Questions
1. Why does Camus create a protagonist that is seemingly a sociopath?
2. To what purpose does Camus put such emphasis on physical description and feeling, especially regarding colors?
3. Why does Camus choose to give us so little information on Mersault? (His first name, his age, what he looks like, etc.)
4. What purpose does it serve for Camus to place the climax in the middle of the novel? If disagreeable, at what point in the novel is the climax? Is there more than one climax?
5. The city of Algiers has been occupied by various groups and nations throughout history, including both the French and Arabians. What purpose does it serve for Camus to set the novel in this city?
Answers
1. In Albert Camus' The Stranger, the creation of a protagonist without motivation suggests that a lack of motivation does not deter an individual from enjoying their life. (#2 from Tanner Bean's blog)
2. In Albert Camus' The Stranger, the motif of cigarettes and coffee serve as emotional relief for Mersault, who would rather use substances than communicate with other humans. (#4 from Megan Davis' blog)
3. In Albert Camus' The Stranger, the use of short and choppy syntax reflects the emotional state of Mersault who is devastated following the death of his mother. (#2 from Matt Merckling's blog)
4. I believe that the article about the Czechoslovakian serves as another way that Camus portrays the "absurd". I came to this conclusion based off of Mersault's comment following the article: "On one hand it wasn't very likely. On the other, it was perfectly natural." (80). Mersault expresses the miraculousness of the situation, but also states it validity. Thus, life's "absurdity." (#2 on Isabella Lewis' blog)
5. I believe that Camus is not so much suggesting that everyone judges one another, rather that he is trying to portray a feeling of universal judgement towards Mersault. Later in the trial: "...I had this stupid urge to cry, because I could feel how much all these people hated me." (90). And earlier in the novel at Maman's funeral: "...I had the ridiculous feeling that they were there to judge me." (10). (#5 on Kevin Li's blog)
#2 To what purpose does Camus put such emphasis on physical description and feeling, especially regarding colors?
ReplyDeleteCamus 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.
Response to Question 3:
ReplyDeleteCamus gives the reader little information about Meursault in order to further distance the reader from the character. It also forces the reader to focus on his actions and thoughts.
#5
ReplyDeleteCamus uses the conflict between the Frenchmen and the Arabs to comment on the the Algerian fight for independence in the 1950s. He is trying to say that the French should be held responsible for the millions of people they killed.
1. Camus creates a character, that at first appears as a sociopath, but he is not entirely different. Camus puts his ideas of absurdism into Mersault, which does not make him crazy, it makes him interesting. He does things to which he believes, and he believes that not much actually has meaning. Like everybody else, he chooses to what he believes.
ReplyDelete3. Why does Camus choose to give us so little information on Mersault? (His first name, his age, what he looks like, etc.)
ReplyDeleteCamus' lack of description for Meursault is a stylistic choice to distance the reader from the protagonist. It takes attention away from this tragic character and instead focuses on the experiences Meursault has.
3. Camus' lack of extensive background information regarding Meresault is intended to emphasize his inherent distance from the reader and through them, society. By not having a connection with Meresault as a character we can more easily analyze him through his unique world view and understand the basis of his personal philosophies.
ReplyDelete