While reading The Stranger the main thing that came to mind was the mental detachment of Meursault to the outside world. It is sort of haunting the little guilt he feels for the crime he has committed. As expressed when Meursault thinks to himself, ¨It was then I felt a stirring go through the room and for the first time I realized that I was guilty" (90). Although Meursault has been in prison for a while now he is just beginning to understand that he is guilty for killing an Arab. This is a prime example of his emotional detachment as he isn't feeling any of the emotions he should be.
Another example of this is his odd relationship to Marie. When I was first introduced to Marie I felt that she was just a casual lover that would come and go. As the novel progressed she plays a much more prominent role in the plot however. Although Marie as strong feelings for Meursault and definitely shows them he is not expressing the same feelings towards Marie. She greatly wants to get married, but Meursault doesn't see a purpose in getting married. Additionally he feels that it wouldn't matter who he marries.
I really don't even know what to think when it comes to Meursault. It seems that every situation he's given he is emotionless towards. His entire thought process is super bland and he doesnt't think too deeply into every situation. Yet, the question is does he truly feel nothing or does he feel it all?
What do you think?
I struggled with the same question throughout the novel. I think that he feels more than he lets on because there have been a few instances in the story where I felt like I could see a hint of hidden emotion. It made me think is humans would be better or worse off if we could be as unaffected by things as Meursault but I don't think we would. His life doesn't seem very fulfilling due to his lack of emotion. I think it's important to care about things more than he does.
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