Living in the Now

Albert Camus is labeled as an existentialist writer, although he denies this label. He earned that fame because of his novel, The Stranger. His characters live and act as if they were existentialists, living in the present rather than looking back at the past and worrying about the future. Here is an example:

Wherever I looked I saw the same sun-drenched countryside, and the sky was so dazzling that I dared not raise my eyes. Presently we struck a patch of freshly tarred road. A shimmer of heat played over it and one’s feet squelched at each step, leaving bright black gashes. (page 12 pdf)

in this part of the book, the main character, Mersault, describes the setting of his mother's procession. He doesn't talk about his feelings towards her mother's death, nor tells a story of him and his mom. He only talks about the specific moment he is living through by using very precise descriptions of his present state and the things around him, appealing to the five senses. This is a perfect example of the existentialist thinking: the existentialist (Mersault) only thinks about the exact moment he is going through. 

Despite being in the whole process of burying his mother, Mersault continues on with his life as if nothing had happened. He carried on through the weekend as if he were on a small vacation, where he stumbled upon an old friend of his, Marie Cardona. After they spend the night together, Mersault says:

When I woke up, Marie had gone. She’d told me her aunt expected her first thing in the morning. I remembered it was a Sunday, and that put me off; I’ve never cared for Sundays. So I turned my head and lazily sniffed the smell of brine that Marie’s head had left on the pillow. I slept until ten.
 (page 15 pdf)

Mersault, as not many people who just had an emotional connection with another person do, doesn't care about Marie leaving. He just keeps on sleeping and doesn't think about the meaning of last night. I wouldn't say he is a careless person, but he simply lives his life minute by minute. Maybe his relationship with Marie is a substitute and an effect of his mother passing away. And he cared about as much when both left. Marie was kind of a rebound from his loss, a simple method of grief. 

The existentialist concepts are very strong throughout this novel. They are seen in Camus' characters behavior and thoughts.