Loose Screws

The writing style of this book shows Meursault clearly has some screws loose. When he sees his mother's casket for the first time he notices, "some shiny screws, not screwed down all the way, standing out against the walnut-stained planks" (6). The screws are left unopened so that the casket can be opened for Meursault to see his mother. Meursault does not wish to view his mother though. This could be understandable as it could be disturbing for some people. However, Meursault discusses his decision in such an indifferent manner it makes me believe he does not feel emotion towards his mothers death. When the director asked why he didn't want to see her he simply said "I don't know" (8) and did not even provide insight on his decision for the reader. This leads me to think he didn't have a reason, he simply did not care enough to see her.

Before the funeral the casket is sealed and Meursault notices "right away that the screws on the casket had been tightened" (14). After this it seems as if Meursault screws get a little tighter too. During the funeral procession Meursault seems to gain a better understanding of his mother. He even says as he observes the landscape and pictured his mother there, "I was able to understand Maman better" (15). He is finally starting to think about his mother, which is the typical thought process of someone who is experiencing the loss of a family member.

This doesn't last long, however. Meursault soon returns to his usual "loose screw" state. He claims, "After that, everything seemed to happen so fast" (17) and the only thing he remembers is talking to the nurse about something unrelated to his mother's death. The rest of the chapter returns to Meursault's distant, fuzzy interpretation of the burial and his relief on returning home.