Meursault Quote Analysis

(pg.30) Later, he will tell the judge, without remorse, that he killed the Arab “because of the sun.” In truth, there are extenuating circumstances for his crime: the preceding scuffle with the man, the beginning of sunstroke, the lack of premeditation, the consumption of wine, the reflex action of pulling the trigger, and the defensive instinct taking over. But Meursault remains indifferent to murder, and fails to defend himself. Ironically, he is convicted as much for his psychological indifference, his selfish and anti-social behavior, and his lack of mourning for his mother, as for his actual crime. Somehow, when the prosecution was asked: “est-it accuse d’avoir enterre sa mere ou d’avoir tue un homme?” it was perfectly acceptable to assert: “j’accuse cet homme d’avoir enterre une mere avec un coeur de criminal.” (pg.47)

It is likely for the sun to influence more aggressive behavior in those who a more susceptible to it like Meursault. Meursault complains earlier that the sun was burning his back and the glint of the Arab’s knife irritated him. Although it is difficult to understand why someone would succumb to an irritation in such a way, it is likely that the sun may have influenced Meursault’s actions. However, Meursault’s disconnection lack of remorse and disconnection with reality is perhaps what played a greater part in what led him to kill the Arab. Even the way Meursault recounts the murder makes it seem so simple. Yet, this act allows Meursault to experience some form of emotion and liberated him and brought him into existence by ending the existence of another. This is what qualifies it as the climax of the

This easy-going, pleasant hedonism is interrupted permanently by Meursault's murder of the Arab on the beach. Not only is he incarcerated, but also he must examine the reality behind the illusion of his trial and, ultimately, of his life. Introspection has not been his metier. It takes him a while to realize that the judge, the jury, the journalists, even his own lawyer, do not wish him well. Meursault finally realizes that he is going to be convicted, not because he killed an Arab but because he did not mourn his mother's death.

Meursault was introduced as a young man whom recently found out his mother, Maman, died. He was not the most emotional person, but he dealt with his feelings the best he knew how. Meursault lived his life on the verge of truth and honesty. He was honest within every aspect of life, from women to freedom. He was never certain about anything in life ,but one thing he was sure of, death was inevitable. After murdering an Arab, he was on trial in front of many people being interrogated with many questions about why he did what he did, but also to evaluate his psyche about the situation. Unlike others, Meursault did not hide from the truth and that is what others could not cope with. Living his life the way others were afraid to, Meursault was the outcast in his society.

Once again, the only thing Meursault is feeling at the moments is irritation. As he put it, “…the Arab drew his knife and held it up to me in the sun. The light shot off the steel and it was like a long flashing blade cutting at my forehead” (Camus,59). The only threat Meursault saw was the sun, just

The light of the sun is distracting him and making excuses for what is happening here and back in the passage about the Arab, the sun is providing an excuse and an out for him to believe in. These two situations both heavily involve Meusault and death and whether it is the death of his mother or the murder of an Arab it does not matter Meursault uses the sun as a way to not focus on what is actually happening. In the passage about Meursault’s mother, he discusses “the rows of cypress trees leading up the hills next to the sky…” Again Meursault is focusing on his surroundings as a distraction and an out. He even says “…I was able to understand Maman better.”

When Meursault first speaks with his lawyer, he asked Meursault to say that he had held back his “natural feelings. “[Meursault] said, ‘No, because it’s not true.’ [The lawyer] gave [him] a strange look, as if he found [him] slightly disgusting” (65). Here, we see someone looking for causation, and Meursault being blunt about how there truly is not a cause for the murder. As the trial commences, the only thing Meursault notices it how “the trial opened with the sun glaring outside”, and that “despite the blinds, the sun filtered through in places and the air was already stifling” (82, 83). Both of these descriptions use diction that is very similar to the diction used to describe the heat and light on the day of the murder. This can lead to the conclusion that the only possible cause for the murder that could be justifiable for society is the heat, how oppressive it is, and how it ultimately led to his final murder of the Arab.

Symbolism/foreshadowing - “with the sun bearing down, making the whole landscape shimmer with heat, it was inhuman and oppressive.”(15) First time the sun was mentioned, distracting Meursault from his mother’s funeral and paves way for a seemingly irrational excuse for his future actions.

The heat is personified making it seem like the environment is controlling him. Meursault's actions were impaired due to the inescapable heat beating down on his judgements. Murdering the Arab allowed him to relieve the tension caused by the heat. Meursault’s constant worrying about the heat, causes major changes in his

While at the beach, Meursault decides to shoot an Arab man four times. When taken to court and asked why, Meursault says it was because of the “hot sun”. However, the reader can understand that there was no real justification and the conclusion comes to Meursault’s indifference. Near the end of the novel, Camus states “Since we’re all going to die, it’s obvious that when and how don’t matter. Therefore … I had to accept the rejection of my appeal.”

The answer is simple: it does not relate to the murder of the Arab. Being the representative of society, the jury opposes Meursault and accuses him of not conforming to society's natural ways, and being what we nowadays refer to as the "odd one out". They exclude him from society for his odd clear-cut and sincere demeanor, and for his manifestation of an inexpressive character. Another example is the moment in which the magistrate, a local member of the judiciary having limited jurisdiction, especially in criminal cases, questioned Meursault.

It is often seen to be a symbol of life, power, strength and energy. But in the outsider is used to symbolize something else. The sun is the indicator to Meursault’s emotions and actions. He is constantly referring to the sun and using it in a way to express how he is feeling. “And what with the sun and the smell of leather and horse-dung from the hearse, and the smell of vanish and incense and the sleepless night I’d had, I was so tired that I could hardly see or think straight.” (Chapter one, Part one pg. 21) Meursault uses the sun as one of his excuses to his disinterest and so called tiredness at his mother’s funeral. Again when the murder of the Arab occurred he mentions

While on the beach with Raymond, a friend of his, and Masson, a good friend of Raymond, the three encounter two Arab men who had been following them. A fight breaks out between the Arab men, Raymond, and Masson. One of the Arabs manage to cut Raymond’s arm. After Raymond is cut the fighting stops and three rush back to Masson’s beach house. Meursault later goes back to beach to cool off. He somehow comes back in contact with one of the two Arab men. The Arab draws his knife at the sight of Meursault. Meursault grips the gun and without thinking twice “the trigger [gives]” (Camus 59). Meursault has shot and killed the Arab. Instead of worrying about the consequences he will now have to face, he is more concerned that the shot has interrupted the peace of the beach. His disregard to the consequences of killing the Arab provides insight on why Meursault can be described as the

The sweat blinding Meursault enables him from thinking clearly and reflects how powerful the sun is to throw him off of his usual train of thought. All Meursault can think about is the sunlight affecting his body and mood. All he can feel is “cymbals of sunlight crashing on [his] forehead” (59). Camus specifically describes where the particles of sun encounter his main character and how severely it bothers him. Still on the beach, his attention is on the “warm thick film” in his eyes (59). The sun throws off Meursaults’ focus on more than one occasion.

(53), to which Meursault responds with “Yes” (53). The assassination of the Arab is deemed an accident and an act of self defense. Camus uses phrases such as: “the whole beach, throbbing in the sun, was pressing on my back...the sun was starting to burn my cheeks” (58) to excuse Meursault’s crime. Additionally, Camus links the glaring sun of that afternoon with the same glaring sun “that had been the day [he’d] bury Maman” (58), making the reader to feel sympathetic as he is forming a connection with a sad moment in his life. By including a detailed description of everything that could have possibly bothered Meursault at the time, it distracts the reader from the fact that he killed a man in cold