The Stranger

            How Merusault Changes In The Stranger By Camus.
             Meursault appears to be a typical, middle-class young man. He works as a clerk, rents an apartment, and enjoys women, the sea, the sun, and smoking. He appears normal - almost boring. His neighbors seem to trust him and approach him for help and advice. However, he lacks any emotion or passion towards anything in his life. Meursault lives life through the sensations of the here and now, describing these in much detail: the sun, sea, and sky; the feel of a crisp towel; the taste of good food, good wine and cigarettes; the feel of cool water on his skin; and making love to pretty girls like Marie. Yet he is incapable of looking beyond the feeling of the moment. He sees one thing just like any other: an experience, an objective fact, and all leading to the same conclusion. To his experiences, he adds no differential value or meaning. This unattached lifestyle is evident in his reactions to his mother's death and his relationship with Marie.
             "Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don't know"(1). This, the opening line of The Stranger, foreshadows Meursault's attitude toward everything else in the first half of the book. Instead of being mournful and depressed about the death of his mother, Meursault drinks coffee, smokes, and naps in a relaxed manner during the wake at the seniors" home. Her death had not affected his life, except for momentarily disrupting his everyday routine and causing him physical discomfort. His socially unacceptable indifference to his mother's death was a major factor in his conviction in the second half of the book.
             Meursault's absurdity is also evident in his relationship with his mistress, Marie. The day after his mother's funeral, Meursault runs into Marie at the beach, and they end up spending the afternoon swimming together and watching a comedy film, and have sex later that night. However, Meursault always concentrates on the physical aspects of their time together, such as Marie's hair, laughter, heart beat, and skin; he never seems to feel any of the emotional depth expected in a romance.