The Stranger: How do significant events negatively impact a character to alter their lives permanently

The most significant event in Meursault's life in The Stranger by Albert Camus is when his mother died. This event was so significant because it set up the later events in the novel. The reader had never known Meursault before his mother's death; therefore, the reader is unable to establish his character before her death. From the beginning of the novel Meursault seems very amoral and emotionless. It is never clear why Meursault is like this.

Connections can be drawn from his mother's death, and the shooting of the Arab. It can be speculated that Meursault had shot the Arab in that situation because he had never dealt with his true emotions from his mothers death. The sun was beating hot on his face and he had been blinded by the sun (possibly a symbol for truth).

Meursault had been sent to prison where at first he had thought he could get used to anything. And he could, he got used to prison but in the same breath he had realized that he was not happy in prison. He was happy in his old mundane life and now he had realized his life was ruined. Prison altered Meursault's life negatively. However, Meursault's life was not permanently negatively altered like many of the other characters in the past novels. Once sentenced to death, he had realized the meaning of his life and it was a sort of freedom for Meursault. The moment he was facing death he had realized that he was content: "As if that blind rage had washed me clean, rid me of hope; for the first time, in that night alive with signs and stars, I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world. Finding it so much like myself-so like a brother, really- I felt that I had been happy and that I was happy again,"(123 Camus).