In “The Stranger,” the protagonist, Monsieur Meursault, is characterized as cold, indifferent, and emotionally detached. Throughout the novel, Meursault expresses no emotion regarding the death of his own mother, the planned marriage between the woman, Marie Cardona, who became his lover, and the actual murder of a man he did not know . While the jury at his trial found him guilty because his unusual and dissociated behavior showed that he deliberately intended to murder the Arab on the beach, various psychologists would instead diagnose Meursault with major depressive disorder, a disorder of antisocial personality and Asperger's syndrome to characterize his indifferent thought patterns. While Meursault suffers from major depressive disorder, he is unable to function as a normal person, ultimately leading the jury to believe that he is actually a cold-blooded killer. Antisocial personality disorder, like major depressive disorder, causes Meursault to communicate a disregard for the lives of others and a lack of remorse when he hurts and even kills the Arab. Major depressive disorder, also called clinical depression, is a disorder caused when low levels of serotonin, which suppresses the perception of pain and is often found in the pineal gland in the center of the brain, promotes low levels of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine. monoamine which controls cognitive abilities. This disabling disorder interferes with a person's daily life because it prevents them from performing normal functions, such as eating, sleeping, interacting, or enjoying previously enjoyable activities. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, common symptoms of major depressive disorder are persistent feelings of anxiety, worthlessness...... middle of paper ...... ibit signs of difficulty with functioning social (family and friend problems often linked to the distrust of the victim), criminal behavior (because there is a lack of respect for social norms linked to the laws which must be respected by all members of society), the desire to Harmful, impulsive behavior and a lack of kindness or compassion. . One of the main identifying aspects of ASPD is the lack of remorse when an individual steals, injures, abuses, or kills others. A person can only be diagnosed with ASPD if he or she meets the following criteria: He or she is at least 18 years old and has significant impairments in normal functioning at home, school, and work. However, it was not until 1980 that ASPD finally became a recognized mental disorder containing a list of symptoms based on agreed-upon observations among various psychiatrists...