A young teacher who seeks out Harun and Mama in order to learn more about Musa’s murder, which she has read about in Meursault’s novel. Educated, sophisticated, and independent, Meriem introduces Harun to the world of French literature, in particular the book which demeans his brother and which he will spend his life protesting; Mama dislikes Meriem, fearing that her allure may draw Harun away from her. Her fears are somewhat justified, as Harun quickly falls in love with Meriem, experiencing passion with her for the first time. Harun’s feelings for Meriem never develop beyond a summer flirtation—she stops visiting him after he asks her to marry him—but he treasures them for the rest of his life. For him, these tender feelings attest to the value of lived experience, whether or not it is underpinned by religious or philosophical meaning. Harun’s earnest feelings for Meriem contrast with Meursault’s apathy towards his own love interest in The Stranger.
Meriem Quotes in The Meursault Investigation
The The Meursault Investigation quotes below are all either spoken by Meriem or refer to Meriem. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 14
Quotes
“Everything was written!” Mama blurted out, and I was surprised by the involuntary aptness of her words. Written, yes, but in the form of a book, and not by some God. Did we feel ashamed of our stupidity? Did we contain and irrepressible urge to laugh like foods, us, the ridiculous pair stationed in the wings of a masterpiece we didn’t even know existed?
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Explanation and Analysis:
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Meriem Quotes in The Meursault Investigation
The The Meursault Investigation quotes below are all either spoken by Meriem or refer to Meriem. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 14
Quotes
“Everything was written!” Mama blurted out, and I was surprised by the involuntary aptness of her words. Written, yes, but in the form of a book, and not by some God. Did we feel ashamed of our stupidity? Did we contain and irrepressible urge to laugh like foods, us, the ridiculous pair stationed in the wings of a masterpiece we didn’t even know existed?
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
