Meursault: the Enigma
...at a person goes through after the death of a loved one. In a way, Marie took the place of his mother. Although he did not ever really love her, he cared for her. When Marie brought up the topic of marriage, Meursault said that, "’...it didn’t make any difference to me and that we could if she wanted to,’" (41) showing that, even if he cared for her, he did not care about his future with her. Since Meursault did not care about anything that didn’t affect him, he would freely speak his mind, without any concern for how others would react to his thoughts. Thinking back to his mother, he didn’t care enough about her to even know her age, which got him in trouble later at the trial. When he was asked how old she was, he responded, "’About sixty,’" showing that he did not know he exact age, which would lead people to think that the relationship that he had with his mother was distant. When Meursault was walking back to his apartment with Raymond, they came across Salamano and his dog. Salamano was beating the dog, which made Raymond ask Meursault if he thought it was disgusting, to which Meursault responded, "No," (28). Meursault did not care if Raymond found him heartless from his remark. Meursault also finds the easiest way out of any situation. After he was arrested and taken into the police station, the police officer asked him if he had acquired an attorney. Meursault did not answer yes or no. Instead he said, "I admitted I hadn’t inquired whether it was really necessary to have one," (63). The puzzled police officer explained that if he did not acquire an attorney, that the court would appoint him one. Meursault said, "I thought it was very convenient that the court should take care of those details," (63) which showed that Meursault had weaseled his way out of getting an attorney. By not getting an attorney himself, Meursault also shows that he has a lazy trait to him, which goes back to the point where Meursault would rather stay at home and smoke or sleep than go out with his companions. Finally, Meursault shows a strong lack of interest in finding God. When Meursault was at the police station, he considered the whole process a game, and the examining magistrate was just an obstacle to overcome. When the examining magistrate asked Meursault if he understood what he was telling him about God, Meursault "made it appear as if [he] agreed" (69). The excited magistrate shouted, "’You see, you see! You do believe, don’t you, and you’re going to place y...