The mother or maternal figure has always had an important place in society and is always placed in a similar position to gods and important figures, this can be seen in religion such as Christianity where female figures such as Mary are exemplified as perfection and worshiped for their life of kindness and motherhood. We also see in history that queens and female regents have always been mothers to whom their subjects abide. In short, the mother has had a primary place in the hearts of many as for many she is in first place and has occupied all the primary functions of life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay In Stranger by Albert Camus we are introduced to the mind of a man who thinks differently from others as he sees his mother - Maman - as an ordinary person who came and went and has no special importance to him or a place in his life. For him she is just a passerby, like any other person who comes and goes. In this essay we will explore the importance of the mother in the novel by analyzing her surroundings and the importance of her existence and mention in the novel. First, we will look at the symbolism surrounding Mrs. Meursault. In the first paragraphs of the first chapter we are told about the death of Mrs. Meursault from there we are taken to the retirement home where she lived the rest of her days after being admitted by her son. The retirement home here represents the land where everyone is condemned to death after toiling under the sun and fallen into the absurdity of building relationships like Perez and Mrs. Meursault which will ultimately end in the death of one and whose purpose ultimately does not meets expectations. Another symbolic moment is during the madame's wake, where we are gathered in the room and are confronted with an obvious existential paradox. From the harsh whiteness of the room that alludes to the emptiness of life, to the coffin in the center of the room that brings the reader back to the fact that all life will end sooner or later and that itself is true nihilism. This unconscious realization causes Meursault to flee the room intending to abandon the premises but cannot due to social obligations; he is forced to stay and deal with all of this. The bright light signifies the overwhelming feeling of death which is something Meursault refuses to acknowledge, this time falling asleep and this – at this very moment – ​​decides his fate. Madame Meursault shows us the extent of Meursault's nihilism. In the novel we see that the protagonist refuses to respect the rules established by society, but the real and most surprising extent of this is his refusal to give any attachment to any person or thing or to show emotions towards the events of the novel be it favorable or disadvantageous towards him. This can be seen from the living conditions with the mother; for others ("normal" people), living with an elderly or sick relative means taking care of him and making sure to adapt to his lifestyle; for Mr. Meursault it however means barely acknowledging the person's existence and not hesitating to send them away without remorse or emotion and not checking on them regularly. All this demonstrates Meursault's detachment from the world and from almost all material things and emotional connections - which others need for both physical and mental well-being - giving no importance to a figure that society holds to such a high status . from the beginning to the end of the novel we see that Meursault has always been a nihilist and an outsider. As seen in the first paragraph we see that the mother means the beginning of the end for the protagonist. From the moment Meursault enters the house, he is surroundedfrom the symbolic images of his fall and disappearance: from the 12 people who look at him during the funeral wake, symbolizing the jury that will ultimately condemn him, the intense light and the whole of the room which double the intensity of the light which prefigure the inadvertent assassination of the Arab on his beach due to Meursault's reaction to the reflection of the light against the Arab's sword and the white sand of the Algerian beach contribute to increasing the intensity of the light; all of this set the stage for the chain reaction that would happen to Meursault. These events could have easily happened if the protagonist had played and paid more attention to the deeper meaning of the things that happen during the wake and mourned his mother properly. Based on the butterfly effect, if he hadn't gone to the beach immediately after the funeral, he might have had a different fate. We see that the lady's burial plays a central role in this part of Meursault's life as it marks the beginning of his downfall as without her death, she would have been a shadow in Meursault's apartment, a name on his certificate of birth and another elderly person in the nursing home in Algiers. We therefore see that the mother is used in the novel as a reconnection factor between the narrator and the reader. During the trial we see him struggling with the constant evaluation of his treatment of his mother. We see the narrator go through waves of different emotions, from remorse to grief; first towards his mother who pushes him to do the same with the rest of his friends present in the audience, but this however for a few moments before returning to his simple and simplistic visions. Another example of this is when he hears his neighbor Salamano crying over the potential loss of his dog, which also makes Meursault feel sad with his thoughts going to his mother and wondering if he treated her well. This unconscious realization of Meursault tugs at the heartstrings of the readers as we realize that he might appear incredibly intelligent and honest, he too is subject to emotions and has the ability to use them. This shows that even though he seems unattached, he unconsciously continues to play but only secretly, but this very fact makes him more recognizable to the audience. Finally, we see that the mother is used by the author to show the general hypocrisy of the world and society in particular. We see this especially during the trial when Meursault is condemned and branded a monster for the crime of not loving his mother and not for killing the Arab. This demonstrates society's general prejudice against people who refuse to abide by already established rules – usually rules established and prescribed by religion – treating them like an antichrist for not loving someone dearly enough. The total disregard for the circumstances in which the accident occurred which demonstrated Mr. Meursault's true innocence and that the events that occurred were not intentional; However, society, especially the French colonial society of the time, did not consider Arabic or the circumstances important to the trial; we are therefore subjected to constant bickering and back and forth about a deceased woman whose mention was unnecessary. This is done because they want to judge using an appeal to emotion towards the rest of the jury to convict an otherwise innocent man who refused to follow society to his death. The Arab for whom the trial was held was never given due justice because the perpetrator never actually existed and an innocent man was convicted and became a martyr for society's agenda. Please note: this is just an example. Get a document now.