Meursault Chapter 1 Summary
While chapters one and 2 serve to characterize Meursault as generally emotionless (ie: his Mother’s funeral and affair with Marie) Chapter 3 works to establish Meursault as a “friend” to different people. Just the same as his relationships with his mother and girlfriend, Meursault’s relationships with his friends are what one can deem as unconventional. In doing so the author reveals some truths about Meursault and the nature of free will and judgement.
The first set of interactions involves both Emmanual and Celeste who the reader can consider Meursault’s truest friends in the accepted sense of the word. Emmanual and Meursault take a break from work together to get lunch at Celeste’s. The two hitch a ride by jumping on the back of a truck …show more content…
The reader can infer that Raymond is a bad person. His room is decorated with indecent pictures, he has been in a fight with what seems to be an innocent man, and he describes his mistress, who is the subject of the favor he is about to ask Meursault, as a woman “he’d been keeping.” Raymond even admits, though in denial, that he knew about rumors people in the neighborhood have said about him. Meursualt states, “I didn’t say anything, and yet right away he added that he knew what people around the neighborhood were saying, but that his conscience was clear and the he was a warehouse guard.”(28) If the reader is to side with the neighborhood residents, one can assume that Raymond is some sort of criminal, possibly even a pimp. Yet, even after further demonstartions of his immoral behavior including beating this same woman, Meursault does not pass judgement on Raymond and even accepts to assist Raymond by writing a letter for him on the premise that Raymond is telling the truth even though the reader can assume he is lieing. The friendhsipt is consummated when Meursault accepts Raymond’s suggestion that Meursault is a “pal.” (31) Meursault details, “He repeated his remark and I said, ‘Yes.’ I didn’t mind being his pal and he seem set on it.” (31) Again Meursault does not pass judgement and appeases a person by answering in a way he supposed the other wanted to
The first set of interactions involves both Emmanual and Celeste who the reader can consider Meursault’s truest friends in the accepted sense of the word. Emmanual and Meursault take a break from work together to get lunch at Celeste’s. The two hitch a ride by jumping on the back of a truck …show more content…
The reader can infer that Raymond is a bad person. His room is decorated with indecent pictures, he has been in a fight with what seems to be an innocent man, and he describes his mistress, who is the subject of the favor he is about to ask Meursault, as a woman “he’d been keeping.” Raymond even admits, though in denial, that he knew about rumors people in the neighborhood have said about him. Meursualt states, “I didn’t say anything, and yet right away he added that he knew what people around the neighborhood were saying, but that his conscience was clear and the he was a warehouse guard.”(28) If the reader is to side with the neighborhood residents, one can assume that Raymond is some sort of criminal, possibly even a pimp. Yet, even after further demonstartions of his immoral behavior including beating this same woman, Meursault does not pass judgement on Raymond and even accepts to assist Raymond by writing a letter for him on the premise that Raymond is telling the truth even though the reader can assume he is lieing. The friendhsipt is consummated when Meursault accepts Raymond’s suggestion that Meursault is a “pal.” (31) Meursault details, “He repeated his remark and I said, ‘Yes.’ I didn’t mind being his pal and he seem set on it.” (31) Again Meursault does not pass judgement and appeases a person by answering in a way he supposed the other wanted to