Throughout Albert Camus's The Stranger, illustrates Meusault's belief on life through his day to day actions.
Meursault lives, but he doesn't think too much about his day to day living. Life is not important to him; he is content to just exist. Meursault is introduced with the famous quote, "Mother died today. Or, maybe, yesterday; I can't be sure.
" This reveals how unconcerned he is about his mother's death. He refuses to be part of the emotional world and doesn't regard the people in his life. He almost misses the bus on the way to the funeral and lazily borrows a black tie to wear. Throughout the whole funeral he doesn't express any emotion. Because of these actions people try to link them to the murder at the trial although his actions were completely irrelevant.Meursault is accused of being emotionless through swimming the day after the funeral rather than grieving for his mothers passing.
He spends most of the next day sitting in bed smoking. He lives an empty life and simply goes through the motions. When he is chosen for a job opening in Paris he doesn't go because he doesn't feel the need. When Marie asks him if he loves her he replies stating love has no meaning. To Meursault life is not important. He believes emotions do not exist.
He has no desire to prove his worth to other people.When put on trial for the murder of the Arab, Meursault doesn't take it seriously. He doesn't get a lawyer because he feels his case is simple. He declines to compromise his deeply-held belief that life is unimportant. He feels the trial is boring and a waste of his time.
The focus of the trial is on the unemotional life that Meursault lives which results in him opening up and finally admitting he would have rather not had his mother die.In prison a transformation takes place. Meursault's freedom is taken away. He can no longer go to the beach, smoke or have sex whenever he wants. He is locked in a narrow cell with nothing to do.
Meursault finally begins to realize that life can be valuable. He looks forward to the few things he can do on a daily basis. In order to make the days pass by quicker he evaluates his life for the first time and has an awakening to reality discovering that the world decides his fate. He admits regret for shooting the Arab, especially since he was only a stranger.Although Meursault finally questions existence and life, his fate has already been decided. His ignorance in his belief that life did not matter had already permanently impacted the path of his life.
Meursault is led to a tragic death after being misguided by the society. The world had taught him the purpose and meaning of life and at the instance that he discovers it for himself, he is tragically killed.
