I don’t think I was old enough or experienced enough to understand the absurdity of the entire situation as he moves through his days, unconcerned by major life decisions. I remember reading The Stranger for the first time and being surprised by Meursault’s bluntness. There’s the death of his mother, but he also experiences violence, what should’ve been, or could’ve been, love, happiness, and grief, all alongside freedom and imprisonment. We encounter him as he deals with some of life’s major changes and curveballs. He goes on a condensed journey through The Stranger. Who is this person that speaks so frivolously about the death of their own mother? What is the rest of their life like? It is this line that draws you in and makes you want to know more. Camus’ opening line, declaring from the first-person perspective that the speaker isn’t sure whether or not his mother died today or yesterday, is quite memorable. The story opens with Meursault receiving the news that his mother, who he put into an old age home, has died.
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