Meursault Grief

“Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know. I got a telegram from the home: Mother deceased. Funeral tomorrow. Faithfully yours.(1)” That doesn’t mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday.”These are the first lines of the novel spoken by our narrator,Meursault.These words first show Meursault’s emotional callousness, which is the main part of his character.Meursault does not show grief for his mother's death he simply addresses it like an everyday thing. The words “That doesn’t mean anything” could mean one of two things. First, it might show that Meursault does not care that his mother has died and that it doesn’t mean anything. It could also mean that the letter does not reveal when his mother died. This line is important to the book because it sets the theme for the book on Meursault’s ideas on his existence and how eventually he thinks of himself the same way he thinks of his mother. This line shows Camus’s take on human life which is that all our lives are equally meaningless. …show more content…
Throughout the book Meursault starts to see that human lives are meaningless and that we all meet death someday.Before he comes to the realization that death is inevitable he simply passes through life and reacts to others.But after he understands that it does not matter if he dies today or tomorrow he finds happiness. He finally realizes that putting aside his delusions of escaping death will free his mind. Meursault sees that his wish for a continued life has been an encumbrance.When he is freed from that false hope he is able to see life for what it is and make the most of his days before his