The Stranger, Book one

The beginning of The Stranger is odd. The syntax and language is very simple and straight forward. The protagonist is a curious man, his actions at his mother's funeral reflect someone who is attending a boring play or movie rather than the burial of a loved one. The protagonist's emotions seem to diluted as if he is holding back something. His outward behavior seems directly related to the physical state of his body not driven by emotion. He often describes physical feelings such as being tired, hungry, aching, cold, hot, craving coffee, cigarettes, etc. yet he does not really describe how he is feeling emotionally at Maman's funeral. He seemed distant and unaffected by this event. The protagonist is very passive and aggressive which is apparent in his relationship with Marie: "That evening Marie came by to see me and asked 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" (Camus 41). His response is odd and unemotional. He seems to really enjoy Marie, yet he is completely unemotional when she mentions getting married. He does not respond with a passionate yes or a fervent no, just sure if you want to. His persistent passive and unemotional behavior makes the end of book one very strange. He kills a man with seemingly little to no motivation. However, he is a man who responds more physically than emotionally. His delirium could be attributed to the overwhelming heat and he lost himself for the moment.