The Stranger (pg 45-64)

Meursault asserts that although details may change, one’s life remains essentially constant: "I said that people never change their lives, that in any case one life was as good as another and that I wasn’t dissatisfied with mine here at all." This declaration implies that each person’s life is essentially equal to everyone else’s. It becomes clear that Meursault concentrates largely on the moment in which he finds himself, with little reference to past occurrences or future consequences. This outlook perhaps explains his ambivalent attitude toward marriage with Marie; thus, the emotional and sentimental aspects of marriage never enter into his mind.