In Albert Camus’ “The Outsider,” Meursault is psychologically detached from the world around him, and events that would be significant for most people do not matter to him. He does not care about his mother’s death or Marie’s love for him. Meursault’s emotional detachment from relationships is juxtaposed with passionate bonds between other characters, such as Thomas Pérez and Analyse.
Meursault’s lack of control, misunderstanding of society, emotionlessness, and indifference show how he is withdrawn and a stranger to the world. He refuses to look forward to a life after death and refuses to use religion as a vehicle to avoid facing the fact that he must die. He refuses to mask his calm acceptance and refuses to lie about himself.
In the novel, Meursault agrees to marry Marie because it doesn’t matter either way, and she wants to. Marie’s physical affection for Meursault signals a deeper sentimental and emotional attachment, but she is disappointed when Meursault kills another man. Meursault faces his execution with dignity and no excuses, realizing that his death is absurd but having a victory over it.
Meursault lives moment-to-moment based on how he physically feels. When Marie asks him to marry her, he replies that marrying her does not really matter to him, but he will consent if she desires. Upset, Meursault denies that marriage is a serious thing, and when she asks if he would marry a woman with whom he had a similar relationship as the one he had with Marie, their focuses are very different.
In conclusion, Meursault’s psychological detachment from relationships and his emotional detachment from the world make him a stranger to the world.
📹 The Stranger by Albert Camus | Part 1, Chapter 5
Professor Bill Yarrow of Joliet Junior College provides an in-depth summary and analysis of Part 1, Chapter 5 of Albert Camus’s …
Does Meursault want to marry Marie?
Meursault is honest, even when it’s not convenient. He doesn’t mind writing a letter for Raymond that would hurt a girl. He might even lie about it. But he can’t lie about how he feels. He can’t say he loves Marie and marry her. He’ll marry her, but he can’t lie and say he loves her. He doesn’t care much about marriage or the day his mother died. Meursault is a quiet man. Raymond offered friendship. Marie offered him a new job in Paris. It makes no difference to him. Meursault’s attitude confuses Marie and seems unusual to Raymond. Raymond doesn’t think about it much. She thinks marriage is serious. She is ordinary and is described in simple terms. She wants a husband and children. She is unusual because she is willing to marry Meursault even after he admits he would marry anyone. She thinks maybe it’s Meursault’s strangeness that fascinates her, but she’s not really satisfied with that. She says she might hate him, but he doesn’t respond. He does tell her about moving to Paris, which he describes as dirty, full of pigeons, and dark.
Marriage and Paris! Marie’s evening is over. She gets what she wants. But she can’t dine with Meursault and wonders why he doesn’t ask why. She thinks he might have a date with someone else. Meursault looks embarrassed and admits he wanted to know. This is one of the few times he’s dishonest.
What does Meursault agree to do?
Later, Raymond tells Meursault that cops can’t change the punishment for a mistress. He asks Meursault if he thought he should hit the cop back. Meursault says no. Meursault agrees to say the woman cheated on Raymond. Raymond is happy about his revenge. He buys Meursault a drink and the two walk, sharing a nice moment. Raymond is worried about how he looks to others. He asks Meursault what he thought he would do and wants to know if he did what people expected. He’s relieved to find out he did. Meursault doesn’t seem to care about Raymond’s cruelty. Meursault runs into a distressed Salamano, upset about his dog. Salamano is worried about the dog’s safety and thinks the dog is worthless. He trembles and asks, “What will happen to me?” He’s worried no one will take the dog because of its scabs. Later, Meursault hears Salamano crying and thinks of Maman.
Why does Meursault agree to marry Marie?
Camus describes the street scenes, but Meursault never gets involved. Meursault is not involved in messy things like plans, ambitions, desires, hatreds, or love. Meursault doesn’t understand her love. When she asks him to marry her, he agrees because there’s no reason not to. He helps Raymond with his plans because Raymond gives him food, drink, and cigarettes. He is also distant from his own trial. He’s never seen a trial before. He turns down a job offer to go to Paris. He doesn’t want to leave Algeria for Paris. Meursault said that people don’t change their lives, that one life is as good as another, and that he was satisfied with his life. Meursault shows he’s not bothered by things or people around him, and he’s also not bothered by his future. Meursault was indifferent about getting married to Marie. When asked about marriage and love, he said it didn’t matter. He said he didn’t care if he got married. He gave up control of his future. Meursault is like the world in that his future is decided by others. Unlike the world, he has the ability to decide his future, but never takes the chance because he doesn’t care.
Absurdity and Subjectivity in Meursault’s No Exit and The Stranger.
Does Meursault agree to marry Marie?
Marie is on the fringes of this novel, even though Meursault is marrying her. She was excited about her new life in Paris with Meursault. She’s more romantic than he is. She daydreams and is happy. When Meursault is sentenced to death, her dreams die. Later, she is forgotten by Meursault and drifts away from the plot and him to everyday life.
Why does Meursault feel happy at the end?
Meursault accepts his death in the novella’s final scene. By refusing to hope for a reprieve, he accepts death is coming. Meursault is amoral, so he doesn’t feel remorse.
Why do Marie and Meursault have such a different view of marriage?
Why does Marie want to marry Meursault? Marie thinks marriage is more meaningful. Meursault doesn’t love or care about marriage.
Why does Marie decide that she wants to marry Meursault despite this difference of opinion?
Why does Marie want to marry Meursault? Marie thinks marriage is more meaningful. Meursault doesn’t love or care about marriage.
📹 THE STRANGER BY ALBERT CAMUS // ANIMATED BOOK SUMMARY
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The whole purpose of the book is that he is viewed as a complete alien in society, but it is revealed later that he is happy that way and he would re live it if he could. He finds meaning in the hatred and misunderstanding that people put towards him but in the end he has meaning. He wants them to yell hate at his funeral because ironically it is what gave him purpose in the rest of his life and it is the reason he is happy. Ironically people yelling hate at him shows that while he has lived a short life he is happy, they are going to live long and unhappy lives.
Mersault is undoubtedly the most emblematic antihero in literature of all time! They condemn him not so much for his actions but because he doesn’t believe and doesn’t follow what most people consider right and acceptable. Social standards and norms never recognize the peculiarities and diversities of some people which means that they’re condemened to live forever as “strangers”.
tbh from the first pages of the book i just thought mersault was only so used to repressing his emotions because something traumatic happened to him. but without being introduced to his emotions as a child, and having no knowledge of how he was before he became so distant and contented, i just realized he has the same traits as a psychopath without the manipulation bits. moreover, however strange it was for me to read, i find myself quite comfortable after the first half of the book. it made society looked stupid, forcing their beliefs and believing into such norms, upholding it without even giving a second thought. trying to understand someone who doesn’t even care about them, hating him because of it. it’s too ironic and actually fun. i loved i how it ended.
I think that the reason why he didn’t understand the nature of relationships or the consequences of his actions was because he lived for the pure sensationalism of a moment. That’s why he stayed with Marie – he recognised he felt “good” around her- and also why he formed a friendship with Raymond – because he didn’t feel “bad”. In a way, I don’t think he’s an outsider, in fact I see his way of living quite clever! It points out the absurdity of life- why should we act so courteous to people we’ve only met once? Why do we have to express a certain emotion if we are not feeling it in the moment? The idea that he lived in the moment, not thinking of the consequences or the weight of his actions, but purely on instinctive sensations he feels ties in with his connection with the secular world (nature). Idk whether that accounts for anything tho BC this is just my perspective Interestingly, Camus wrote an essay called the Myth of Sisyphus which I haven’t read yet but I feel is a vital link to understanding this story.
At first I was literally confused about Merosault but slowly slowly I understood that he was a very calm, straightforward man and also a man of words .The way he didn’t kept Marie in the dark and about his mother’s death I guess he was familiar with the process of life and yes he felt her absence but he also accepted the fact that she’s no more and that acceptance made him show no remorse and it sounds really really shocking that he didn’t shed a drop of tear for her mother which shows that he was a sociopath. And in the end, I got struck their for a moment,I had to re-read that part again then i understood after the encounter with that “priest” who was trying to force religion on him,the last statement tht everyone should show hate for him during his funeral, would be a slap on their own cheeks kinda self-beating thing
Mersault, while at the prisoner’s dock, heard people say all sorts of “interesting” things about him. He offered that, “(T)here is often a lot said about me, maybe more about importunate shortcomings than about my wholesome nature.” (pg 98). And quite predictably, he has fans and haters here too. And so, none then nor now, will ever know who Mersault really was.
since I was a kid I have always felt like Meursault, but had no explainations of my surroundings other than physics, math, etc… I just feel bad for those that accept religion or anythign similar to religion just to live in a fake bubble, knowingly lying to themselves and acting like its all good and normal and continue on living their lives with different type of masks. Sometimes I envy those people how calm they are living, but I cant live with with myself knowingly lying and fooling myself. Meursault, looked calm and careless, but let me tell you from my own experience. There is a noise inside none stop noise and war and chatter. He gets detached from the physical reality for a reason because he is constantly in his head. I sometimes, try to meditate and focus on my breathing in bed to be able to sleep and stop that constant chatter. It’s a curse, but also I try to make my own meaning to get attached to a reality that I enjoy being in, but also in this reality its hard to find people that you can live with stressless and just trust them with your everything. I sometimes think that we are very similar to ants colonies. Tribalism is built-in us.