The Stranger #4

The opening lines of any novel is an essential element which initiates the text. The mood, tone, style of diction and first impression of the antagonist can all be represented in the opening. Unlike typical novels, The Stranger by Albert Camus begins with a dry, emotionless and simple sentence: "Maman died today" (3). The first paragraph of the novel functions as a synecdoche for the text as whole. The diction is very robotic and emotionless. Although it is very simply worded, the simplicity and indifference noted in the tone carries a significant meaning in regards to the events of the novel. Meursault, the protagonist, has a disinterested attitude towards everything, even his mother's death. Rather than contemplating why and how she passed away, he is curious about when: "Or yesterday maybe, I don't know. [...] That doesn't mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday" (3). His disinterest towards his mother's death reflects his attitude toward death in general. Death is inevitable, and in Meursault's perspective, his actions will not affect anything after his death.