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Character Analysis Of Meursault In The Stranger

Decent Essays

In the novel, “The Stranger”, Meursault fits appropriately in the novel because his actions, feelings, and his way of thinking towards certain events can make people realize that his personality can be “strange.” Throughout the novel, Meursault can be expressed as a person who doesn’t really care what comes and goes throughout his life, and may be viewed as an outcast towards society for the way his actions portray in the novel. He may also be viewed as a man with no emotions because he doesn’t know how to express himself towards others, and a man who is trying to figure out himself throughout the course of his life. When reading the novel, you may think of Meursault as a person who doesn’t express his way of thinking, but then later realize that you personally can relate to Meursault in some sort of way(s). In the beginning of the novel, Meursault gets a telegram that says that his mother has died. When he attends his mother’s funeral, Meursault may be viewed as annoyed, or doesn't want to be there at all. “Then I felt like having a smoke. But I hesitated, because I didn’t know if I could do it in front of Maman right there. I thought about it; it didn’t matter” (Camus 8), this shows the reader that Meursault at some point did care about his mother, but gave up because he knew she was dead. Meursault at this point shows that he doesn’t care what people think about him, and that he would just continue living a normal life after this, nothing will change his perspective.

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