Meursault learns of his mother's death at an old age home in Marengo, eighty kilometres from Algiers, and takes the afternoon bus to attend the funeral. Upon arrival, he speaks with the director, who reassures him regarding his decision to place his mother in the home and mentions that she desired a religious burial. Meursault declines to view his mother's body when the concierge offers to unscrew the casket, spending the afternoon and evening in the mortuary instead. He smokes cigarettes, drinks coffee provided by the concierge, and observes the elderly residents who arrive later to keep a silent vigil around the coffin.
The following morning, the funeral party sets out under a blazing sun towards the village church. Meursault walks alongside the director, the priest, and an undertaker's assistant, while his mother's close friend, Thomas Perez, struggles to keep pace by taking shortcuts across the fields. The intense heat, glare, and fatigue heavily affect Meursault, who finds the journey physically exhausting and disorienting. After the brief church service and the burial at the cemetery, where Perez breaks down and weeps, Meursault catches the return bus back to Algiers, feeling immense relief at the prospect of sleeping for twelve hours.