Meursault, you are not lacking morals

I started out the stranger how I think most people started out the stranger. This is the absolute weirdest thing I have read in my life. Why is he so blunt? Why is the story told so oddly? How come he acts like this? However as the story and our discussions progressed, my jealousy of Meursault grew. I would like to be able to say exactly how I felt and feel however I wanted. He appears to disregard societal norms in terms of feeling but not in terms of behavior. Until he kills someone obviously. So does Meursault’s particular mindset make him appear to the rest of us as though he lacks morals? Or does he simply have his own set of twisted morals? He appears indifferent to his mother’s death, but he may simply have his own way of dealing with it. Perhaps chain smoking, sleeping, and drinking coffee with milk are simply his own particular way of grieving. Perhaps telling Marie that he does not love her, but consoling her that it does not matter is his way of being honest and trying to comfort her. His morals, obviously are different than those which society would normally assign to a person, but it is difficult to say that he lacks them entirely. So does society determine morality or does each individual and each separate situation determine a set of morals? Why do we think Meursault is so weird and is he really that different than us? I know I have been in situations where I know that I am supposed to be sad but don’t really feel sad. Yes great uncle whom I’ve never met, I am so sad at your funeral. But if I hadn’t at least appeared sad or somber my entire family would have thought I was crazy. Even though it is easy to understand why I would not be upset about the death of someone who had not had an impact on me whatsoever. And so Meursault, you appear to be an odd duck, however, I am a little jealous of your power.