Although his "revelation" comes at dawn while he's alone in his cell, it is clear that the process was a gradual one and that, in order to get to this epiphany, he had to suffer. A bunch. So what exactly is this "epiphany? His actions might not be revolutionary in themselves, but he is aware of them now, conscious, "ready to live it [his life] all again. When he wakes up, calmer, the next morning, we see that he has moved from a state of indifference to one of acceptance —a fine distinction, but an important one in The Stranger.
And when he wakes up, Meursault is passion personified. When he screams at the chaplain, he does so with both "cries of anger and cries of joy. He is also certain of everything. In fact, he's "sure about [himself], about everything, surer than [the chaplain] could ever be, sure of [his] life and sure of the death [he has] waiting for [him]. Most interesting is the switch in the way that Meursault views people. No longer sentencing himself to social isolation, he speaks of "a large crowd of spectators" attending his execution, a crowd that may "greet [him] with cries of hate," such that he feel "less alone.
Where did that come from!? Just a page or two earlier, actually, during his ranting and raving at the chaplain. Meursault says that "we're all elected by the same fate," that with this common fate death , no one is privileged above any other person—therefore everyone is privileged.
It's interesting that he could have gone in the other direction and said that therefore no one was privileged, but maybe Camus was feeling optimistic. If everyone is made common by death, then he can comprehend these other, living creatures as being just like him. Stars: They're Just Like Us! This counters his earlier statement, when he said it was hard to believe that the residents of the nursing home existed.
They must exist—because they are going to die. For everything to be consummated, for me to feel less alone; I had only to wish that there be a large crowd of spectators the day of my execution and that they greet me with cries of hate. He doesn't actually say he wants to feel less alone.
He hasn't yet put into action his revelation. He hasn't yet wished for the large crowd of spectators.
He knows he could—he knows this is the next step, but he doesn't do it yet. One of the major points of The Stranger isn't Meursault suddenly wanting people around—the point is his newfound knowledge, his awareness, and his consciousness. As long as he knows that he could wish for people people that hate him at that, which is another can of worms altogether , that's good enough. Stick a fork in this absurdist: he's done. Parents Home Homeschool College Resources.
He also refuses to adhere to the accepted moral order of society. Consequently, society brands him an outsider. Read an in-depth analysis of Meursault.
Marie is young and high-spirited, and delights in swimming and the outdoors. Even when Meursault expresses indifference toward marrying her, she still wants to be his wife, and she tries to support him during his arrest and trial. Read an in-depth analysis of Marie Cardona. Raymond seems to be using Meursault, whom he can easily convince to help him in his schemes. However, that Raymond tries to help Meursault with his testimony during the trial shows that Raymond does possess some capacity for loyalty.
Read an in-depth analysis of Raymond Sintes. Meursault identifies with his mother and believes that she shared many of his attitudes about life, including a love of nature and the capacity to become accustomed to virtually any situation or occurrence.
Most important, Meursault decides that, toward the end of her life, his mother must have embraced a meaningless universe and lived for the moment, just as he does. At any rate, it would be ridiculous to worry a lot or try to solve a situation that has lasted eight years. When asked what his profession is, Raymond says that he is a warehouse man. It makes no difference to Meursault that Raymond lies, or that Raymond is a pimp. He likes him; that's reason enough for their casual friendship.
Unlike Meursault, Raymond is a violent person. One can almost see him pacing the room, ready to smash his fist into a wall to release his frustrated anger, while Meursault sits this evening, enjoying some wine, half-listening to Raymond's harangues. Meursault seems to be in the room and, yet, not in the room. He is an observer remember, for example, how he noted that the sky was "green" on his way home from work, as he also notes the color of the scabs on Salamano's dog , and he is an outsider to Raymond's intensity.
Raymond, on the other hand, says that he's merely short-tempered, but admits that he has just fought with a fellow who annoyed him, and, while the man was lying on the ground, Raymond continued kicking him: "He was bleeding like a pig when I'd done with him.
Thus he comes to Meursault, only a casual friend, for advice and says that if Meursault will help him, he will be Meursault's "friend for life. Raymond's desire for revenge against his girlfriend is revealed as soon as supper begins. Like the man whom he continued kicking, even though the man was lying beaten on the ground, Raymond now says that he wants to further punish this girl, whom he has beaten on occasion until "the blood came," but, he adds, he beat her "only affectionately-like.
To say that Raymond is violent is an understatement; he is a sadist. Because the girl slept with someone else, he wants to turn her in to the police as a common prostitute, and he has also considered branding her.
Once more, Meursault offers no opinion as to a course of action. What is Meursault's opinion? In his own words, "I said I hadn't any," continuing, however, that he finds the story interesting. Meursault does not judge; he has no strongly positive or negative reactions to the girl's plight.
One can never be sure what to do — this is Meursault's comment, as he drinks more wine. And, with more wine shared between the two men, Meursault agrees to write a scathing letter, making the girl repent of her unfaithfulness; then if she does, Raymond will spit in her face and throw her out of the room. Meursault agrees that such a plan would punish her, but he writes the letter mainly to satisfy Raymond. Why not?
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