out of her house, blamed for killing her father, and was pregnant. In the aftermath of her father's death and being kicked out of the house Maria went around aimlessly looking for help from anyone after even her "best" friend refused to help her.  I feel like her isolation was not a result of her choice but out of helplessness.  She wanted to find someone and that someone happened to be Matthew when he found her in the barn.  

Matthew on the other hand drew a much closer correlation to Meursault.  The beginning of the movie shows his lack of care for rules and regulations and even holding a job.  His general lack of enthusiasm for anything also shows a correlation to Meursault.  One quote that really stood out to me was when he said "TV is the opiate of the masses" and then right after that you see a line of people with TVs stretching out the door and down the street.  All of these characteristics make Matthew seem much more similar to Meursault that Maria does.  

 

Comments

[Joe L.]

While I agree that Matthew and Meursault have some similarities I believe there are also ample differences. Meursault does not have any pride. Day in and day out he will do what his bosses tell him. Matthew on the other hand is a prideful man. He refuses to bow to his bosses will and believes his way is the only way. Meursault also seems steadfast in his beliefs while Matthew changes to this "opiate" after landing a steady job.

[Veronica T.]

I agree with all the similarities you mentioned, but I would also say Matthew isn't as much of an existentialist as Meursault was. While both seem indifferent to some things, Matthew's anger toward his work is something we don't witness in Meursault's personality. Meursault seems calm and collected most of the time, while Matthew has a reputation for having a temper.