stranger body 2

Marsaults disregard for his own emotions leads to inexplicable impulsive actions. While the reader is fully aware of Meursault’s thoughts, due to his overwhelming physical sensations, the reader is left asking “why?”. When he kills the arab the reader is not told why he killed him but rather how he was feeling when his finger pulled the trigger. (quote) He gives a very in depth description of his physical sensations, he focuses on he sun on his skin and the sweat on his brow. Furthermore when Meursault is on trial he seems ambivalent to the fact that he may be locked away for a long time. In the court scene the prosecutor plays on his lack of emotion as an attempt to convince the jury of his wrong-doings. (quote). They bring up his mothers funeral and him going with Marie to a comedy as evidence against him. While some may see these actions as actions of a man who does not have empathy or compassion for human life, they neglect to understand Meursault’s emotional retardation. The trial focuses on what he did not why he did it. Meursault himself does not even know why due to his lack of attention to his emotional motives. He acts solely on his physical desires and conveniences.