Book 1 Chapter 2

DEAD PLACED ON BACK BURNER

"It occurred to me that anyway one more Sunday was over, that Maman was buried now, that I was going back to work, and that, really, nothing had changed." (pg.24)

In chapter two Meursault learns that his life has returned to normal. He notices the joy in the world while sitting at the cafe, and as he looks at the bread laying in his room he conscientiously states that he realizes his life hasn't changed and his routine has gone back to normal. During the day after his mothers burial he meets a woman and watches a comedic movie. Most readers would find this as strange behaviour. But perhaps he has the real truth; maybe he sees the eternal truth. What Camus is saying when you read between the lines, is that when a being dies, their story is over, they have reached "the end" Death is an ending in this novel, not a transformation. Meursault 's mothers story has ended, not for better or for worse and she has not departed in the sense of going elsewhere. This theory ties into the ending of the novel as well, which will be discussed later. Overall, this chapter is telling the reader to not dwell and get hung up on death as a religious person would, in fear of the opposite party being saved or not (particularly in Christianity), and hanging over the Christian point of view is that of Hell. A religious being would never know where their loved one has gone therefore never being able to create this sense of acceptance which Meursault has been able to achieve so cleanly.