Marie: As Meursault's girlfriend, her character serves to see how he reacts to her emotionally. He desires her physically and seems to enjoy his company, but when she asks if he loves her he "told her it didn't mean anything but that [he] probably doesn't" (35). This reveals that Meursault does not believe love is meaningful. Later on he denies that marriage is serious too.
Salamano: When Salamano is first introduced he is with his dog. Meursault's describes their love hate relationship and everyday routines. When the dog gets lost, Salamano is flustered. Meursault hears him crying and thinks of Maman, but doesn't know why. Salamano shows a common emotion to losing someone close that Meursault did not. However, Salamano did not love the dog. He only says he had gotten used to the dog. He had not been happy with his wife either, but had gotten used to her company and got lonely when she died. "His life changed and now he wasn't too sure what he was going to do" (46). This contrasts how unemotional Meursault was towards his mother's death. They both were not too happy with them before, but unlike Salamano, Meursault had not created meaning to his Maman.
Raymond: This character is looked down upon by society so he sought companionship. Meursault's agreeable nature is demonstrated by Raymond's assertiveness. He agrees to help Raymond because he doesn't see a reason not to please him. He also says that Raymond interests him. The point of this character is to show how Meursault's actions to help him which seemed harmless later on has strong consequences.
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