This leaves the impression that Mersault is insensitive, or that he did not love his mother. As an existentialist, he accepts life and death without seeking a deeper meaning. .
Moreover, Mersault's relationship with Marie Cordona portrays Camus's philosophy of existentialism. Mersault encounters Marie on his way to the beach for a swim. There is absolutely no indication of a close relationship between the two, but they are acquaintances from work. After spending a day at the beach and then at the movies, Mersault and Marie have sex later that night. However, they do not make actual love, as it lacks the emotional depth expected in a romance. Even with his love life, Mersault shows no true compassion. Mersault almost seems like a robot, just going through life as it is and making nothing more of it. When Marie asks Mersault to marry her, he responds with a "whatever" of sorts. He says, "I said it didn't make any difference to me and that we could if she wanted to" (41). He also admits that he does not love her. Mersault places no value on marriage. His character is established as aloof and disconnected. Even when on trial, Mersault admits that Marie does not mean much to him. The prosecutor refers to Marie as his mistress, and Mersault's narration declares, "To me, she was only Marie" (99). Even though Mersault wants a woman for sex, he remains indifferent to Marie and their relationship. Once again, Mersault is characterized by this existentialistic apathy in life, a life in which he is simply existing with no motivation. .
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Chakraborty 3.
Mersault's murder of the Arab is another example of existentialism in The Stranger. The absurdity of the murder is what makes it a good portrayal of the concept of existentialism. The Arab draws his knife and holds it up to Mersault, but this is not what seems to truly bothers him. Instead, it is the intense heat and the light from the sun that shoots off the Arab's knife that irritates him.
