Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Official Shmoop Statement: We like robots. Robots are awesome. What is less awesome (and definitely creepier) are people that act like robots.
Appearing in both Part I, Chapter Five and in Part II, Chapter Three, this bizarre woman arouses Meursault's curiosity because of her peculiarity and hyper-meticulousness. Intrigued by her machine-like qualities, he tries to figure her out by studying her at the diner and then following her afterwards.
Later, seeing her stare in court at him without emotion, Meursault is unnerved. This woman seems to move along in her own world, set in her ways, and oblivious to society's judgments. In many senses, she symbolizes the mechanisms that define Meursault. She operates on the same basic principles, but the outcome is very different for her than our protagonist—she blends in as a spectator at the trial.