Strange

            They introduce Meursault's emotional indifference, one his most important character traits. Meursault does not express any remorse upon learning of his mother's death "he merely reports the fact in a plain and straightforward manner. His chief concern is the precise day of his mother's death "a seemingly trivial detail.
             This possible reading introduces the idea of the meaninglessness of human existence, a theme that resounds throughout the novel.
             The nurse speaks these words to Meursault during the long, hot funeral procession in Part One, Chapter 1. On a literal level, the nurse's words describe the dilemma the weather presents: the heat's influence is inescapable. But Meursault's comment, "There was no way out,"" broadens the implications of the nurse's words. As Meursault eventually realizes, the nurse's words describe the human condition: man is born into a life that can only end in death. Death, like the harsh effects of the sun, is unavoidable. This idea is central to Camus's philosophy in The Stranger, which posits death as the one central, inescapable fact of life.
             Meursault relates an exchange he has with Marie. With characteristic emotional indifference and detachment, Meursault answers Marie's question completely and honestly. Always blunt, he never alters what he says to be tactful or to conform to societal expectations. However, Meursault's honesty reflects his ignorance. His blunt words suggest that he does not understand fully the emotional stakes in Marie's question. Also, in Meursault's assertion that love "didn't mean anything,"" we see an early form of a central idea Meursault later comes to understand "the meaninglessness of human life.