Blog Response #2

In reading the book The Stranger by Albert Camus, I found myself wandering on the lack of sentiments, which I saw as constant in the book. Analyzing it from this new point of view, which came to me after reading the book and studying about existentialism, I found out that I could relate this lack of sentiments to the development of the character and of the author himself. 

Lack of depth in sentiments: Throughout the novel I saw Mersault as a person lacking feelings. Vacant. Since the beginning of the novel I thought that something was really wrong with him. I thought that if your mother died you where supposed to mourn her, cry for her death, but Mersault doesn't, neither does he show any guilt when he murders the Arab, or any fear when he is condemned to the guillotine. He is always expectant, wandering what may come next,  avoiding to live in the past and attempting all too hard to push his feelings away. I think this allows you to see  Mersault's character in a different way,  he is not someone you would feel pity for, but he certainly is a man of his word, it also gives out that he has an existentialist set of mind. This attitude from Mersault also gives out the author, you don't need to have the background knowledge on Camus being an existentialist to understand that the author supports his character's point of view, if not I think it would be really hard to write a novel like that if you wouldn't  be able to relate to this lack of sentiments.

"MOTHER died today. Or, maybe, yesterday; I can’t be sure. The telegram from the Home says: YOUR MOTHER PASSED AWAY. FUNERAL TOMORROW. DEEP SYMPATHY. Which leaves the matter doubtful; it could have been yesterday." (pg. 4)

"No one, no one in the world had any right to weep for her." (pg. 75)

Blog Entry #1: The Stranger.

Existentialism: Chapter 1 - 4 

"MOTHER died today. Or, maybe, yesterday; I can’t be sure. The telegram from the Home says: YOUR MOTHER PASSED AWAY. FUNERAL TOMORROW. DEEP SYMPATHY. Which leaves the matter doubtful; it could have been yesterday." 

In the first few sentences in the novel you can see a lack of interest from the narrator he is indifferent to his mother's death and completely unbiased by the fact that he cannot be sure of wether his mother's death was the day before or that same day. His completely apathetic reaction is a shock for the reader who would think that any person wold weep for their mother's passing.

This is rather existentialist, the fact that he is more concerned about the moment of his mother's passing rather than at the fact that she passed away, shows that he is living every moment without feeing remorse from the past, and that he sees his mother's death as something inevitable and mundane because at the end everyone's lives lead towards death.

"When we had dressed, she stared at my black tie and asked if I was in mourning. I explained that my mother had died. “When?” she asked, and I said, “Yesterday.”"

In this line from page 14 just after Mersault has met Marie at the swimming pool he gives a small hint of guilt for his mother's death but he also states that this must be normal. Also he lacks interest in the topic and lets it go without reaching out for some comprehension and support which would be understood as his mother had just died.

In the thoughts of existentialism though this may be viewed as letting go of a moment which is gone and which we will never get back. He considered sufficient mourning his mother during the lasting of the funeral on his own way was enough and didn't consider it as a lack of sentiment from him to not weep for her, he just didn't find it necessary. I must say Mersault's attitude reminded me of someone I know who didn't weep for her mother when she passed away. We know factually that Mersault doesn't believe in God so maybe he is relieved and feels that now that his mother is dead he has one thing less to worry about and a guiltless conscience about leaving her at a Home.