The Stranger

“Mother died today. Or, maybe, yesterday; I can’t be sure.”

The opening line of The Stranger establishes the novel’s characters and themes. Meursault is disconnected from reality, so much so that he struggles to put a precise date on his mother’s death. For many people, the time and place of a parent’s death is a life-changing moment. For Meursault, the death barely registers. He cannot be sure of the exact time as he cannot be sure of anything. Meursault is a detached figure in a meaningless world, and not even the death of his mother can engage him.

“I saw her point; either way one was in for it.”

The nurse points out to Meursault that, in the hot weather, he can move neither too fast nor too slow. Whatever he chooses to do, he will suffer. Meursault’s inability to adjust to hot weather is a reflection of the nature of existence. Whatever Meursault does, he worries that he will suffer as a result. His decisions and actions have no real meaning, as he feels no investment or satisfaction from the world. Whatever he does, in the heat of the day or in life in general, he expects the results to be equally as negative.