Emotional detachment in The Stranger (The Stranger) In The Stranger (The Stranger), Albert Camus plays Meursault, the narrator and character main character of the book, as a distant character. , detached and emotionless. He does not think much about events or their consequences, nor does he express many feelings in relationships or during emotional moments. He demonstrates emotionlessness throughout the book in his reactions to the people and events described in the book. After his mother's death, he no longer sheds tears; seems to show no emotion. He displays limited feelings for his girlfriend, Marie Cardona, and shows no remorse for killing an Arab. His reactions to life and people distance him from his emotions, positive or negative, and from intimate relationships with others, which is why he is called by the title of the book, "the outsider." Although this behavior could be seen as a negative trait, there is a young woman who seems to want to have a relationship with Meursault and a neighbor who wants friendship. He seems content to be indifferent, perhaps protected from pain by his indifference. Meursault rarely shows feelings when he finds himself in situations that, for most people, would arouse strong emotions. Throughout the vigil, watching over his mother's corpse and during her funeral, he never cries. He is, furthermore, depicted having a cup of coffee with milk during the vigil and smoking with a caretaker of the retirement home in which his mother died. The next day, after his mother's funeral, he goes to the beach and meets a former colleague named Marie Cardona. They swim, go to the movies, then spend the night together. Later in their relationship, Marie asks Meursault if he wants to marry her. He replies that it doesn't matter to him and that if she wants to get married, he will agree. She then asks him if he loves her. To this question, he replies that this is probably not the case and explains that marriage is not really such a serious thing and does not require love. This reaction is quite typical of Meursault as described in the book. He seems relaxed and indifferent to life events. Nothing seems very important to him. Later in the book, after killing an Arab, he does not once show any remorse or guilt for what he has done. Did he really feel nothing? Camus seems to indicate that Meursault is almost unconscious and completely unfazed and unaffected by the events and people around him. He is not prepared to lie, during his trial, about the Arab's murder. His reluctance to become involved in his defense resulted in a verdict of death by guillotine. If Meursault had defended himself, explaining his actions, he could have been released. ​​Meursault's insensitive behavior, removed from any apparent emotion, is probably reinforced by the despair that he sees individuals experiencing openly and sensitively. For example, he observes Raymond cheated on and hurt by a girlfriend, and sees his other neighbor, Salamano, very depressed when he loses a dear companion, his dog. Meursault's responses are very different, he does not become depressed upon death and does not become emotionally involved. He seems totally apathetic. Thus, he seems to feel no pain and is protected from life's disappointments. Sometimes a person like Meursault can please others because he is non-judgmental and non-critical, probably due to indifference rather than sympathy. His limited involvement might attract some people because the end result of his distance is a sort of acceptance of others, so he does not pose a threat to.