I found it very interesting in this novel, the emphasis that Camus puts upon beauty, notably upon the protagonist's family members. He speaks about his mother's beauty and wanting to be close to her in an almost sexual way (I'm thinking in particular about the bit where he wants to be close to her, but does not think it appropriate). In this sense, perhaps Jacques is trying to take his father's place, in searching for him, feeling that someone should desire his beautiful mother. Similarly, the grandmother in the novel seems to be more forgiving of Ernest because he is handsome, something that Jacques notices when looking at her conduct towards him, a mixture of desire and maternal instinct.
There is a level of needing to be accepted throughout the novel, but Jacques seems to need perhaps a more exaggerated love to make up for the love of a father. In searching for the father, he needs the help of the rest of his family, and this, like affection, they seem unable to give, at least in large doses. In a house largely of women, he is unable to infiltrate their sphere, as highlighted by the birth at the beginning, where women assist with the birth without the aid of any of the men. Jacques is reduced to an outsider, who projects desire on to his mother to try to gain acceptance.
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