The Stranger: Journal #7

In his novel The Stranger,  through the side characters' misinterpretation of Meursault's words and actions, Camus develops a theme regarding the validity of wants and desires labeled as socially unacceptable by a society that ultimately sets its own interpretation of right and wrong.

Misunderstanding quotes:

"Just then the caretaker came in behind me. He must have been running. He stuttered a little. "We put the cover on, but I'm supposed to unscrew the casket so you can see her." I answered, "No." He was quiet, and I was embarrassed because I felt I shouldn't have said that. He looked at me and then asked "Why not?" ... "I don't know." ... "I understand."" (6)

"Fumbling a little with my words and realizing how ridiculous I sounded, I blurted out it was because of the sun. People laughed." (103)

 "As always, whenever... "You see, you see!" ... Obviously, I again said no. He fell back in his chair." (69)

"He said that he had peered into it and that he had found nothing, gentlemen of the jury. He said the truth was that I didn't have a soul and that nothing was within my reach." (101)

"Then we went for a walk through the main streets through the other end of town. The women were beautiful and I asked Marie if she'd noticed. She said yes and that she understood what I meant." (42)

Disconnection with Marie, his want without true feelings for her:

"That morning Marie came by to see me and ask on me if I wanted to marry her. I said it didn't make any difference 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 last time." (41)

"We swam a few strokes and she reached out and held on to me. I felt her legs wrapped around mine and I wanted her." (51)

"She shouted again, "You'll get out and we'll get married!" I answered, "You think so?" but it was mainly just to say something." (75)

"For example, I was tormented by my desire for a woman. It was only natural; I was young. I never thought specifically of Marie. But I thought so much about a woman, about women, about all the ones I had known, about all the circumstances in which I had enjoyed them..." (77)

"Marie entered. She had put on a hat and she was still beautiful. But I liked her better with her hair loose." (93)

Societies Standards (vs Meursault):

"He tried to change the subject by asking me why... on my side. (120)

""Indeed," he loudly exclaimed, "I accuse this man of burying his mother with crime in his heart!" (96)

"Hardly anyone listened after that when Masson testified that I was an honest man "and I'd even say a descent one." (94)

"It was clear she was cheating on me. So I left her. (30)

"I asked my boss for two days off and there was no way he was going to refuse me with an excuse like that. But he wasn't too happy about it. I even said, "It's not my fault." He didn't say anything.

The misunderstanding of Meursault's words and actions bring about an overlying sense of a universal domination of societal rules. When Meursault goes against these rules following wants that seem strange to everyone else, he violates these man-made laws. Meursault's disconnection with these rules is further expanded upon through his relationship with Marie, and through the above quotes demonstrates his lust for her physical features and disregard for deeper emotional involvement. While Meursault sees nothing wrong with this, it comes in conflict with societies' laws and rules, bring about the larger conflict that dominates the book's second half.

I also posted a comment about this thesis:
In Albert Camus' The Stranger, the use of sparse intellectual language demonstrates Mersault's clear intentions and emotions.