Indifference in The Stranger by Albert CamusIn Albert Camus' novel The Stranger (The Stranger), the main character Meursault displays a unique indifference to respect for his environment and the world around him. It takes him a while to accept his indifference, but when he does, he feels truly free from the tight bonds of society. He leads an apathetic life characterized by his constant lack of definitive personality. Meursault wanders through life as if in a drunken stupor, living the life of a pleasure seeker. When he accepts his death, he is relieved of the pressure of guilt and his relationships with others. Meursault's guilt plays an important role in the novel in regards to his daily dealings with his attitude towards life in general. Meursault feels guilty for not feeling guilty. He knows that when he walks into a situation like his mother's death, he should have felt guilt and remorse, but he didn't and so his emotional state turned into one of apology. The concept of Meursault apologizing instead of feeling guilty is illustrated when he requests time off from his job to go to his mother's funeral. “Sorry, sir, but it’s not my fault, you know.” p.1 He was sorry for leaving work and so apologized, but then he told himself that he knew that in the circumstances he didn't need to apologize for asking for some days off. Meursault later wishes to reconcile with his mother over being sent to a home. He was sorry for doing it, but the director of the home assured him that he had done everything he could for her given her situation. With Meursault working in a town a few hours away by bus, he couldn't visit his mother as often a...... middle of paper ...... difference with the world he feels free because he doesn't is no longer required to make him answer to anyone or be bothered doing anything that takes him away from his true love of self-pleasure. Meursault lives in the moment without worrying about the ramifications or consequences of his actions. When his moment of purification through pain comes, he is exhilarated by the energy he feels from the crowd that has gathered to watch him lose his life. Before being beheaded, he accepts his life and believes that now that it is about to end, he can satisfy his need to achieve ultimate pleasure. If I had been placed in the same situation, I would have already accepted my own mortality, knowing that I was facing death for the crime I had committed. Because I don't know if I believe in God, I don't know if I would look forward to an afterlife or if I would be afraid of going into nothingness..