First impression of "The Stranger"

The impression that I got while reading first three chapters of Albert Camus’s The Stranger, is that the main character Meursault appears to be a strange person whose manners and behavior may seem wired and not the “expected” ones from society’s view; but while analyzing it deeper I believe it is not only Meursault’s behavior strange but also the society’s way of behaving.

Initially, we are introduced with strange behavior of the Meursault who learns about his mother’s death and goes to say the last goodbye to his mother, but he doesn’t even want to see her dead body for the last time. Furthermore, he does not show any sign of grieve or sorrow-like one would be expected to- in his mother’s funeral. Moreover, he appears to have no emotional connection with none of his surrounding not even his colleague, Marie, with whom he slept; the only connection that he describes to have with her is just physical, rather than something emotional. As a result, we portray Meursault as an emotionless and pitiless person, who is indifferent to everything that surrounds him.

On the other hand, analyzing more in depth the detailed description that is given for other characters behavior I noticed that these people are strange, indifferent and in a way heartless people. Starting from Meursault’s boss, who is unsatisfied to learn about Meursault’s mother death, not because he feels any sympathy toward this lose, but because he has to give two days off to Meursault (plus the weekend); this behavior of the boss is a emotionless and somehow a heartless way of acting toward another human being, who has lost one of the most important figures that one may have in his or her life –Mother- and the least that he might have done is to express his condolence and not express dissatisfaction.

To be continued….