3. “I didn’t say anything, and he asked me again if I wanted to be pals. I said it was fine with me. He seemed pleased.”- p.29
Meursault describes the emotion of other people as scientific way and observes them with strange perception. He describes Raymond’s pleased feeling as ‘seemed’ pleased. That means he is not fully into the conversation but step out from the reality and the real person to person conversation and answered the question.
4. “I would rather not have upset him, but I couldn’t see any reason to change my life. Looking….. really mattered.” – p.41
He is not fully confident with his own emotion. He can’t identify the difference between unhappy and happy. Emotional difference is the cause of alienation. He didn’t have any sort of ambition which most people commonly have naturally.
5. “The sun glinted off Raymond’s gun as he handed it to me. But we…….either shoot or not shoot.” –p.56
His indifferent way of thinking and idea leads alienation to him. In general, people who stands in front of two contradictory choices, then they would rash to make determination. However, Meursault’s case, he thinks and acts very rationally.
6. “At first, I didn’t take him seriously. I was led into a curtained room. There was a single lamp on his……it all seemed like a game to me.” –p.64
Meursault can’t take the meeting with investigator seriously. He doesn’t feel any guilty but the sort of excitement because he mentioned that investigation is seemed like a game. It is difficult for him to rethink himself as the criminal.
7. “Then, I don’t know why, but something inside me insulted him and told him not to waste his prayers on me….” –p.120
While Chaplain cannot escape from the death, Meursault accepts the upcoming death without any doubts. Chaplain’s world is meaningless without Christianity but Meursault has no such reliable thing in his life.
?8. “He didn’t understand me and he was sort of holding it against me. I felt the urge to reassure him that I was like everybody else, just like everybody else. But really there wasn’t much point, and I gave up the idea out of laziness.” –p.66
The lawyer didn’t understand Meursault’s way of thinking and couldn’t accept Meursault’s world. Meursault believes that he is the part of the society as like other person but he doesn’t get his nonconformity (or unsuited) in the society. He is out of the human world and everyone else cannot accept his thought.
9. “First, in the blinding clarity of the facts, and second, in the dim light cast by the mind of this criminal soul.” He reminded the court of my insensitivity of my ignorance….” – p.99
This shows the reason of alienation. The characterization of Meursault is the biggest reason and it demonstrates that he is detached and emotionless (can’t feel the guiltiness of murder.).
10. “The investigators had learned that I had ‘shown insensitivity’ the day of Maman’s funeral………” – p.64
His honest answer to the question of maman’s death made him more detached and isolated himself from people. He refuses one of the chances to save himself and refuses to adopt the perception that the society needed to hear. He kicked his chance by refusing to tell a lie.
