Mersault is a stranger
Point of view, something we learn back in elementary school, can carry hidden and deep meanings within it. In The Stranger by Albert Camus, Mersault’s story is being narrated in the first person, where he’s given many decisions but chooses not to use his own mind. He agrees with everything, whether it comes to when Maman is buried, if Maman’s death was bound to happen, if Raymond was in the wrong for fighting with the guy, or if he should be pals with Raymond, and most importantly whether Raymond’s mistress deserved to be punished or not. While reading, have you thought about how weird it is to ask someone else to write you a letter that would have “a punch and also some things in it to make her sorry” to your ex? It can be reasonable to assume that through the many interactions Raymond has had with Mersault, he’s understood his character and knew he would agree to everything, even for a reason like “he couldn’t write the kind of letter it would take.” That being said, one detai...