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Salamano is one of Meursault’s neighbors, an old widower whose sole companion is an extremely old dog. He abuses this dog terribly, punishing it for being slow, unsteady, and incontinent, but is later devastated when the dog disappears. Salamano’s hypocritical and disturbing behavior ties into the novel’s exploration of absurdism by illustrating the lengths people go to avoid acknowledging their own mortality. Salamano buys the dog after the death of his wife, explicitly so the two of them can grow old together. Meursault himself observes that over the years the two have begun to look alike, both covered in sores and drooping. However, instead of finding comradery in their aging bodies, Salamano is furious at the dog for showing normal signs of aging. In punishing the dog for being old, he distances himself from his own aging. He also hits the dog when it pulls so hard on its leash that he stumbles. In these cases, Salamano, well aware of his dog’s physical weakness, reacts with anger at the revelation that he has lost so much strength that his frail dog can throw him off balance. He does not hate the dog but is afraid of the mortality it reminds him of.
