"Maman died today. Or was it yesterday maybe, I don't know. I got the telegram from the home: 'Mother deceased. Funeral tomorrow. Faithfully yours.' That doesn't mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday."
Nonchalant- "The home is two kilometers from the village. I walked them."
Characteristics- (lazy, selfish, doesn't want to be inconvenienced)
- "That's partly why I didn't go there much this past year. And also because it took up my Sunday- not to mention the trouble of getting to the bus, buying tickets, and spending two hours traveling."
-Meursault goes to Marengo (where his mom had lived.)
-The next day before the funeral he meets with the director again.
-He doesn't remember much of the funeral and then goes back to Algiers.
-He goes to the beach and runs into a former co-worker Marie Cardona.
-The two see a movie that evening and she stays the night. When Meursault wakes up though, Marie is gone. He stays in bed until noon, then sits on his balcony until evening just watching the people go by.
-Monday(Next day) He goes back to work and runs into his friend Emmanuel who he had lunch with.
-Going to his appartment that night he runs into an old man named Salamano.
Then he runs into Raymond who he invites in for dinner.
-Raymond is like a pimp. He beat up his gf for cheating on him and then got into a fight with her brother.
-Raymond wants more revenge but needs something to lure her back in.. so Meursault agrees to write a letter to get her back.
-Next Saturday, Marie visits meursault at his place. She asks if he loves her. He says... "It didn't mean anything".. but probably not.
-Then the two hear screaming from Raymonds appartment. The cops take him to the police station because he beat up his mistress. Later, Raymond asks if Meursault will testify on his behaf and he agrees.
-That night, Raymond runs into Salamano(old man), who thinks his dog ran way.
-Marie asks Meursault if he wants to get married... he says they can if she wants to.. so they become engaged.
-Sunday, Raymond, Marie and Meursault go to a beach house, owned by Raymond's friend Masson, for a swim.
-They run into Raymonds mistress's brother (Arab) on the beach.
-They get into a fight and Raymond got stabbed.
-Raymond fixes his wounds then considers shooting the brother but Meursault talks him out of it, and takes the gun.
-Later for no reason.. Meursault returns to the spring and shoots Raymond's mistress's brother!
- He's arrested and thrown in jail.
-His lawyer seems disguisted by his lack of guilt or grief for his mother's death.
-A magistrate comes and says he needs to put his faith in God.
-Meursault refuses and says he doesn't believe.
-Marie visits him and forces a smile. She still says they will get married.
-Meursault's isolation from nature, women, and cigarettes is hard at first but he adjusts and soon doesn't even notice. He manages to keep his mind occupied and sleeps for most of the day.
-On the morning of the trial, Meursault is taken to the courthouse.
The subject shifts from the murder to a discussion of his character and the death of his mother. People from the funeral are called to testify and they all attest to his lack of tears or grief.
-Marie hesitantly testifies and explains that the day after the funeral her and Meursault see a comedy. The following day the prosecuter is outraged by Meursaults lack of morals or feeling, saying that it's a threat to society. He is found guilty. His sentence was beheading.
-When Meursault returns to prison.. he has trouble accepting his fate. He dreams of escaping and filing a legal appeal.
- Against Meursaults whishes a chaplain comes and tries to convince him to not be an athiest and to turn to God, but he refuses. The chaplain can't believe that he doesn't desire faith.
-Meursault gets angry and begins shouting.. saying that he is correct in believing in a purely physical world that is meaningless.
-Once Meursault accepts this and gives up on his hope for the future he feels happy.
"As if that blind rage had washed me clean, rid me of hope; for the first time, in that night alive with signs and stars, I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world."
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