Thursday, September 24, 2015
Why Does Marie Stay With Meursault?
As I read Part I of The Stranger I couldn't help but wonder why Marie likes Meursault so much and why she stays with him even as he is put on trial. Meursault seems to be interested in her merely sexually, and responds with indifference as she persistently asks him if she loves her and would marry her. Even though Meusault shows no signs of emotional investment in the relationship, Marie (who seems to value emotional as well as sexual connections) sticks with him even after learning that he had killed a man, and believes that she and Meursault will get married after he gets out of prison. Why is she so invested in the relationship? Could Meursault's passivity be what attracts her to him?
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I was wondering the same thing. I think she really does love him, and maybe she thinks that if she stays with him long enough, he'll eventually come around. Or she could see him as some sort of challenge, maybe? She might feel some kind of victory if she gets the man who loves no one (except Maman) to love her.
ReplyDeleteIt would be interesting to read something that takes place from Marie's perspective, perhaps while Meursault is away in prison. I, too, am curious as to why she remains devoted to him when he told her that it didn't matter whether he loved her or not, or whether they got married or not. It's as if each time he pulls farther away she grows more intrigued.
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