The Stranger #2

The motives of the protagonist in a novel are a fundamental part to fully understand the character. Meursault, in Albert Camus' The Stranger, does not have obvious motives for his actions. He shoots and man without any understandable reason. When he is being questioned, he takes it as game because of the books he has read about police interrogations. Meursault's detachment from morality is shown as he says, "On my way out I was even going to shake his hand, but just in time, I remembered that I had killed a man" (Camus 64). It is incredible and miraculous how Meursault is able to separate his emotions from his actions. Although Meursault's attitude towards everyone he interacts with may seem cold and detached, he uncovers some profound truths about human nature. He is an honest narrator: "At one time or another all normal people have wished their loved ones were dead" (Camus 65). A possible interpretation of this statement is that there is no use in pretending to feel a certain way. Society has established certain norms and rules for everyone to follow. If someone dies, one must mourn. If someone is proposed to, they must reciprocate the love and be joyful. Meursault challenges all of these norms and expectations not because he wants to make a difference, but because he does not care.