"Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don't know," are the first statements made by the protagonist Meursault, in Albert Camus's The Stranger, One finds this a very peculiar way to speak of a mother's passing. Meursault, however, finds his statement perfectly normal because he is not sure which day his mother died; he feels this is a perfectly logical statement. This quote is just one of the many examples of how Meursault is not a normal person in societies eyes. Meursault, in fact, is a man who refuses to play the game.
Meursault never really visited his mother (Maman), while she was alive, although he knew she was going to die eventually. When Maman dies, Meursault sees the services as a mere formality, dictated by society. He feels that the services are something that he has to attend. Although Meursault does not remember his mother as religious, per her request, there is an all-night vigil held for her.
Raymond Island
The Royal 22nd Regiment mortar platoon ready to fi...
Français : Une des rues de Meursault (21)During this vigil, Meursault thinks very little about his mother. Instead, he notices the people in the room, he makes crude observations about them, and he sleeps. These actions are not commonplace at a vigil for ones mother.
The next day is the funeral. The funeral is yet another formality. As Meursault is on the trip to the cemetery, he takes notice of his mother's dear friend, a friend he has never met. Meursault notices how this friend is constantly falling behind the hearse during the ride. Despite his observations, he does not do anything to help the man or solicit help from others. As for the funeral, he does not seem to feel anything regarding the loss of his mother. In fact, he does not shed a tear. He makes a few random observations, such as,