Meursault does not live in an illusion. He does not hide behind a mask nor does he try to be someone that he is not. And that may be the strangest part about The Stranger.

During class discussions, we talked about how we admired Meursault’s honesty. He said what he was thinking even when it was not the answer that other people were looking for. I never really considered my Big Blog Question in class but now that I do, it is a bit of a surprise for me. There has not been one character in any book that we have read so far that has no created some sort of illusion for himself. Meursault seems to be the exception, not the rule.

All of the other characters, and people I have observed in real life, seem to create an illusion to protect themselves from something, whether it be some other person or some sort of disappointment. People tend to put on a mask to please others or to fit in. I think that is why we find Meursault so peculiar. He does not put on a mask and is very honest to himself and everyone he meets.

Yet he is punished for it. His trial of the murder of the Arab turns into judging his “soul” and personality. No one understands why he did not cry at his mother’s funeral. They seem to think that he is emotionless. When he does not defend himself by “putting on a mask” and responding the way people want him to, he is condemned. When it is so easy for people to convict Meursault for this, it makes me realize how common it is to create an illusion. Not all illusions are huge, but it is unusual for people to give up information about themselves when it will hurt their reputation. It is lying, in a way, but most people see this as harmless.

Meursault has made me realize that the norm is people create illusions. It is part of the culture that we live in and have lived in for a long time.