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Patrick Malone
Ryan Gallagher
English 12CP
6 Dec 2010
The Stranger
Throughout the novel The Stranger, Albert Camus uses foils to show that
Meursault has changed from when he was with Maman after she died and when he was
In the passage when Meursault tells the caretaker that he doesn't want to see
Maman after she died, Albert Camus shows that Meursault did not have a good
relationship with Maman because of how he did not want to look at her body when she
died. For humans, this symbolizes that not all people have close relationships with family
members. Also Meursault may have feared the death of his mother and was embarrassed
and had feelings of guilt because he did not visit her while she was in the home.
When the passage begins, Meursault starts by saying "Maman died today"(p.3).
Meursault says he will take the two o'clock bus and get to the old people's home in the
afternoon. He slept the whole bus ride which shows that his thoughts were not on
Maman's death.
Meursault wanted to see Maman right away but the caretaker told him that he had
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to see the director first. The director told him, "Madame Meursault came to us three years
ago. You were her sole support. You don't have to justify yourself, my dear boy. I've read
your mother's file. You weren't able to provide her properly. She needed someone to look
after her. You earn only a modes salary. And the truth of the matter is, she was happier
here"(p.4). "You're young, and it must have been hard for her with you"(p.5).
When Maman was at home with Meursault, she used to spend her time
following him with her eyes, not saying a thing, which further suggests a distant
relationship. She cried a lot the first few days because she wasn't used to the home. "A
few months later and she would have cried if she'd been taken out. She was used to
it"(p.5). That year of Maman being in the home, Meursault did not go there to visit much.
He also said it took up his Sunday, ad it was too much trouble to buy a bus ticket and
spend two hours traveling to visit her. This shows Meursault had no thoughts or feelings
toward Maman.
The director spoke to Meursalt again. "I suppose you'd like to see your mother. I'll
leave you now, Monsieur Meursault. If you need me for anything, I'll be in my
office"(p.5). Meursault thanked him. Meursault went in the room and soon after, the
caretaker came in. "We put the cover on, but I'm supposed to unscrew the casket so you
can see her. You don't want to?" "No." "Why not?" "I don't know." "I understand"(p.6).
Life is too short because just like Maman, we will eventually die someday and
will regret our actions of not having the chance to be close to a loved one that we may
Still, throughout The Stranger, Albert Camus uses the priest as a foil to show that
Meursault has changed from when he was with Maman after she died. He goes from
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emotionless from after Maman died and he gets emotional when the priest shows up in
In the passage when Meursault yells at the priest when he comes to talk to him,
Albert Camus shows that Meursault did not have a good relationship with him because of
how he treated him. For humans, this symbolized that not all people have close
When the passage begins, Meursault starts by yelling at the top of his
lungs at the priest. Meursault says, "I insulted him and told him not to waste his prayers
on me"(p.120). Meursault then grabbed him by the collar of his cassock and was pouting
out on him everything that was in his heart, cries of anger and joy. Meursault feels guilty
and tells the priest to not wast his time on him. "I had lived my life one way and I could
just as well have lived it another" (p.121). Feelings of death was all Meursault had.
funeral. Meursault felt that because he didn't cry, it didn't matter. It didn't matter that he
Meursault was gasping for air because of all the shouting he did. "But
they were already tearing the chaplain form my grip and the guards were threatening me"
(p.122). The chaplain calmed them and looked at Meursault for a moment without saying
a word. The chaplain's eyes were full of tears and then he turned away and disappeared.
The chaplain then left and Meursault was able to calm down. Then he
started to think about Maman again. "I was exhausted and threw myself on my bunk. I
must have fallen asleep because I woke up with stars in my face. For the first time in a
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long time I thought about Maman. So close to death, Maman must have felt free then and
ready to live it all again too" (p.123). This shows he is still thinking about Maman and
Life is too short because just like Maman, we will eventually die
someday and well regret our actions on not having the chance to be close to a loved one
that we may lose at any given time. Also just like Maman, Meursault is going to die and
be executed and his death is going to be quick. This relates to part 1 because Meursault
still has guilty feelings about his relationship with Maman and he did not have a good
Throughout the novel The Stranger, Albert Camus shows that Meursault’s
behavior towards Maman and the priest have changed in a big way because he went from
being emotionless after Maman died, and he became very emotional when the priest
walked into this jail cell. This explains that he didn’t have a good relationship with
Maman and the priest. For humans, this symbolizes that people that act like Meursault,
do not have close relationship with loved ones or people that are being mice and trying to
help him. If Meursault had changed his attitude form the beginning, maybe he wouldn’t