I see myself in Meursault. No, I'm not a cold-blooded killer. And yes, I would cry at my mother's funeral. But, there's one aspect of his character I can relate to. He cares deeply about what others think of him.
I wouldn't go as far as to say that what others think about me overcome my own emotions, but sometimes it can be close. For example, I could be competing at a DECA competition. And let's say I delivered one of the best performances I've ever done. I probably wouldn't feel this way sitting across from a judge with a disgusted look on their face. Their negative reaction would diminish my confidence, and thus make me believe I didn't compete so well.
It's similar to how Meursault reacts when he's questioned by a lawyer about his mother's death. He answers in the way that he knows would please the lawyer, or not upset or confuse him. He's not being honest or truthful, but maybe sugarcoating his words to appease what he believes "normal" members of society.
But because The Stranger is written in first person, and we only see Meursault's perspective on things, it's possible that this judgment from others is all in his head. He might just be self-conscious or paranoid and convinces himself that everyone around him sees him as weird or unusual. Maybe Meursault does this because he's projecting his own feelings about himself onto others. Instead of saying "I find myself disgusting," he says, "He gave me a strange look, as if he found me slightly disgusting." This theory makes sense because we know for certain that Meursault has a hard time expressing or acknowledging his emotions, and this could lead to him attributing it to something else, just like how he attributes his feelings of distress or even happiness to physical elements.


Comments
Post a Comment