Maman Died

“Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know…Maybe it was yesterday.” (PG.3)

The first sentence hits us straight forward with how existentialist this novel will be. Maman just died, period. No affection, no mourn, no guilt. It is just another “thing” that happened that day or was it yesterday? We are not even told. The author Albert Camus exemplifies this existentialist movement throughout the novel in various characters and their reactions toward societal parameters.  

“A minute later she asked me if I loved her. I told her it didn’t mean anything but that I didn’t think so. She looked sad.” (PG. 35)

Marie is talking to Mersault (the main character) questioning their relationship. Mersault does have feelings for Marie and he expresses them through his actions in the novel, yet once again she is simply the moment. Why would he love something that maybe will not be there tomorrow, or feel the same way? It is not a common response to a question of that kind, “traditional human behavior”. No is still a valid answer, yet stating that the answer indeed didn’t mean anything is showing that to Mersault not even the question being asked the conjunction of words is relevant.

The narration also exposes the crudeness of humans: “So we took our time getting back, him telling me how glad he was that he’d been able to give the women what she deserved.” (PG.38) and what the women deserved was not love and compassion, it was hatred and vengeance. Raymond one of Mersault’s neighbors is telling him how he got back on his cheating girlfriend. How he hit her so hard and spit on her, he was now satisfied the lesson had been taught. Paid by a night with the police Raymond was satisfied with his actions it was worth it.