The Character Analysis.The Stanger by, Albert Camus

Character Analysis

Tanasha Kardeo

Dear Diary,

Mom died. I’m not too sure when though, but I wish I did. It would keep me from feeling guilty. I was never there for her, and I regret my actions, and how I treated her. How and why she died though was absolutely NOT MY FAULT! And that is what I told people also including my employer when I got home from the funeral. At the viewing there were people whom I haven’t even seen before well more like majority of the people, I guess that’s because I only visited her once. When I arrived at the old age home where my mother had been staying for 3 years I was approached by the warden he said “Madame Meursault entered the home three years ago. She had no private means and depends entirely on you.” It felt like he was blaming me for what ever happened.

After the funeral I returned home I still couldn’t believe she died, it wasn’t until this morning that I realized it when I woke up alone. To keep my mind off mom, I decided to go for a swim down at the harbor, I love it there, and it still looked as if I never left. I saw Marie an old friend, I think I’m falling for her. I almost made the mistake of telling her it wasn’t my fault why my mother died.  I think she felt weird after I told her my mother died 2 days ago and I asked her out, but I don’t think it’s unusual. After my date last night with Marie I woke up and she had left my bed with a note, she said she had to go, or else shed be dead. When I got up, I had an urge for a cigarette, I thought about rearranging my furniture. I decided to move all the necessities into my room, the furniture only looked suitable when mother was living with me. I have work tomorrow I hope my employer is in a good mood though he usually isn’t, I better get some rest don’t want to be late tomorrow!

-Meursault

Dear Diary,

What a day at work! A strange and unusual man came into see his mother after only visiting her once. I tried my best to be nice, but the fact that he didn’t come to see her when she was alive, why come when she’s dead? He asked me how long I’ve been working; I just love when people ask me that so I took the liberty in telling him all about myself. I told him that I’ve been working there for five year, I’m 64 years old and I came from Paris. It didn’t seem like he was very interested. I tried my best to fill him in on what he missed in his mother’s life. I hate to see when young men come into the home in search of their mother or loved one that they’ve lost, but that’s my job!

            -Door keeper

Dear Diary,

Today I went for a swim down at the harbor, it was gorgeous as usual. I was so excited when I saw Meursault, I hadn’t seen him at the harbor for awhile, I wanted to ask him why but we got caught up with each other and swimming that I forgot. He asked me to the movies, last night; it was at the movies when he told me his mother died 2 days ago. I didn’t know exactly how to react. After the movie I went back to Meursault's home, I stayed there over night but I had to rush home first thing in the morning. Since I’m unemployed I have to look for a job, I need to get up first thing in the morning. Goodnight.

-Marie

The First Impression Journal. The Stranger. By Albert Camus.

Tanasha Kardeo

           

When I read the first sentence of this novel, I was interested, curious and I questioned the character without actually reading about him. The first sentence reads “Mother died today. Or, maybe, yesterday” (Camus, 4) as a reader, that sentence drew my attention and I wanted to find out why this character didn’t know when his mother had died. I had many questions and thought such as this character is a foster child just realizing his birth mother had died, what person doesn’t know exactly when their mother died. So far in this novel the main character is Meursault. The novel begins in Marengo which is a home for elderly people; Meursault mother stayed there for only three years. Meursault had left his home in Algeris, where his mother had once lived there with him soon enough he realized that she wasn’t happy there and wasn’t doing much for her self and that is why he sent her to Marengo home to be with people of her own generation”When we lived together, Mother was always watching me, but we hardly ever talked” (Camus 5)

At the home he became friends with the doorkeeper who had been working at the home for five year and was 64 years old and hailed from Paris. The doorkeeper helped Meursault know more about his mother’s life, her friends and what she did. “She had good friends here, you know, old folks like herself “(Camus 5). Meursault never really had a good relation ship with his mother, he only visited her some time at the home and only on Sunday, which was why he never knew much about her or even when she had died. Little further in the novel Meursault returned to his home and begins to work again.

At home he rearranged the furniture so that he wouldn’t have to leave his bedroom. He put all the necessities of living into his bedroom such as microwave, sofa, television, refrigerator and telephone.

With the few page that I’ve read, I’m not sure what the theme of this novel will be like, at first I was sure it would be about how he would cope with the death of his mother, and how he would’ve regret not spending time with her, but reading further and realizing that he didn’t really know his mother, made me think that it might no affect him as I thought. Hopefully while continuing reading this novel I will get a better understanding of what the tone will be, but as of right now I’m not sure.

Tanasha Kardeo