The first time I read The Stranger I didn't enjoy it as much as I do now. I definitely liked it more the second read, probably because I understood it more and looked in depth to find a deeper meaning to the novel as a whole. I found it kind of cool how Mersault only sees the physical thing in life and Camus does this to prove his world view of existentialism/absurdity. Also, I found it interesting that Camus connects the story with the Myth of Sisyphus at some parts. Like when Mersault is in jail and he is thinking through his life and comes to the conclusion that life is pointless, sort of like Sisyphus. Camus views life as an endless, useless task,showing it through Mersault. All of these reasons make this novel, in my opinion, a good one.
Thesis:
In The Stranger, Albert Camus creates a contrast between weekdays and weekends, to show Mersault's internal change from suppressing his thoughts to expressing his thoughts, illustrating that freedom from society is reached through a change in one's routine. This is shown through the repetition of the weekend, Camus' dull use of imagery when describing work and a bright use of imagery when describing the beach, and the contrast of diction when comparing weekdays to weekends.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Journal #7 Thesis
Topic: Repetition of weekends
Thesis: In The Stranger, Albert Camus uses the repetition of Saturday and Sunday to display the freedom from society.
(I'm still working on my thesis, I am sure that there are a couple of things that I need to add)
Quotes:
1) "That's partly why I didn't go there much this past year. And also because it took up my Sunday" (5)
2) "He told me that he spent Saturdays and Sundays and all his days off there" (50)
3) "Masson immediately said there was a doctor who spent his Sundays up on the plateau" (54)
4) "... I used to wait patiently until Saturday to hold Marie's body in my arms" (77)
5) "He was wearing the new suit he used to put on to go with me to the races sometimes on Sundays" (92)
6) "... I'd be getting four days' vacation that way, including Sunday" (19)
7) "Yesterday was Saturday, and Marie came over as we'd planned" (34)
I looked through the book multiple times and could not find more than seven quotes that mentioned the weekend. This is why there is a lack of quotes. However there is definitely another topic that I tabbed and that is that Camus never mentions days of the week, he only refers to them as "yesterday" or "today". He may do this to show the daily routine of a humans lifestyle in a demanding society.
(I'm not exactly sure how to word this as a thesis)
Thesis: In The Stranger, Albert Camus uses the repetition of Saturday and Sunday to display the freedom from society.
(I'm still working on my thesis, I am sure that there are a couple of things that I need to add)
Quotes:
1) "That's partly why I didn't go there much this past year. And also because it took up my Sunday" (5)
2) "He told me that he spent Saturdays and Sundays and all his days off there" (50)
3) "Masson immediately said there was a doctor who spent his Sundays up on the plateau" (54)
4) "... I used to wait patiently until Saturday to hold Marie's body in my arms" (77)
5) "He was wearing the new suit he used to put on to go with me to the races sometimes on Sundays" (92)
6) "... I'd be getting four days' vacation that way, including Sunday" (19)
7) "Yesterday was Saturday, and Marie came over as we'd planned" (34)
I looked through the book multiple times and could not find more than seven quotes that mentioned the weekend. This is why there is a lack of quotes. However there is definitely another topic that I tabbed and that is that Camus never mentions days of the week, he only refers to them as "yesterday" or "today". He may do this to show the daily routine of a humans lifestyle in a demanding society.
(I'm not exactly sure how to word this as a thesis)
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Journal #6: Questions
1) Why does Camus only refer to Saturday and Sunday and not the week days?
2) Does the symbolism of the cigarette represent freedom from society?
(Also the motif of sleeping/tiredness)
3) Why does Camus always describe things in color? Is it to represent how he perceives the world only physically, not emotionally?
4) Why does Camus only state "the Arabs" and not actually have a name for them?
5) Why is the sun set a cheerful tone when Mersault is with Marie on the beach, but it sets a pressured/irritated tone when he is on the beach without her?
Comments...
1) Why does Albert Camus use such short and choppy sentences? What effect does this have on the story? (Matt Merckling #2)
Albert Camus uses short and choppy sentences to represent how humans think things through, thus developing a routine.
2) Is Camus using the motifs of coffee and cigarettes as symbols for something larger? Is it something to do with emotion? (Megan Davis #4)
Through the motif of coffee and the symbol of cigarettes Camus portrays freedom from society, escaping the stressful lifestyle into one more relaxed.
3) What is Camus trying to say about human experience by creating a character that seems to lack motivation? (Tanner Bean #2)
Through Mersault's lack of motivation, Camus expresses that in the human experience one will tend to focus on the present more than the future.
4) What is the meaning of the robotic lady (pg 43)? She does not have a big impact in the story other than showing up at Meursault's trial. Why is she included and/or for what purpose is she in the story? (Andy Luu #5)
Camus includes the "robotic lady" into The Stranger to show the routine based life one will have in a demanding society.
5) To what purpose does Camus put such emphasis on physical description and feeling, especially regarding colors? (Montana Agnew #2)
Camus puts emphasis on physical descriptions rather than emotional descriptions to connect the reader to the character. Camus describes the beach on page 49 to bring out the feeling of relaxation, while not actually stating that Mersault felt relaxed. Camus might be trying to portray a possible theme that humans will tend to understand things better through the physical aspects of life rather than emotional.
2) Does the symbolism of the cigarette represent freedom from society?
(Also the motif of sleeping/tiredness)
3) Why does Camus always describe things in color? Is it to represent how he perceives the world only physically, not emotionally?
4) Why does Camus only state "the Arabs" and not actually have a name for them?
5) Why is the sun set a cheerful tone when Mersault is with Marie on the beach, but it sets a pressured/irritated tone when he is on the beach without her?
Comments...
1) Why does Albert Camus use such short and choppy sentences? What effect does this have on the story? (Matt Merckling #2)
Albert Camus uses short and choppy sentences to represent how humans think things through, thus developing a routine.
2) Is Camus using the motifs of coffee and cigarettes as symbols for something larger? Is it something to do with emotion? (Megan Davis #4)
Through the motif of coffee and the symbol of cigarettes Camus portrays freedom from society, escaping the stressful lifestyle into one more relaxed.
3) What is Camus trying to say about human experience by creating a character that seems to lack motivation? (Tanner Bean #2)
Through Mersault's lack of motivation, Camus expresses that in the human experience one will tend to focus on the present more than the future.
4) What is the meaning of the robotic lady (pg 43)? She does not have a big impact in the story other than showing up at Meursault's trial. Why is she included and/or for what purpose is she in the story? (Andy Luu #5)
Camus includes the "robotic lady" into The Stranger to show the routine based life one will have in a demanding society.
5) To what purpose does Camus put such emphasis on physical description and feeling, especially regarding colors? (Montana Agnew #2)
Camus puts emphasis on physical descriptions rather than emotional descriptions to connect the reader to the character. Camus describes the beach on page 49 to bring out the feeling of relaxation, while not actually stating that Mersault felt relaxed. Camus might be trying to portray a possible theme that humans will tend to understand things better through the physical aspects of life rather than emotional.
Journal #5
I believe that Camus split The Stranger into two parts to show Mersault's personality change. Before the split, Mersault is very clear and precise with everything he does. He plans everything out ahead of time. However, when the novel splits into Part 2, Mersault begins to question things that he had not questioned before. The reader gets a sense of Mersault's emotions that he hid in the first part of the novel. Also, Camus probably split the novel into two parts to make the reader almost feel as if he/she was starting a new book., and to get a deeper sense of Mersault's change in character.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Journal #4: 6 Questions
1) Why does Camus only reference Saturdays and Sundays and not other days?
"He told me that he spent Saturdays and Sundays and all his days off there" (50). I think Camus uses this to show freedom from society. On weekends Mersault "hooks up" with Marie, thus showing freedom from society and work. Camus sets a relaxed mood when Mersault is at the beach, but when Mersault is working Camus shows him as precise.
2) Why does Camus only show Mersault as seeing the physical life and not the emotional?
Maybe Camus is trying to express that humans desire the physical aspect of life, rather than the emotional aspect of life. Through Marie, Camus is expressing this one-sided life because Mersault always sees Marie as "glistening" or "beautiful" (51), and never really expresses his emotional feelings towards her.
3) Why does Camus describe everything with a color?
I believe he does this to stress Mersault only paying attention to the physical side of life. In the physical side of life, there are colors everywhere and everything can be described by a certain color, but in the emotional side of life there are not colors, everything is either black or white.
4) Why does Camus use the dog (Old Salamano) as a symbol, and what could it represent?
I thought about this one for a long time, but I could not come up with a sufficient answer. The best guess I have is that the dog represents something to do with the lack of freedom. Because his owner yells at him, it may show that the dog has no freedom from society.
5) Why does Camus show Mersault as being precise, and being relaxed?
These characterize Mersault as a person, showing the reader that in society, he has to be precise in his planning, and when he is not working, he has the freedom to do whatever he wants. This is important to the story because it definitely shows a contrast between the two lifestyles.
6) What does the motif of sleeping and drowsiness represent?
I think they represent freedom. Sleeping is something Mersault can do to escape from society. Sleeping is his freedom from his work and from other problems as well. Also, the cigarettes may represent this freedom from society, it is his way of escaping the chains of other people's demands.
"He told me that he spent Saturdays and Sundays and all his days off there" (50). I think Camus uses this to show freedom from society. On weekends Mersault "hooks up" with Marie, thus showing freedom from society and work. Camus sets a relaxed mood when Mersault is at the beach, but when Mersault is working Camus shows him as precise.
2) Why does Camus only show Mersault as seeing the physical life and not the emotional?
Maybe Camus is trying to express that humans desire the physical aspect of life, rather than the emotional aspect of life. Through Marie, Camus is expressing this one-sided life because Mersault always sees Marie as "glistening" or "beautiful" (51), and never really expresses his emotional feelings towards her.
3) Why does Camus describe everything with a color?
I believe he does this to stress Mersault only paying attention to the physical side of life. In the physical side of life, there are colors everywhere and everything can be described by a certain color, but in the emotional side of life there are not colors, everything is either black or white.
4) Why does Camus use the dog (Old Salamano) as a symbol, and what could it represent?
I thought about this one for a long time, but I could not come up with a sufficient answer. The best guess I have is that the dog represents something to do with the lack of freedom. Because his owner yells at him, it may show that the dog has no freedom from society.
5) Why does Camus show Mersault as being precise, and being relaxed?
These characterize Mersault as a person, showing the reader that in society, he has to be precise in his planning, and when he is not working, he has the freedom to do whatever he wants. This is important to the story because it definitely shows a contrast between the two lifestyles.
6) What does the motif of sleeping and drowsiness represent?
I think they represent freedom. Sleeping is something Mersault can do to escape from society. Sleeping is his freedom from his work and from other problems as well. Also, the cigarettes may represent this freedom from society, it is his way of escaping the chains of other people's demands.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Journal #3: World View
1) Successism
2) In this world theory, there may or may not be a God, it all depends on the person's opinion. But in this theory, everyone has a shot for success, disregarding race and economic status. Throughout my life, I have seen plenty of successes and failures, by many different people. Because of this, I have always believed that everyone has a chance of being successful.
2) In this world theory, there may or may not be a God, it all depends on the person's opinion. But in this theory, everyone has a shot for success, disregarding race and economic status. Throughout my life, I have seen plenty of successes and failures, by many different people. Because of this, I have always believed that everyone has a chance of being successful.
- There is no limit to what you can achieve
- Cherish what you have done
- Race does not define success
- Every person, no matter the amount of money they have, can achieve
- Success is not always achieving what is desired most
- Point out weaknesses so you can improve on them
- Do not focus on the present, focus on the future
- Be trustworthy, do not lie about who you are
Journal #2
1) Which translator has the most literary value
I would argue that Matthew Ward's translation has the most literary value because it characterizes Mersault more than the translation by Gallimard. Ward's translation describes Mersault more efficiently because he portrays him as being exact, and precise. For example when Camus rights, "I'll take the two o-clock buss and get there in the afternoon. That way I can be there for the vigil and come back tomorrow night." (3). The way Ward characterizes Mersault, helps the reader understand his personality and thoughts. Also, the way Camus translates helps establish a stronger tone when comparing the two translations.
2) Title The Stranger
I would title The Stranger as The Unknown. This is because the whole novel itself is very vague, and the reader does not always know what is on Mersault's mind. He switches from thinking about one thing to another, almost as if he cannot process something fully. For example, when he is thinking about his Maman he is not sure when she died and says, "Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don't know (...) That doesn't mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday". Mersault seems to be trying to ignore the fact that his mother is dead, but does not show the reader exactly what he is intending. He seems to be wondering more about something else, and is tucking his mother's death away in his mind.
I would argue that Matthew Ward's translation has the most literary value because it characterizes Mersault more than the translation by Gallimard. Ward's translation describes Mersault more efficiently because he portrays him as being exact, and precise. For example when Camus rights, "I'll take the two o-clock buss and get there in the afternoon. That way I can be there for the vigil and come back tomorrow night." (3). The way Ward characterizes Mersault, helps the reader understand his personality and thoughts. Also, the way Camus translates helps establish a stronger tone when comparing the two translations.
2) Title The Stranger
I would title The Stranger as The Unknown. This is because the whole novel itself is very vague, and the reader does not always know what is on Mersault's mind. He switches from thinking about one thing to another, almost as if he cannot process something fully. For example, when he is thinking about his Maman he is not sure when she died and says, "Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don't know (...) That doesn't mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday". Mersault seems to be trying to ignore the fact that his mother is dead, but does not show the reader exactly what he is intending. He seems to be wondering more about something else, and is tucking his mother's death away in his mind.
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