The Stranger

The reader realizes that the time he is uncomfortable talking about in prison is when he has trouble convincing himself that he is in prison. He still feels he should be free and thus the prison is a punishment, he is being kept away from where he belongs. This he does not like talking about. He notes, after he receives Marie's letter that she can no longer visit him, he can accept the fact that the prison is his home but it is still not until later that he gets over his reluctance to talk about it. The combination of prison being his home and his thoughts being those of a prisoner will cause the adjustment. Meursault refers to many of Maman's anecdotes throughout his time in prison and it seems as if he gets the ability to adjust from the lessons his mother has taught him. They are probably closer now than they were during her life. He will wish for his one piece of sky to hold onto and make his own. For a man who lives in the present, he simply has to convince himself that the prison is his present and he can move on.