He leads a highly indifferent life through much of the book, reveling in the physical impulses which made him happy such as swimming and sex and smoking. The second half of the book turns the man who does not judge into the judged as the reader watches him indicted for the crime of not giving into society's code of morals or sense of fate and the divine. The ridiculousness of the trial and his reaction to it allows him to finally transcend its symbolic imprisonment and free himself for a life beyond what society could offer him.
His supervisor at Meursault's work, he is annoyed to give Meursault a total of four days off even though two are to attend his mother's funeral. He is kinder afterwards, asking about his mother and offering him the chance to move to Paris. Meursault refusal angers him as he cannot understand such a lack of ambition. They have gone to races and such together. He shows much support at the trial for Meursault and expresses the desire to do more for him than he really can.
A character solely through reference, Maman's death begins the story and indicts Meursault in the end. She had lived with Meursault until he could no longer afford to care for her and they had nothing left to say to each other. In the face of society, Meursault is condemned for his lack of sadness at her funeral and we learn at the trial that she did harbor resentment toward Meursault for placing her in the home.
Meursault references her anecdotes and stories while in jail. In charge of the home, he leads Meursault through the funeral process. At the trial he testifies to Meursault's coldness during the funeral. Also a witness against Meursault, he is in charge of the mourning night at Maman's coffin. He lives and works at the home, telling Meursault some of his past. He smokes and has coffee with Meursault while mourning. Meursault does not comply. Browse all BookRags Book Notes. Copyrights The Stranger from BookRags.
All rights reserved. Toggle navigation. Sign Up. Sign In. Get The Stranger from Amazon. View the Study Pack. View the Lesson Plans. Table of Contents. Plot Summary. Major Characters. Topic Tracking: Death. Topic Tracking: Detachment. Topic Tracking: Observation. Part 1, Chapter 1. Part 1, Chapter 2. Part 1, Chapter 3.
Part 1, Chapter 4. Part 1, Chapter 5. Part 1, Chapter 6. Part 2, Chapter 1. She thinks that this is horrible and that someone should call for a policeman. Quite in character, Meursault observes the battle and comments that he isn't going for a policeman; he doesn't like them. Meursault doesn't care if the girl is being beaten up. Furthermore, it was Meursault who wrote the letter that caused this quarrel.
The fate of the girl is of no concern to him. What matters to Meursault is that he dislikes policemen. Note also that the girl is an Arab. Meursault and Raymond and Marie are French. The girl is a native, the police are native; why inject one-self, a Frenchman, into a stormy lovers' quarrel with an Arab? When a policeman does arrive to settle the argument, he makes a telling observation about Raymond. He accuses Raymond of having drunk so much that Raymond cannot stand steady.
Raymond admits that he is trembling but denies that he has been drinking. His rage has so infuriated him that he has become like a madman. He is, in fact, a man of uncontrollable urges and temper. There is also a short, revealing scene following the battle. His mother is buried, and he must return to work in the morning. He concludes that nothing has changed after all. The next day, Meursault goes to work. His boss is friendly and asks Meursault about his mother.
Celeste asks Meursault if everything is alright, but Meursault changes the subject after only a brief response. He takes a nap and then returns to work for the rest of the afternoon. After work, Meursault runs into his neighbor, Salamano, who is on the stairs with his dog. Salamano walks the dog twice a day, beating it and swearing at it all the while.
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