Character Analysis Of Meursault

Meursault is a risk to society in view of the fact that he is emotionally indifferent from others. Meursault is detached from the world around him."I said that it didn't make any difference to me and that we could if she wanted to,” says Meursault. “I said it didn't make any difference to me and that we could if she wanted to ... I answered the same way I had the last time, that it didn't mean anything but that I probably didn't love her.” In these two quotes, this proves that Meursault doesn’t care about Marie and he doesn’t care about his mother’s death.

He has no initial reaction to the news of her death, and at her funeral service he did not bother to even see her before she was buried. His lack of emotion is evident in the very first lines of the book, “Mother died today. Or maybe it was yesterday, I don’t know.” This shows that Meursault is hardly caring for his mother. Society’s standards would result in him to be in absolute mourning and wanting to go as fast as possible to her body. This is not the only example of Meursault’s lack of emotion and care for factors in his life. He does not care for love and marriage after having intercourse with someone; the society standard at this time was to get married if two partners had intercourse. He does not care for promotion and career advancement when his boss offers him a better job opportunity; the standard at that time and right now is to pursue the best career possible. In these scenarios Meursault is living free from the chains, and does whatever he thinks is right to do. Eventually, society rejects him and his ways, and he gets in trouble with the law. He is judged by society and his ways are ridiculed, making Meursault appear to be a monster.

He is very socially awkward, and does not like being around anyone. As an existential hero, like Meursault, they typically does not challenge conformity. As a result, he is no emotion toward anything or anybody. When his mother died, he feels no sadness or emotion towards her passing. In this society, this is looked down upon because it very unnatural to not feel sadness after a loved one passes away. His strange responses to questions has made society set against him. The ideas of existentialism are based on the main argument that humans create meaning for themselves and are entirely free to make their own decisions and are solely responsible for their own individual actions. For instance, “Marie came by to see me and asked me if I wanted to marry her. I said that it did not make any difference to me and that we could if she wanted to. I probably didn’t love her”(41). He is unlike the rest of society as they have true emotions and feelings, like Marie expresses about Meursault. Being in a relationship is very important, but Meursault does not want anything to do with it. His lack of emotion has made society to condemn him and get labeled as an

In his relationship with Marie, Meursault remains indifferent to both love and marriage. His indifference should not however be accepted as an innate, uncontrollable response, rather a radical refuse of both social and religious affairs which authority impresses upon society. This indirect refusal to authority is also a present in Meursaults relationship with his boss. Meursault is offered a job in Paris and to his bosses’ surprise is indifferent to the situation stating that while “it was all the same”(41) that his life was content and “people never change their lives” in fact, “one life was as good as another”(41). Later however discussing the opportunity with Marie instead of displaying indifference describes Paris as “dirty”(42) with “lots of pigeons and dark courtyards”(42) and where “everybody’s pale”(42). Thus, despite his unemotional reaction to the boss, later displays resentment towards the situation. Meursaults relationship with Raymond is also down played in Meursaults narration. Helping Raymond write a knowingly manipulative letter because “he didn’t have any reason not to please him”(32) seems contradictory to his previously apathetic attitude that he “didn’t mind being his pal”(33). When Marie suggest that Meursault call the police he responds that he does not like police, thereby displaying an emotional

At first glance, one might think that he is a malevolent man with malicious intentions, due to his indifferent, nonchalant demeanor of his actions during the first half of the novel. He shows no grief at his mother’s funeral, but rather a matter-of-fact, unemotional acceptance of the situation. “Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe… I don’t know” (Camus, 3). Meursault’s love for

In these chapters, Meursault is put on trial, only to lose his case and be sentenced to death. This is also when Meursault’s nature hurts him the most, the fact that he is unemotional about everything leads the jury to believe nothing other than that he is a cold blooded killer. In chapter 1, part 2, Meursault is addressed as “Monsieur Antichrist”. This is a strong allusion used by Camus to represent the character of Meursault. In faith, the antichrist may be defined as a false Christ, one who claims to be the Messiah, or, one who denies or opposes Christ. Meursault is relatable to the antichrist figure in both senses of the definition. Just like the antichrist, Meursault has fooled everyone around him into thinking he is just a normal individual, when in reality, he is a sociopath. Also, Meursault is uninterested by the thought of God, and does not believe in him. This is explicitly stated in Meursault’s conversation with the chaplain, in which he asks Meursault why he has refused to see of talk to him, that God can help him. .Meursault claims he “didn’t want anybody’s help”, and that he simply “didn’t have the time to interest myself in what didn’t interest me…” (116). The lack of care in Meursault’s personality carries itself to the end of the novel, even after he is told that he is to have his “head cut off in a public

Meursault fully accepts his fate and understands his situation. In a truly absurdist fashion he rationalizes his position where no meaning can be found. He was condemned by his society because he was seen as a stranger. In the beginning Meursault is listening for footsteps, thinking of escape, what he will do after and what he should have done before. However, talking to the priest aggravates him with the talk of God and divine justice, when it is human justice that condemns him. Meursault’s outburst of anger causes him to lose hope in living. Unlike the priest who seems so sure of everything but as a human he cannot, Meursault is sure of himself and in the truth, as he always has been. (He is sure in the truth that he is going to die) In this

At the beginning of the novel, Meursault is portrayed as detached. This is evident as the death of his mother and the proposal from his wife do not spark any emotions to be expressed from him. When Meursault's mother dies, Meursault acts very nonchalant as he usually does. “After his mother’s death, [Meursault] went swimming, began a casual affair and went to a comedy [movie]” (Camus, 85). Those are not the regular actions of someone that has just lost their mother. The thing with Meursault is that he is not normal. Meursault is different and for that very reason, society will not accept him. Meursault's is extraordinarily passive. For example, when he is over at Raymond's house, Meursault and Raymond brainstorm how to lure Raymond's mistress

As you uncover his peculiarities, you may be confused on why the writer would make him this way but it is all cleared up when he is killed. Meursault is being executed for a crime he did for no reason, however; he seems unworried by his situation even after a sad conversation with Marie in the prison cell. Before he is killed he gives a very important quote that shows the philosophy the books wants to portray, "for everything to be consummated, for me to feel less alone, I 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". This quote shows above all else that humans are ultimately responsible for their acts whether good or bad.

Meursault is an anomaly in society; he cannot relate directly to others because he does not live as they do. Meursault is simplistic, even detached; he speaks of his mother's death without regret for her loss, merely stating: "Maman died today." He goes on to mention that perhaps it was yesterday - he is not sure which. He cannot abide by the same moral

Meursault in the novel is a person who views and describes much of what occurs around him. He is emotionally different to others around him even to his mother and his lover, Marie. He also refuses to follow the accepted moral order of society, “I said that I didn’t believe in God” (116). After Meursault kills the Arab,he goes to jail and is put on trial. However, the true focus of Meursault’s murder trial quickly slides away from the murder itself to the way Meursault believes in his attitudes and beliefs. Meursault’s lack of emotional grief at his mother’s funeral act for a serious challenge to the morals and beliefs of the society in which he lives.

When beginning to read this novel,we do not have much information about Meursault and his life, it is hard for us to judge his personality and his actions. When Meursault heard of the passing of his mother through a telegram, whom he had placed into home

Meursault’s transformation began with the death of his mother and the unexplainable guilt that came with it. Before her death Meursault had recently sent his mother to a nursing home, and in French culture this is very unusual since a family member to help is still available. Later, Meursault explains his situation to his boss and feels the need to say “It’s not my fault...I thought I shouldn’t have said that. After all, I didn’t have anything to apologize for” (Camus, 3). While asking his boss for days off for his mother’s funeral, he feels as if his boss his blaming Meursault for her death. All of this guilt started with sending her off to the home and had built up over time without him being able to make amends with his mother. The reader can tell that Meursault regrets sending his mother away by how he reflects upon their apartment. “I was a little bored and I wandered see around the apartment. It was just the right size when Maman was here. Now it's too big for me” (Camus, 21). The apartment feels empty without his mother with him, and this makes Meursault miss her and wish he hadn't sent her away. But to hide his unresolved feelings Meursault tries to blame his unhappiness on his mother. “It had been a long time since I’d been out in the country, and I could feel how much I’d enjoy going for a walk if it hadn't been for Maman” (Camus, 12). Meursault takes the very beauty of the day and blames it upon his mother that he cannot enjoy it. The day after Meursault returns home from the funeral he goes out with his friend Marie, once she finds out that Maman had died the day before Meursault gets another feeling to say it's not his fault, but justifies it. “It didn't mean anything. Besides, you always feel a little guilty” (Camus, 20). Trying to remain focused in the

After committing murder, Meursault was arrested and put in jail. While in jail, he had to see the magistrate a few times, and in those visits he found himself being irritated because of the heat. As Meursault was being questioned, he felt the air “getting hotter and hotter” (Camus 69), and it creates a mood of irritation. He did not want to hear anymore of the imposing tirade given by the magistrate. Then Meursault stated that he “could see the red sand and feel the burning of the sun on [his] forehead” (Camus 67). In this scene, he got irritated and angry when he was forced to believe that there was meaning in life. He does not want anything that is going to disturb his state and “thoughts...of a free man” (Camus 76). As a free man, the only thing that matters is living life detached from the world because this ensures that he would not have to deal with the irrationality of things. Just like what Sprintzen argued on his article “The Stranger”, Meursault “does not ‘live by the rules’. He does not think like ordinary people. He does not pay his respects, but seems indifferent to everything that is usually taken seriously” (Sprintzen). His strangeness allows his emotional state to be controlled by the sun and the heat. The sun and the heat affect his physical being and it prevents him from acknowledging his emotions. The sun and the weather serve as a controlling force that allow Meursault to escape the irrationality of life.

The Absurdist notion that this world, indifferent and aloof to our existence, is shown when Meursault, an epitomy of apathy, realizes he loves life but hated by others who do not care about his plight or worries. After long days of proceedings, Meursault is condemned to die for killing an Arab. During the return trip to the prison, Meursault sees “all the familiar sounds of a town [he] loved and of a certain time of day where [he] used to feel happy” (97). He misses that life before prison, when he was free. At this point, so close to death, Meursault regrets that he did not take the time to enjoy life before. He feels that his situation is sad and pointless, as he feels that there might be no hope for his freedom. Meursault also blames himself for not noticing what criminals did to escape the justice system. He blames himself every time “for not having paid enough attention to accounts of execution. A man should always take an interest in these things” (108). After Meursault receives the verdict of death, he blames himself for not having taken an interest in stories of people who have been condemned to death but who managed the escape that fate. In his past life, Meursault would never have taken an interest in anything, his apathetic character acting as a barrier. However, in his current predicament, the merest evidence of a fugitive from the law would capture his attention explicitly. If so, his “heart would have taken