"What did other people's death or a mother's love matter to me."(121). Another characteristic of his disconnection is that he has no spirituality. Every time he is asked about god, he cannot answer because he does not believe in god. After his first interview, the judge went through a great deal to break Mersault down and asks for forgiveness. Still, Mersault doesn"t give up and the judge comments on this by saying, " I have never seen a soul as hardened as yours. The criminals who have come before me have always wept at the sight of this image of suffering." (69). It is not that he has a hard soul, it"s just he has no connection to his soul. At the end when the chaplain tried to help Mersault, he was in disbelief for the reason that Mersault did not believe in an afterlife and when you die, that"s it. So he obviously believes that the soul does not life on, however Mersault has talked about his soul and knows one exists. So without emotions, no concept of an afterlife, and without spirituality one might conclude that Mersault has animal-like traits.

             As Mersault goes about life before he is in jail, he is very responsive to his needs. When he is hungry, he eats. When he is tired, even if it is the middle of the day, he sleeps. This is close to how animals act on instinct. Most humans can hold of instinct, and Mersault might be able to, yet he sees no need to. Also, when he needs sex, he goes and gets it even if it is a day after his mother"s funeral. When Mersault kills the Arab, he does it in an animal manner. His life is never in real danger when he first sees the Arab lying on the ground. Nonetheless it turns into a staring match, which is how beast-like animals start their fights. The knife that is shinning in the light just aggravated Mersault more and even though impulsively, he needlessly fills the body with bullets. "Then I fired four more times at the motionless body where the bullets lodged without leaving a trace.