P1+Explain+the+connection+between+Meursault's+unemotional+response+to+his+mother's+death+and+his+unemotional+relationship+with+Maria.

5. Meursault does not show very many feelings. He is a very careless person with a calm personality. In chapter two Meursault was about to go to bed and he said "It occurred to me that anyway one more sunday was over that Maman was dead, that i was going back to work tomorrow, and that, really, nothing had changed" (Camus 23). When a parent dies, their children usually morn for many days and weeks, because loosing someone so close to you is a hard thing to deal with and 'a lot' changes. By Meursault saying nothing changes we can tell that it surprisingly does not affect him that much at all. There is no sign of sadness; he gave us an unemotional response, because he shows no feelings what so ever. Furthermore his relationship with Maria is no different. “I answered in the same way I had lat time, that it didn’t mean anything but that I probably didn’t love her” (Camus 40). Maria asked him if he would marry her and all he basically said was ‘yeah sure, if you want, I don’t care’. He tells her he doesn’t love her, but then he would still marry her? This shows his lack of emotion, he does not care what happens at all. I think that he is okay with what he has and if things change it wont matter. - Michele Hopson

5. The connection between the unemotional response to Meursault's mother's death and relationship with Maria is that he is uncaring to both and does not really care about life or anything. As Albert Camus said, ‘’It occurred to me that anyways one more Sunday was over, that Maman was buried now, that I was going back to work and that really nothing has changed’’ [Camus 24]. It shows that the character really did not care about anything and just had a carefree, easygoing lifestyle that he did not want to get interrupted. He like routine even when Maria asked if they were going to get married he was carefree in his answer like sure but he did not really care about emotions. Usually people would get really emotional during when proposing or just when people die that they were close to in the family. For this character though he really did not should any emotion except when he got annoyed when the woman was crying during the viewing of the body. He pretty much did not care at all about life in general and just wanted to have not attachments to anyone. It seemed too that he was not close to his mother at all and usually there would be lots of emotions but nothing for the character towards her.

Katelyn Stephens

**Blake T**
 * 8/28/09**
 * RR 5**


 * My reason why I think Meursault show no real emotion to his mother’s death and Maria could be right in his lifestyle itself. My thinking is that he is a loner, he prefers being alone over being with people all the time. Now the evidence that could support it is two plain facts. First being that he lives alone and second we see that he does not want to commit to a relationship with Maria. Now what tips that over the top is that we see Most of his thinking is toward the reader and does not start a conversation unless someone begins talking to him. So this could very well be the reason why he does not show many emotions to Maria. He just wants someone to “have fun with” I have a feeling that it may only stay at that level. Because like what I said before he does not to be in a relationship and just have a acquaintance or a somewhat of a friend. Now as for his dead mother in the book it explains how he never really was able to support her so she went to a special home to get assistance in being taken care of. Ever since she went their we notice that he never really saw her much after she went to the home. Meursault didn’t even show much concern over her death, why? Because he is a loner! He does not what to be around people for any extended time. So that is my judgement and I’m sticking to it.

5. Meursault didn’t have a connection to anything in the beginning of the book. As Meursault though to him self”…but I saw no reason for changing my life”(Camus 28). He believed that the world was the same no matter how you looked at it. Which is described when he talks to his boss “ …And I answered, that one never changed his way of life; one life is as good as any other, and my present suited me quite well“(Camus, 28). When his mother died, he didn’t feel emotional because he had no attachment to his family because they were just there. Same with Maria, he had no attachment to her; in fact he had no attachment to anything. He doesn’t mind if things happen either way, “…I didn’t really care much either way”(Camus 28). It is like he’s stuck in a rut, he wants to keep going with his same routine every day lacking any sort of adventure to get out and do something different.**

-Matt Lagier

====5. Meursault has a careless relationship not just with Maria, but his mother also. His mother lived in a home with other elderly people and he didn't visit, talk, bond, or do anything with his mother. Meursault seems to have a crushed soul. He has a small thing for Maria but he doesn't show or have as much emotion as Maria has. Meursault seems to be very emotionless and uncaring. One of the quotes in the story said "...Maman was buried now...nothing had changed"[Camus 23]. This shows a lot about Meursault and about how emotionless and careless he is. Another quote says "I said it didn't make any difference to me and that we could if she wanted to."[Camus 40]. Marriage is a big, important, and life changing thing. Meursault thinks and acts as if marriage isn't that big of a thing. This also shows that Meursault is uncaring and unemotional.====

5.Meursaults unemotional response to his mothers dead was that, it was bond to happen as him and Raymond were talking about. He though she was old anyways. As the book goes on everyone is feelin bad and has sympathy for him and Meursault is saying, “really guys? It doesn’t even matter.” He do care but it is not affecting him in anyway. His unemotional relationship with Maria is that she loves him wants to marry him and she wants it back. But he wont give her that because he doesn’t love. The connection between the two is sadness and love that he can not give or show. He is a very apathetic type of person that people just don’t get. He cant give what they want. He can do things by himself if he really needs to.

-Rhiannon Hookland

5. The connection between Meursault's relationship with his mother and his relationship with Marie is that in both, he is apathetic. It is obvious that he is indifferent towards both his mother and her death, he does not care about either. This is proven in the scene in which he sees his mother's casket, where he describes it as, "varnished, glossy, and oblong, it reminded me of a pencil box" (Camus 14). The bland descriptions of the casket containing his dead mother and the comparison to an object as simple and meaningless as a pencil box show that Meursault really is not concerned with his own mother's death. This is similar to his relationship with Marie. "That evening Marie came by to see me and asked me if I wanted to marry her. I said it didn't make any difference to me and that we could if she wanted to" (Camus 41). His girlfriend wants to marry him and make a lifelong commitment to him and he has absolutely no opinion on it. He says "it didn't make any difference" to him which shows that he really doesn't care either way, even though marriage is something that is a big deal. While these relationships are different from each other, they both demonstrate Meursault's lack of ability to show emotion towards other people.

-Sarah Nadal

5. Meursault seems to be very disconnected from emotions dealing with loved ones. Or the possibility that he lacks what most would consider loved ones, and personally feels them to be just another acquaintance. Meursault shows this disconnection to his mother early in the book by stating, “Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know. I got a telegram from the home: ’mother deceased. Funeral tomorrow. Faithfully yours.’ That doesn’t mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday” (Camus 1). When he says that faithfully yours doesn’t mean anything from the informers he can be meaning one of two things, that either the opinion of the strangers at the home doesn’t matter or that he does not care because she is dead. It ensures that it is the second when he is unsure of when she died. He is not curious or disappointed in his lack of awareness in the subject of his mother. It seems as if he is separated from any feeling other than the time it takes from his work. If it does not effect him severely he does not mind the difference, as he shows when he talks with Marie about marriage, "That evening Marie came by to see me and asked me if I wanted to marry her. I said it didn't make any difference to me and that we could if she wanted to" (Camus 41). Marriage is considered one of the highest social changes to an individual. Meursault takes this tremendous event and reduces it to something on par with what to eat for lunch. He says it makes no difference; the decision would only affect him if being married held him back. This would be doubtful of Meursault, as he would not care if he was married or if his wife restricted him. He would continue about his own business, because being married did not make that much difference. These are both examples of how he does not express feelings to anyone, including those close to him. - Tovi Johnson

Meursalts un-emotional response to his mothers death and his relationship with Marie is that he is a very distant person. He feels that no one knows how he feels and that he feels alienated from the world. In the begging of the book Meursalts mother dies and he has to go to her funeral. the first sentance of the book was "maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don't know" (Camus 3). This sentance indicates Meursalts un-emotional response to his mothers death and disconnection to family. His relationship with Marie is differnt he likes her but at the same time he feels that he dosn't want to make a commitment. In one of the chapters Marie ask's him if he wants to get married with her. He says yes but I think that deep down he has no feelings for her. ~Danielle Tello

5. In “The Stranger” Marsualt is a very calm, emotionless, straight to the point kind of guy. After the death of his mother he states that “It occurred to me that anyway one more Sunday was over that Maman was dead, that i was going back to work tomorrow, and that, really, nothing had changed" (Camus 23). This quote basically was stating that even though his mother was dead, he was going to continue his normal day routine, so in his mind, nothing changed. That quote stated also shared that he is an emotionless man, disconnected or alienated, like an existentialist. Basically if it doesn’t affect him first hand, then it never even happened. Also he is emotionless with his relationship with Marie. "That evening Marie came by to see me and asked me if I wanted to marry her. I said it didn't make any difference to me and that we could if she wanted to" (Camus 41). He stated that he would marry Marie if she wanted. His emotions aren’t there and he expresses his views like a true existentialist.

-Nathan Nash

5. The connection between Meursault, his mother, and Marie seemed very careless. Meursault says in the beginning “ Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know…..That doesn’t mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday” (Camus 3). It shows that he was not very close to his mom and did not have a very good connection with her. He doesn’t even remember which day his mother died on which shows he doesn’t care very much. He is the same with Marie. He seems as if he does not have a connection with her relationship wise. When she asked him to marry him, he was just like it doesn’t really matter, if you want to then we can. Which shows he didn’t care for her much because he didn’t even give a good answer. It’s like for him whatever happens, happens. -Shanice Allen

5. When his mother died it didn’t affect him much. He showed no emotion or feelings toward her death and didn’t seem very attached to his mother. Through the thing Meursault says it can be seen that he doesn’t really care about anything. When he finds out about his mothers death he says Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know”(Camus3). He doesn’t say any words that show emotion or attachment. When he met Maria he still didn’t seem very attached to her. Meursault still didn’t show any feeling or emotion. Maria ask Meursault if he wanted to marry her and all he said was “it didn't make any difference to me and that we could if she wanted to”(Camus41). If he was truly in love with her or attached to her he would have said something with a bit more feeling. Meursault still shows no attachment or emotion towards others.

-Joseph Vanicek

