Meursault is a nihilist. This means that he doesn't believe in anything, be it God, love, or country. It is not surprising, then, that he is so emotionally detached from everyone, including both his girlfriend and his mother. It's not so much that he hates his mother; he simply can't feel anything for her, so utterly indifferent is he to every other human being.
Meursault's cold, unfeeling attitude towards his mother becomes an important element...
Meursault is a nihilist. This means that he doesn't believe in anything, be it God, love, or country. It is not surprising, then, that he is so emotionally detached from everyone, including both his girlfriend and his mother. It's not so much that he hates his mother; he simply can't feel anything for her, so utterly indifferent is he to every other human being.
Meursault's cold, unfeeling attitude towards his mother becomes an important element in his murder trial. It soon becomes clear that Meursault is not simply on trial for killing the Arab at the beach, he's also on trial for his nihilism and his total refusal to conform to society's norms and values. It is instructive that Meursault's lack of grief at his mother's funeral is cited as evidence of the threat he poses to society. In the trial it begs the question of what kind of man doesn't cry at the death of his own mother? It is also somewhat telling that Meursault's relationship with his mother is regarded as of greater cultural significance than his murder of the Arab, thus revealing the deeply ingrained racism in French colonial society.
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