There is actually a love story in The Stranger. While Meursault brushes off how intimate his relationship with Marie is, Marie acts like she really loves him. There were many moments in the book when I got frustrated at Meursault; I mean mostly for his lack of emotions but also for his inability to realize the only person in his life that cared for him after his mom died. If anything was going well in Meursault's life, it was Marie. His time in jail helped him to understand the blessings of having someone like Marie and, in general, all the little details that he stoically overlooked before.
Who is Marie? Marie Cardona was a former typist at Meursault's office, and she caught the eye of Meursault: the man who doesn't even express sorrow for his mother's death. The accounts dealing with him and Marie show rare occasions where Meursault seems capable of expressing emotion but not quite. How lucky is he though? You got a pretty girl who comes up to you first and asks you if you want to marry her (it's usually the other way around)! But how does Monsieur Meursault respond? He responds with pure indifference:
"That evening Marie came by to see me and asked me if I wanted to marry her. I said it didn't make any differences to me and that we could if she wanted to. Then she wanted to know if I loved her. I answered the same way I had the last time, that it didn't mean anything but that I probably didn't love her." (Camus 41)
Basically, he's saying "I mean if you want, but I don't really care." Who is this guy? Almost like if he's a stranger, he doesn't take Marie's marriage seriously. Poor Marie! His apathetic personality really pisses me off. Later on, he'll realize that he's made a mistake in dealing the situation in this manner.
Like it was all planned, Marie isn't allowed to go visit, after her first one, because she isn't his wife. Meursault is stuck; the once so impassive Meursault finally reflects how joyful his swimming with Marie was. Before his implied execution, he finally lets it out to the chaplain.
When reading the last chapter in the book, I felt pity for Meursault. I mean his only hope is to hear the cries of hate from the spectators. However, if we look at Marie's situation, I believe we should feel greater pity. She was a person that was with him until the end and had hope for him throughout his trial. The sad ending not only includes Meursault's execution but also the termination/"execution" of the hopes of the sweet Marie Cardona.
I don't have as much pity for Marie, because it seems that she's still okay with Meursault's indifferent attitude; even after he admits that he doesn't love her, she still asks for marriage. Also, I'm not sure if her reaction towards Meursault's trial is consistent with a sympathetic character; even though we are experiencing Meursault's point of view throughout the novel, and sympathize with his motivation for murder, I still wouldn't defend someone who killed another dude, especially after his unusual reasoning in court. Marie definitely deserves some pity, but I don't consider her to be an important character within the Stranger.
ReplyDeleteRobert no more. Marie is obviously an important character. If you don't feel pity for Marie, then I honestly don't know what to say. While I did mention Meursault and his sympathetic character, that's not what I stressed at all. The only reason I mentioned his situation was so that I could compare it to Marie's.
DeleteGreat post 2K! I was also wondering about Marie during the story! My question is: why in the world does Marie still stick with Meursault? Marie seems like a very sensible person and was a the most logical character in the book. I see why we should feel pity for her. She was in love with Meursault and because of some bad choices the person she loved was sentenced to death. Will Marie move on and find another guy? Or will she love Meursault forever?
ReplyDeleteI believe Marie will find another man. Meursault is implied to get executed. That's what I thought throughout the book too. Marie is such a hot prospect. Marie is a lot more sensible and normal than Meursault and I really admired her normality.
DeleteMarie was honestly the most confusing character for me... I just don't understand what she saw in Meursault. As you mentioned, she stuck with him even after he directly told her that he didn't love her at all. Because of this, I find it hard to feel any sympathy for Marie because she makes no sense as a character.
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