I hope this helps a little:
Meursault, the narrator of The Stranger, is an existential anti-hero. Locked into the routine of daily existence, his life is a shapeless void without ideas, preferences, goals, or emotions. Like a robot, Meursault responds to everything automatically, neither feeling nor caring. When he is offered a job transfer to Paris, Meursault says he does not care where he works; yet he does not go because moving would be too much trouble. His mother’s death is met with similar lack of response: he feels no despair or grief. Occasionally, Meursault lacks motivation to do anything, so he spends the day sitting at his bedroom window, smoking cigarettes more out of habit than desire.
Although Meursault is largely unaffected by the world around him, his isolation doesn’t stem from a conscious intention to withdraw. He merely drifts along without purpose, never facing or even avoiding a challenge. Life is not worth the trouble of making decisions, and Meursault remains committed to nothing.
The minor characters in the novel touch Meursault’s life but never penetrate his consciousness. Marie Cardona, Meursault’s girl friend, is an attractive young woman, fond of life and aware of its joys. She intends to marry Meursault, but when he is imprisoned for murder, his hopelessness finally dissuades her visits. Her firm commitment to life and love amplifies Meursault’s lack of direction.
Raymond Sintes, Meursault’s neighbor, is a disreputable man whose problems with women precipitate Meursault’s downfall. Although Raymond insists that he works in a warehouse, he is widely reputed to be a pimp. He views Meursault as a friend, but the feeling is not reciprocated. Other minor characters are a second neighbor, whose only companion is his mangy dog; and Masson, the owner of a beach cottage where Meursault and Marie spend a holiday.
