Meursaults Just BeCause Murder
Albert Camus' The Stranger explores the causes for Monsieur Meursault's murderous act, portraying Meursault's increasing feelings of indifference toward life following his mother's death. Meursault becomes ignorant to social values and conventions, thinking they constrict him, for he veers toward the 'I don't disrupt what you're doing, so don't disrupt what I'm doing' outlook. He is more interested in the simple, physical actions rather than emotional feelings because he finds routine and reliance there. Physical actions can be consciously controlled, but others influence emotions and opinions. There are many examples of Meursault's indifference that ultimately culminate into the careless murder of the Arab. These include Meursault's unemotional opinion of his mother's life and death, his casual continuation of daily routines immediately following the funeral, and the apathetic distinction between the physical actions he positively plays out with the people who care about him and the true lack of emotional feelings he has for them. These people are Raymond and Marie mostly--people he uses to fill the void his mother's death left. Meursault shows indifference toward his mother, especially while suppressing the emotional
Meursault portrays his indifferent attitude directly following his mother's funeral by physically continuing the routines of his self-pleasuring life. The morning after the funeral consists of a yearning to swim rather than thoughts and feelings regarding his mother. This casual reaction to his mother's death exhibits Meursault's insensitive, near unloving, feelings. Furthermore, he meets Marie at the beach, goes on a date with her, and eventually sleeps with her at the end of the night. He is not disappointed or angered when Marie is not there when he wakes up the next morning. Meursault is a man who concentrates on living in the present, disregarding what has happened in the past and what will happen in the future. He sees life and death the same meaningless way. This is how he lives his life with the exception of his own freedom and the few sexual pleasures in between. Here, Meursault's nonchalant, don't give a damn attitude is growing on him. Meursault's priorities are returning to work soon, going to the beach, and eating at Celeste's like before, rather than mourning his mother's death, for he has no time for that. It is useless to Meursault. pain derived from the reality of her death. Meursault's life is simple and habitual. He does not see life as important or complex, and he finds pleasure in merely existing, rather than living. Although he did not loathe his mother before she died, Meursault felt like he and his mother had nothing to say to each other, displaying where the indifference comes from. Meursault claims, "it had been a long time since she'd had anything to say to me, and she was bored all by herself" (45). He puts his mother in a nursing home, taking the physical approach of discarding something troublesome. He makes her mother's entrance into the nursing home her own fault. He does not see the purpose of presenting himself favorably to others. He says, "Maman died today. Or, maybe, yesterday; I can't be sure" (1). He does not cry, show emotions, look a
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Approximate Word count = 1354
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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