The Stranger #2

The protagonist's response to his jail time and the questioning process is unusual just like his response to many events. He is a truthful and simple man which does not necessarily work in his favor because the justice system is complex. He has trouble adjusting to the fact that he is being charged as a criminal. When Marie comes to visit him he seems insensitive and indifferent to her presence. He focuses more on the sounds and details of the visiting room rather than his actual conversation with Marie or her appearance: "I was feeling a little sick and I'd have liked to leave. The noise was getting painful. But on the other hand I wanted to make the most of Marie's being there. I don't know how much time went by" (Camus 75). Although he says he wanted to make the most of their time together, he seems to pay more attention the conversations going on around him than he does to his and Marie's conversation. He says he would like to leave because he was feeling ill. It is odd that he would like to leave when this is the only time Marie will be able to visit him in prison. He seems insensitive and uncaring. Despite Marie's constant smiling and joyful demeanor, he does not return the same emotional response. The protagonist never responds to situations in the manner that I would assume a person would.