"The Stranger" Quotes 6th

"For the first time in years I had this stupid urge to cry, because I could feel how much all these people hated me" - Meursalt Pg. 89-90

This demonstrates Mersaults humanity in the face of a generally unfair and unjust trial. It contradicts the entirety of Mersualts character from the first half of the book.

"I Probably did love Mamam, but that didn't mean anything. At one time or another all normal people have wished their loved ones were dead."(pg 65)

This moment strongly reflects his tone from the first part of the book and demonstrates how out of touch he is where he isn't confident in his own opinion on caring and is just kinda oblivious.

"How had I not seen that there was nothing more important than an execution, and that when you come right down to it, it was the only thing a man could truly be interested in?" (Part 2, Ch.5, p.110)

While Meursault contemplates his life as he awaits his execution, his reflection on a story about his father going to see an execution opens his eyes about how an execution is something to look forward to. This quote represents that realization, as he appreciates the certainty of death an execution provides in a world where everything, including himself, is uncertain.

"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. Finding it so much like myself- so like a brother really- I felt that I had been happy and that I was happy again." (pg 122-123)

This is Meursault’s moment of existential clarity. He fully accepts life’s purpose of having no higher meaning and that death is inevitable. Instead of fearing this, he finds peace in it, realizing that he has always been happy when living his life like himself, free from societal expectations.

"One day when the guard told me that I'd been in for five months, I believed it, but I didn't understand it"(80).

This quote emphasizes just how detached Mersault is, as shown by the idea of time, a fundamental human concept that we meticulously keep track of, is something Mersault completely ignores and doesn't even care about.He is a logical person, so he believes that time passes, but he doesn't understand it because he doesn't care that it passes or that things change at all, because to him these changes mean nothing if they're not eternal.

"You know we've really blown your case up a little. Summer is the slow season for the news. And your story and the parricide were the only ones worth bothering about." pg 84

This quote highlights the absurd nature of the absurd nature of the society that surrounds Meursault as his murder trial is viewed as entertainment at an otherwise boring time similar to his later execution

"I said that people never changed their lives, that in any case one life was as good as another and that I wasn't dissatisfied with mine here at all." (pg. 41)

This conveys that Mersault believes that at the core, everyone's life is the same, full of both suffering and happiness. In the end, nothing one does in one's life will change that.

"I accuse this man of burying his mother with crime in his heart!" pg 96

This quote shows how people judge others based on emotions over actions. It highlights the existential themes abt the absurdity of societal norms and the nature of moral judgments. All of Meursault's death happened because he is unable to feel much emotion and that emotional detachment is the main point for the prosecution.

"It occured to me that all I had to do was turn around and that would be the end of it. ... I waited."(pg58) This is important to Mersault's character because it shows how his laissez-faire attitude about his life extends to confrontations. Because he doesn't care enough to leave situations that could lead to confrontations he opens himself up to increased confrontations.

"Especially when the emptiness of a man's heart becomes, as we find it has in this man, an abyss threatening to swallow up society." pg. 101

This quote shows the shunning that those who are deemed weird just because they aren't religious faced. It is sometimes difficult for people to face reality in a world that is so absurd, so they turn to religion. However, those who are able to navigate an absurd world on their own are seen as weird, out of the ordinary, and an outcast. This is used against them because some of those who turn to religion find it unfathomable that someone could see value in life without an eternal afterlife.

"Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don't know."

These are the first two sentences in the book and show what kind of person Mersault is as he does not even care to know when his mom died and does not seem to care about her at all.

"I said that until then I hadn't realized that people thought badly of me for doing it" pg. 45

This quote shows how removed Mersault is from his surroundings and how he impacts other people. He doesn't think about his appearance, so he wasn't concerned with whether or not putting Maman in the home would negatively impact people's perceptions of him.

"Before I do, would you like to see your mother one last time? I said no." pg. 13

This is where we see Mersault's uncaring attitude toward his mother and the rest of life for the first time. It sets up the hints of his bad relationship with his mother that is used later in his trial.

"I said, 'About sixty,' so as not to make a mistake; and I don't know why, but he seemed to be relieved somehow and to consider the matter closed." (25). The average life expectancy in 1942 was 57.2.

This shows one of the main messages in the book that Mersault expresses very much, that it doesn't matter how or where one dies as everyone dies in the end. Mersault is confused if people believe otherwise, that it's better that people die when they are older.

"The woman was still shrieking and Raymond was still hitting her. Marie said it was terrible and I didn't say anything" pg. 36

This is important as it shows how those around Meursault have feelings about things and know what is bad and what is good, he appears indifferent as he does not believe that everything carries meaning. If it is not meaningful, why would he bother to do anything about it?

Please post an important quote for the excerpt you received from "The Stranger." Use page numbers. Explain why this quote is meaningful.