"When she were a home with me, Maman used to spend her time following me with her eyes, not saying a thing. For the first few days she was at the home she cried a lot. But that was because she wasn't used to it. A few months later and she would have cried if she'd been taken out. She was used to it" (5).
Being "used to things" is a recurring theme in The Stranger, especially when it pertains to Meursault's way of looking at the world. He dislikes change, which is obvious from the beginning. He finds it annoying when people cry at his mother's funeral, a display of emotion that is common at such an event as a funeral, but is also annoyed when they stop. He is obsessed with the physical aspects of life: the sun, light, and heat all fascinate him to an extent that this has overshadowed any kinds of feelings or emotions he may have had. When the weather changes, when something happens that disturbs the routine of his day, Meursault is irritated by the temporary inconvenience, but soon becomes "used to" the path that this inconvenience has led him down. He is focused entirely on what people are doing and not what they are thinking, which is why he is so focused on the physical change that goes on around him.
What's really highlighted in this idea too (nice pick-up!) is that it doesn't take really any thought, or choice, to become used to anything -- it's a 'go with the flow' mentality; it may be 'inconvenient' at the outset, but eventually those emotions fall away too (which, are already stale emotions anyway). He's infuriating in his lack of passion, which is why we are so drawn to his situation -- we want to see the explosion happen... and I think it will in the end :) Looking forward to talking about it with you!
ReplyDeleteThe way you described how Meursault usually gets used to many things during his short life I found it to be very accurate. He does not like change throughout the entire book, and when things do change, he becomes quite irritated, such as in the funeral when people cry. I also like how you touched upon how he likes the sensory feelings, such as the sounds that go on around him, and the sights that he sees as well.
ReplyDeleteI think that Meursault's dislike for change is the reason why he is so bored, which is why he committed this crime in the first place. I find it really weird that he has no problem with a lack of change in his life. But then again it is Meursault that this is about.
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