What Conflict Do You Find or Notice in the Relationship Between Meursault and Marie?
The Outsider is a notable literary work by Albert Camus. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, to various questions of The Outsider.
Answer
What conflict do you find or notice in the relationship between Meursault and Marie?
The relationship between Meursault and Marie in “The Outsider” (1942) is marked by a conflict of emotions and expectations. Marie genuinely loves Meursault and seeks a deeper connection, while Meursault remains emotionally detached and indifferent.
Meursault’s Indifference: Marie is a lively and affectionate character who finds joy in their relationship. She laughs, enjoys Meursault’s company, and even dreams of marrying him. However, when she asks Meursault if he loves her, he informs his response to the readers:
it didn’t mean anything but that I probably didn’t love her.
This blunt answer reveals the fundamental conflict- while Marie is searching for love and emotional intimacy, Meursault views love as meaningless and cannot feel the same depth of emotion.
Clashing Expectations and Alienation: The conflict becomes more apparent when Marie asks Meursault if he wants to marry her. Meursault responds with indifference, saying,
I said it didn’t make any difference to me and that we could if she wanted to.
For Marie, marriage is a serious and meaningful commitment, but for Meursault, it is just another event that carries no real importance. This difference in how they view relationships creates a gap between them that cannot be bridged.
Marie’s desire for a traditional relationship with love, commitment, and shared emotions clashes with Meursault’s cold detachment and inability to connect on a deeper level.
In essence, this conflict highlights Meursault’s alienation not just from society, but also from the people closest to him, making him an outsider even in his personal life.