The Stranger - Paragraph 1

Camus creates a hidden criticism, utilizing the vagueness of his statements, of our acceptance of social norms throughout the novel and it leads the reader to contemplate their own compliance with social norms. "A minute later she asked me if I loved her. I told her it didn't mean anything but that I didn't think so. She looked Sad" (pg. 44). The reader automatically assumes that because he effectively says no, that he has no emotions and does not truly care for her even after just having sex. However, the quote can also be read as, 'I not 100% sure so please don't take too much from this.' He doesn't necessarily want to hurt her, but he also doesn't want to lead her into something that he may change his mind on later. He is not content with being confined into the traditional labels of being in love or getting married. For him the simple feeling of being together, they joy of her company should be satisfying enough. Because for each person the boundary of love is slightly different from another person's. He does not see the necessity in stating, I am in love, what he finds important are the moments in life, the moments when they are together and just for a second nothing else in the entire world matters. Society expects us to define ourselves into these labels and failure to do so is viewed upon as unacceptable and the person classified as weird. 

The Stranger Outline

Paragraph 1: Camus creates a hidden criticism, utilizing the vagueness of his statements, of our acceptance of social norms throughout the novel and it leads the reader to contemplate their own compliance with social norms.

Example 1: "A minute later she asked me if I loved her. I told her it didn't mean anything but that I didn't think so. She looked Sad" (pg. 44).

Analysis 1: The reader automatically assumes that because he effectively says no, that he has no emotions and does not truly care for her even after just having sex. However, the quote can also be read as, 'I not 100% sure so please don't take too much from this.' He doesn't necessarily want to hurt her, but he also doesn't want to lead her into something that he may change his mind on later. He is not content with being confined into the traditional labels of being in love or getting married. For him the simple feeling of being together, they joy of her company should be satisfying enough. Because for each person the boundary of love is slightly different from another person's. He does't see the necessity in stating, I am in love, what he finds important are the moments in life, the moments when they are together and just for a second nothing else in the entire world matters. Society expects us to define ourselves into these labels and failure to do so is viewed upon as unacceptable and the person classified as weird.

Example 2: " 'to unscrew the casket so you can see her.' ... I was embarrassed because I felt that I shouldn't have said that." (pg.15)

Paragraph 2: At the end of the novel we see a release of all that he has contain: emotions, sadness and anger the feelings will all trap within us in our everyday lives.

Example: "So close to death ... Greet me with cries of hate" (pg. 129.1 - 129.2)

The stranger essay prompt and Discription

How does the way Camus writes The Stranger help involve the reader in the novel?

By leaving an emotional absence from the novel Camus allows for the reader to picture himself within the novel and place his own reasons, logic, and motives onto the character. The reader does not gain a judgement of Meursault and so turns them initially against him. It allows the reader to explore motivations and decisions and allows them to relate more to Meursault. In the novel the reader can explore how each of us can become absent to the true meaning of our lives. We get caught up in the day to day chores and burdens of every day life and we lack the time to appreciate what is truly important. The novel becomes powerful because it allows us to relate to the characters and thus become engaged in the meaning of the novel.

The Stranger Blog: Translator's Note

When he says, "A minute later she asked me if I loved her. I told her it didn't mean anything but that I didn't think so. She looked Sad" (pg. 44). The reader automatically assumes that because he effectively says no, that he has no emotions and does not truly care for her even after just having sex. However, the quote can also be read as, 'I not 100% sure so please don't take too much from this.' He doesn't necessarily want to hurt her, but he also doesn't want to lead her into something that he may change his mind on later. He is not content with being confined into the traditional labels of being in love or getting married. For him the simple feeling of being together, they joy of her company should be satisfying enough. Because for each person the boundary of love is slightly different from another person's. He does't see the necessity in stating, I am in love, what he finds important are the moments in life, the moments when they are together and just for a second nothing else in the entire world matters. Society expects us to define ourselves into these labels and failure to do so is viewed upon as unacceptable and the person classified as weird. Hence, two individuals in class discussions stating that he must have Aspergers is a statement that arrives because he is not what we would expect.

Writing styles Conrad through Camus

In Condrad's novel,  Heart of Darkness he is very descriptive and lengthy, his sentences are declarative, but it explains what is happening. Then in Kafka the text utilizes less adjectives, but also includes more emotions and less decisive sentences. His opinions tend to sway back and forth, but he also still is depicting a scene. Then in Camus his statements are short blunt and to the point with little descriptive content or explanation. He takes what would be a chapter in Conrad or a paragraph in Kafka and condenses it into one sentence. There are hardly any adjectives and the sentences do not explain a scene in vivid detail but rather make blunt statement summarizing a compex action.

The Stranger Blog 1

In the novel the removed absence from the world around him, simply noticing what is happening but not thinking too much about it most likely arrises from the way Meursault deals with death. He doesn't quite know what to think or what to feel or even how to react, "I felt like telling her it wasn't my fault... it didn't mean anything. Besides, you always feel a little guilty" (29). Meursault doesn't quite know how to react to the feeling of death and loss just yet hence his need to apologize for his mothers death as if it were his fault. "it isn't my fault if they buried Maman yesterday..." (28).

Kafka Quiz - Interpret the ending

In Kafka's Metamorphosis Gregor devotes his entire life to providing for the welfare of his family and sacrifiies himself in the process. Even after his metamorphosis Gregor still desires to provide for his family, he is even determined to still send his sister to a conservatory despite the fact that he has no means to achieve that anymore. At the end of the novel Gregor has become suh a burden upon his family that they determine it is now time to terminate the creatures life. By sunrise the next day Gregor had passed away, seemingly sacrificing himself for the benifit of his family in his last act of provision."Then without willing it, his head sank all the way down, and from his nostrils flowed out weakly his last breath" (Kafka 50). His death relieves the family of the requirement of looking after Gregor and hiding him from prying eyes, who would be frightend of his monsterous form. It is a this point in the novel that Kafka begins to use the proper titles of the family members instead of mother, father, and sister. Their names had been hidden before as if they were ashamed of their identification with Gregor and so they tried to hide who the truely where. It is only when he is gone that the shame of his existance is removed and they are at last able to reveal their true identity. The beauty of the sunrise that morning becomes something of a new dawn for the family. One of hope for the future and living without burdens, "From the window he witnessed the beginning of the general dawning outside" (Kafka 50). For the first time in a substantial amount of time the family leaves the appartment and takes the tram into the city. It is as if the energy contained within Gregor's soul, within is last breath is given to his family to renew their spirits and envigorate their souls. Thus Gregor truely gave the last possible thing he could give to his family, his life. The family becomes at peace and his optomistic for the future. They treasure each other and are motivated to move towards the future.