Journal 9: Thesis

Thesis: In The Stranger Albert Camus uses parallelism between the two parts of his novel to demonstrate the evolution of human beings that occurs in their environment over time. His placement of the character Meursault in near identical situations in the first and second part of the book reveal insight to the otherwise invisible changes Meursault has gone through.

Journal 8: Personal Response

The Stranger by Albert Camus was by far the best novel out of the three. Bluntly put, it was an ice cold soda to wash down the medicine that was Their Eyes Were Watching God. I believe there were several literary elements that made this catapulted this novel to the top of the list, but my general impression of the novel was completely independent of them. I find the true value of this novel to be in the character Meursault, who may be the most distant protagonist of any story to an average reader. This distance, and Camus choice to hide his past which may influence his motivation created an alien virtually no one could relate to. Traditionally I would say that this makes a book worthless, but Camus portrayed Meursault in a way that made him interesting to the reader and made the reader ponder throughout the novel why he did what he did. I found the character of Meursault to be very similar to Michael Corleone of The Godfather, which allowed me to make some connections to another character if not myself.

I believe the primary literary value of The Stranger exists in its utter lack of description of the character of Meursault. Ultimately I think all humans strive to be like Meursault; careless, not bothered by earthly worries, and independent. Meursault represents what all humans were before they "evolved": animals. Camus took a satirical tone and suggested that the evolution of humans into technology was actually reverse evolution; by creating a more sophisticated society, we attached more sophisticated problems.

Journal 7: 15 Quotes + Thesis Statement

Thesis: In The Stranger, Albert Camus uses parallelism to demonstrate the change in ideology the character Meursault experiences  throughout the novel.

Quotes:

1. "I admitted I hadn't and inquired whether it was really necessary to have one. (63).


2. "Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don't know." (1).


3. "That was how they'd been wired: it was all or nothing. I didn't pay too much attention to him after that." (9).


4. "I said I'd really like to, but I'd promised to spend the day with a girlfriend." (40).


5. "I explained to her that it didn't really matter and that if she wanted to, we could get married." (41).


6. "What I can say for certain is that I would rather Maman hadn't died. (65).


7. "I wished I could have made him stay, to explain that I wanted things between us to be good [...]." (66). 


8. "As far as I could see, it didn't have anything to do with me, and I told him so." (69).


9. "The day of my arrest I was put in a room where there were already several other prisoners, most of the Arabs." (72).


10. "And the things I've never liked talking about began." (76).


11. "[...], I had only to wish that there be a large crowd of spectators the day of my execution and that they greet me with cries of hate." (123). 


12. "No, there was no way out, and no one can imagine what nights in prison are like." (81).


13. "[...] the witness practiced the profession of a procurer. I was his friend and accomplice." (95).


14. "Even in the prisoner's dock it's always interesting to hear people talk about you." (98).


15. "In reality, the machine was set up right on the ground, as simple as you please." (112).

Journal 6: Insightful Questions

1. Why does Camus make all of his characters besides Meursault flat and static? What affect does this have on the development of his theme?
2. What effect does Camus choice to write in a Hemingway style have on characterization?
3. If the sun is truly a motif or symbol in the novel, why is it stagnant? (i.e. Meursault's interaction and reaction the sun, specifically glare, remains constant throughout the novel).
4. What is the significance of Marie throughout the novel? What does her relationship with Merusault symbolize?
5. Why does Camus create a distance between Meursault and the other characters? (i.e. the judge and his lawyer, who cannot comprehend his lack of sympathy).

Comments:

Tanner Bean # 1: Camus creates a character (I'm assuming Meursault?) who's emotions are dependent on environment to act as a foil to other characters who have more complex internal emotions (i.e. Marie, love).

Matt Merckling # 2: Camus uses short and choppy sentences to reflect the character Meursault; Meursault never goes in depth with respect to emotion and is a surface level human being lacking of any complex emotions.

Ivan Kallevig # 3: Camus chooses to display a deeper emotion when Meursault is in the courthouse because he understands he is now in a battle for life and death, which I believe brings out a human beings true character. Additionally, if everything in life is absurd, then theoretically death is the only thing that makes sense. For this reason, Meursault was able to form a deeper connection with death than with life due to his personal ideology.

Kylee Rosette # 3: Camus creates a parallel plot in the death of Maman and Meursalt at the beginning and end of the novel to characterize Meursault. Mersault wishes people to shout cries of hate at his own execution, and likewise showed and indifference towards the death of his own mother.

Montana Agnew # 1: Camus creates a character (Meursault?) that is a "sociopath" to act as a foil with other characters, and in my opinion, prove that he is the only character in the book that is not a sociopath. I believe that just because a majority agrees, it does not mean the concept is right. Camus, though depriving Meursault of any emotion, maintains a positive tone when describing him. He generally portrays other characters as less intelligent through their emotional decisions.

Journal 5: Two Part Split

I believe Camus split his novel into two parts primarily to symbolize the shift in the character Meursault's perception of the world. He does so using parallel structure with respect to plot; Camus places Meursault in similar situations in both parts to allow the reader to distinguish what aspect of his personality has changed since killing the Arab. For instance, the plot structure in both parts is near identical. The first page of Part I begins with Meursault dealing with a socially dramatic and serious event and displaying relative indifference. "Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don't know." (1). Likewise, in Part II Camus begins with Meursault in court. "I admitted I hadn't and inquired whether it was really necessary to have one. (63). Initially, it seems that change between Meursault's personality are subtle, if at all there. However, Part II begins to display a more concerned Meursault. "I wished I could have made him stay, to explain that I wanted things between us to be good [...]" (66). Meursault displays a parallel relationship between Raymond and his lawyer. In Part I Meursault generally cares for others only for the benefit of himself, whereas in Part II he shows a more genuine emotion regarding his relationship with other characters.

Journal 4: 6 Questions

1. Is Camus racist? He never mentions the Arabs by name and frequently takes a negative tone when describing them. "[...] the Arabs weren't following us. [...] Raymond, who seemed very relieved, [...]" (48).
2. Why is Meursault indifferent to the sun itself, but the glare and heat seems to cause him excruciating pain?
3. Why does Camus use the setting of the beach throughout the rising action to the murder?
4. Why does Camus write in a Hemingway style in Meursault's dialog and thoughts? "I told him how nice I thought his house was." (50).
5. If Meursault is completely indifferent to complex emotions (i.e. love) why does he care about his relationship with Raymond? Why risk so much?
6. What is the significance of waves in the ocean? Camus frequently mentions them preceding any interaction between Meursault and the Arabs.

Journal 3: Personal Philosophy

Personal philosophy name: Superiorism

Guiding Principles:

1. Pessimism is the focus of this ideology. Ironically, optimists are prone to despair and hopelessness due to constantly failing their unachievable goals and having high expectations of others. Pessimists have the lowest expectations and are thus always satisfied and prepared.
2. The belief in a single superior God. There is no further claim to religion beyond this point. God exists and created the world, but does not interfere with day to day life.
3. All of societies preconceived notions of how our world runs must be rejected. No innovation can ever generate from mainstream thought.
4. No man on earth can be trusted. This is essential to accomplishments on this earth. Men who rely on other men are optimists and will never completely accomplish anything. The only person who completely understands the demands and expectations of a task/situation is the man who created it.
5. Every negative action that occurs on an individual is the exclusive fault of the individual. God, other men, mentors, etc. can not be held responsible.
6. Moral values are relative to the current demands of society (i.e. "the greater good"). A small evil is not evil if it benefits society to a greater extent than the people it harmed.
7. Dictatorships are the most efficient form of government if regulated. Prior to corruption, a dictatorship results in the most technological innovation and labor efficiency in society. Post corruption, a dictator must instantly be removed from power, probably through execution.

The ideas from this guide are a synthesis from many I have heard over my life. Initially, I found many of these concepts disgusting and inhumane, but after further thought I understood that this ideology was the most practical. The ideas in Superiorism come primarily from Charles Darwin and Ra's al Ghul, as well as personal experiences. In a nutshell, this philosophy identifies that since mind reading is currently impossible, no one can be trusted to know and understand your expectations fully (this is where the pessimistic view is derived from) and thus anything bad that happens to you is your fault because you trusted someone else to some extent. It also focuses on society being superior to the individual because society benefits the most individuals.

Journal 2: The Stranger Translation

Part I:

I believe that the translator with the most literary value is Matthew Ward. Characterization is fundamental throughout the novel in order to allow the reader to understand (or not understand) Meursault. That being said, language should be parallel to the character. Because Meursault is generally very distant from the reader, so should the language. Ward generally distances the reader more than any other translator because of his use of simple syntax. Reading his translation is by far more "choppy" and robotic and takes away from the human element, which is in essence Meursault. In addition, the foreign nature of the translation (i..e. use of kilometers over miles) gives the reader (at least from an American perspective) an even greater distance to the novel.

Part II:

Of the highlighted titles, I believe The Unknown  is the most relevant and accurate title to the novel. Meursault as a character is generally more distant than to the reader than the traditional protagonist. Everything about his nature from his lack of sympathy to his indifference to society's expectations is completely new to the reader. In addition, his past (and thus motivation) are also hidden from the reader.