Thesis:
Camus uses color in nature and in humans to create a contrast with the lack of color, and Meursault's desire of their presence while in confinement. Camus does this to show that the most effective punishment is not simply to constrain someone, but also to deprive them of aesthetic beauty.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Journal #18
I found the second reading of this novel to be much more insightful and interesting than the first time. I wasn't particularly impressed by the novel when I first read it because I couldn't really understand some of the underlying messages that the book contains, especially about Camus' personal beliefs about existentialism and absurdism. I think that the novel is a great work of literature because of its ability to incorporate so many different messages and techniques into a fairly simple plot. For example, the way Camus makes the reader sympathetic towards Meursault even after he kills a man, seemingly for no purpose, is the mark of a great writer. Also, the way Camus includes aspects of his other work, like the myth of Sisyphus, the Algerian/French conflict over independence, and especially his core beliefs about life, makes the novel an incredible insight into the mind of a man known for his philosophies and personal beliefs.
Another aspect of the novel that I found interesting was simply the sentence structure, the short choppy sentences. It was nice to have an author who could use this technique so well, in order to give the novel even more insight. I felt like this technique forces the reader to contemplate his purpose, and in my opinion that is what a great novel does.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Journal #17
Quotes:
Because I'd had my eyes closed, the whiteness of the room seemed even brighter than before. (9)
Above the hills that separate Marengo fro the sea, the sky was streaked with red. (12)
the screws o the casket had been tightened and that there were four men wearing black in the room. (14)
a small black tie wiht a knot that was too small for the big white collar of his shirt...strange, floppy thick-rimmed ears suck out thorugh his fine, white hair, and I was struck by their blood-red color (15)
the houses standing out here against that red and green earth (15)
molded out of the same black mud. I felt a little lost between the blue and white of the sky and the monotony of the colors around methe sticky black of the tar, the dull black fo all the clothes, and the shiny black of the hearse (17)
the red geraniums on the graves in the cemetary, the blood-red earth... the white flesh of the roots (18)
I had th ewhole sky in my eyes and it was blue and gold (20)
I was wearing a black tie(20)
a wardrobe whose mirror has gone yellow (21)
girl with a big pink bow and black patent-leather shoes. Behind them, and enormous mother, in a brown silk dress.(22)
above the rooftops the sky had taken on a reddish glow(23)
the light from the streetcars would glint off someone's shiny hari, or off a smile or a silver bracelet.. the sky already blue (24)
The sky was green (26)
Salamano has reddish scabs on his face and wispy yellow hair. (27)
Then he said, You're yellow (29)
Thesis: Camus uses brilliant imagery in the first half of the novel to contrast with the bleak and emotionless descriptions in the second half. He does this to show that the penal system does not keep the prisoner in, it keeps the beauty in life out.
Because I'd had my eyes closed, the whiteness of the room seemed even brighter than before. (9)
Above the hills that separate Marengo fro the sea, the sky was streaked with red. (12)
the screws o the casket had been tightened and that there were four men wearing black in the room. (14)
a small black tie wiht a knot that was too small for the big white collar of his shirt...strange, floppy thick-rimmed ears suck out thorugh his fine, white hair, and I was struck by their blood-red color (15)
the houses standing out here against that red and green earth (15)
molded out of the same black mud. I felt a little lost between the blue and white of the sky and the monotony of the colors around methe sticky black of the tar, the dull black fo all the clothes, and the shiny black of the hearse (17)
the red geraniums on the graves in the cemetary, the blood-red earth... the white flesh of the roots (18)
I had th ewhole sky in my eyes and it was blue and gold (20)
I was wearing a black tie(20)
a wardrobe whose mirror has gone yellow (21)
girl with a big pink bow and black patent-leather shoes. Behind them, and enormous mother, in a brown silk dress.(22)
above the rooftops the sky had taken on a reddish glow(23)
the light from the streetcars would glint off someone's shiny hari, or off a smile or a silver bracelet.. the sky already blue (24)
The sky was green (26)
Salamano has reddish scabs on his face and wispy yellow hair. (27)
Then he said, You're yellow (29)
Thesis: Camus uses brilliant imagery in the first half of the novel to contrast with the bleak and emotionless descriptions in the second half. He does this to show that the penal system does not keep the prisoner in, it keeps the beauty in life out.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Journal #16
Questions
Montana #5
Camus 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.
Tate 2)
Camus uses the symbolism of smoking and drinking to represent a break from the responsibilities of society. In contrast, time is used to snap Meursault into the real world. On page 52, Marie suddenly talks about time while he is drinking, and he then must go for a walk, just to please the other men.
Tanner
Why does Albert Camus create a character who's emotions are dependent on the environment?
Camus uses the emotions of Meursault, which are based on the condition of the environment, to highlight how irrelevant and changeable we really are. There is no reason to them, they simply change according to how we feel.
Isobel
4) How does the culture impact the book?
Camus uses the setting of the novel, Algiers, to comment on the Algerian struggle for independence against the French. When Raymond is simply let go after beating his girlfriend, Camus is criticizing the French government for their harsh and uncaring treatment of the Algerians.
Matt
3. In what ways does Albert Camus relate the life of Mersault to that of Sisyphus in his essay? Does this have significance for a theme?
Camus uses the structure of the novel to relate Meursault's life to that of Sisyphus. In the first part of the book, Meursault is living amongst ordinary people and enjoying the comforts of nature and freedom. However, once he conflicts with death and kills a man, he is punished and sent to jail, possibly a symbol of the underworld or the land of the dead. This is an example of Camus' absurdist beliefs.
- Why does Camus suddenly stop using a large amount of imagery in the second part of the novel? For example, he stops describing colors, and nature, etc. Is there something larger here?
- Is there a historical aspect to the novel in the French/Algerian conflict of the '50s? If so, is it only in the conflict scenes between the French men and the Arabs, or is it throughout the novel?
- Why does Camus end the novel with the sentence about the crowd greeting Meursault with cries of hate? The last few pages are insightful towards Camus' absurdist beliefs, but how does this tie in?
- Throughout the novel there is a significant amount of images of the earthly elements and nature. Does this have any major bearing on some theme of the novel? Could it be related somewhat to the existentialist beliefs?
- Is Camus trying to comment on love, or the internal conflict of love, at any point in the novel? We know about Meursault's possible love of his mother, or even of Marie, but is that true love?
- What does Salamanu and his dog symbolize, and how does it tie into some larger aspect of the novel?
Montana #5
Camus 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.
Tate 2)
Camus uses the symbolism of smoking and drinking to represent a break from the responsibilities of society. In contrast, time is used to snap Meursault into the real world. On page 52, Marie suddenly talks about time while he is drinking, and he then must go for a walk, just to please the other men.
Tanner
Why does Albert Camus create a character who's emotions are dependent on the environment?
Camus uses the emotions of Meursault, which are based on the condition of the environment, to highlight how irrelevant and changeable we really are. There is no reason to them, they simply change according to how we feel.
Isobel
4) How does the culture impact the book?
Camus uses the setting of the novel, Algiers, to comment on the Algerian struggle for independence against the French. When Raymond is simply let go after beating his girlfriend, Camus is criticizing the French government for their harsh and uncaring treatment of the Algerians.
Matt
3. In what ways does Albert Camus relate the life of Mersault to that of Sisyphus in his essay? Does this have significance for a theme?
Camus uses the structure of the novel to relate Meursault's life to that of Sisyphus. In the first part of the book, Meursault is living amongst ordinary people and enjoying the comforts of nature and freedom. However, once he conflicts with death and kills a man, he is punished and sent to jail, possibly a symbol of the underworld or the land of the dead. This is an example of Camus' absurdist beliefs.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Journal #15
Why would Camus make the novel into two parts? Compare the two, and see what is similar.
Camus probably created the separation of the novel to compare the life of a free man, and the life of a condemned man. Similar to the myth of Sisyphus, Merseult is first free to do what he wants, living among the mortals and enjoying things like the sun, the ocean, and human company. Once he kills a man, however, he is in direct contempt of the higher forces (in this case the judicial system) and becomes condemned to live in his own personal Underworld (jail). The parallels between the myth and the novel are amazing, and they become readily apparent once you view Merseult's life first as a free man, and then as a man unable to escape his cruel fate.
One similarity between the two parts is that they both begin with a scene including a man and his mother. In part one, Merseult realizes that "Maman died today"(Camus 1). Then in part 2, we see a man simply staring at his mother in the prison cell, "He was across from the little old lady and that they were staring intently at each other" (Camus 75). Camus probably created the parallel between the two in order to make the reader aware that if Merseult's mother was still alive, she would have been there for him, and they probably would have been having a similar experience. Instead, Merseult is left with Marie, whom he doesn't truly care for, and is left alone without a real emotional connection to the outside world. Both of the quotes show how there are direct similarities between the two sections of the novel, and that they mirror each other slightly.
Another connection is that both parts end with death, or the premise of death. In part 1, Merseult murders the Arab on the beach, and in part 2, Merseult himself is sentenced to death and is awaiting his execution. Camus probably created this parallel to show that death is inescapable. Merseult realizes that, "I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world" (Camus 122). This quote is showing how Merseult has no more hope, and is simply awaiting the death that will come to us all, regardless of our precautions or beliefs. He realizes that his death, along with the Arab he killed, is utterly unpredictable and unstoppable.
A third parallel between the two sections of the book is about religion. When the novel begins, we find out that Maman turned to religion in her final days. Camus says, "it seems your mother often expressed to her friends her desire for a religious burial...While not an atheist, Maman had never in her life given a thought to religion" (6). This quote makes little sense in the beginning, when we have no connection to the latter part of the novel when Meursault himself is confronted with the possibility of accepting God as a way to alleviate his worries about death. When asked by the chaplain about how he would handle "that terrifying ordeal," Meursault responds, "I didn't want anybody's help, and I just didn't have the time to interest myself in what didn't interest me" (Camus 117). This shows how Meursault, unlike his mother, will hold true to his beliefs even in the face of certain death, which is certainly admirable of anyone.
Camus probably created the separation of the novel to compare the life of a free man, and the life of a condemned man. Similar to the myth of Sisyphus, Merseult is first free to do what he wants, living among the mortals and enjoying things like the sun, the ocean, and human company. Once he kills a man, however, he is in direct contempt of the higher forces (in this case the judicial system) and becomes condemned to live in his own personal Underworld (jail). The parallels between the myth and the novel are amazing, and they become readily apparent once you view Merseult's life first as a free man, and then as a man unable to escape his cruel fate.
One similarity between the two parts is that they both begin with a scene including a man and his mother. In part one, Merseult realizes that "Maman died today"(Camus 1). Then in part 2, we see a man simply staring at his mother in the prison cell, "He was across from the little old lady and that they were staring intently at each other" (Camus 75). Camus probably created the parallel between the two in order to make the reader aware that if Merseult's mother was still alive, she would have been there for him, and they probably would have been having a similar experience. Instead, Merseult is left with Marie, whom he doesn't truly care for, and is left alone without a real emotional connection to the outside world. Both of the quotes show how there are direct similarities between the two sections of the novel, and that they mirror each other slightly.
Another connection is that both parts end with death, or the premise of death. In part 1, Merseult murders the Arab on the beach, and in part 2, Merseult himself is sentenced to death and is awaiting his execution. Camus probably created this parallel to show that death is inescapable. Merseult realizes that, "I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world" (Camus 122). This quote is showing how Merseult has no more hope, and is simply awaiting the death that will come to us all, regardless of our precautions or beliefs. He realizes that his death, along with the Arab he killed, is utterly unpredictable and unstoppable.
A third parallel between the two sections of the book is about religion. When the novel begins, we find out that Maman turned to religion in her final days. Camus says, "it seems your mother often expressed to her friends her desire for a religious burial...While not an atheist, Maman had never in her life given a thought to religion" (6). This quote makes little sense in the beginning, when we have no connection to the latter part of the novel when Meursault himself is confronted with the possibility of accepting God as a way to alleviate his worries about death. When asked by the chaplain about how he would handle "that terrifying ordeal," Meursault responds, "I didn't want anybody's help, and I just didn't have the time to interest myself in what didn't interest me" (Camus 117). This shows how Meursault, unlike his mother, will hold true to his beliefs even in the face of certain death, which is certainly admirable of anyone.
Journal #14
Questions from Chapter 6:
- What is the significance of the passage, "they didn't check my statement"(Camus 48)? I believe Merseult has some issues with this fact.
- Why does Camus focus on setting on page 49? what is the purpose of contrasting very descriptive language of the earth, compared to very dull language about humans?
- Why does Camus suddenly make Marie talk about time? Does he use it to bring Merseult out of his enjoyment of life through smoking and drinking?
- Why do the Frenchmen attack the Arabs first? It was hardly provoked, and they could probably have walked away. Does this have something to do with the historical conflict between the French and Algerians?
- Merseult uses the frase, "It would be pretty lousy" to describe killing. Why does he have so little feeling on the subject, and why does he not use a more active tone?
- Why does Camus make the reader feel like nature is against Merseult on the beach? It seems to be a problem for him that the sun is so bright, and other natural things make him kill the man. Is this seen in other places in the book?
Monday, March 7, 2011
Journal #13
Scientific Obscurism
1. There will always be things that humans cannot understand. For example, questions like "what came before the universe?" will always be left unanswered, because our brains simply cannot process the information. I think this belief came from simply thinking about abstract ideas and realizing that simply theorizing about them is impossible, because our brains cannot process some of the ideas. They are out of reach of our thought process. This is important because it means that humans are fallible, and we will always have problems because we can never figure everything out. we are doomed to have unanswered questions.
2. "God" exists in the above unknowable places. It is not a things, or a force, or anything. It does not interact with the world, and it did not create the world or the universe. It simply exists in that humans can never completely process all information, since it is too complex and out of our reach. We will always have questions about life and our place in the universe, and since some cannot be answered, God will exist within us. I think this came to me because religions are always trying to answer life's questions.
3. Humans have no soul. Mind and body are the same, and will never be separate. When we die, our bodies become part of the earth, which is then eaten and made into new bodies, so in a way, we reincarnate, simply through the process of matter. We have no soul because we cannot physically find it in our bodies. This came to me in psych, when I realized that physically it does not exist.
4. Humans' main concern is passing on their genetic legacy. Every motivation, everything we do is bent towards this goal, and we will sacrifice everything towards it. Even if there is no actual child created, simply the drive is what matters. It dictates human behavior, and always will. I realized this while reading a book about evolutionary psychology, and it basically had the same opinion as above.
5. Everything is ordered and has reason, but only in acceptance that nothing has reason. single cases may present strange or unknowable decisions, but when looking at overall population, we can easily find reason in the madness. It is all in the patterns, in the statistics. If we look simply at our own situations or someone else's situation, it can become meaningless. But whole populations have overall characteristics. I started thinking about this idea while watching a documentary about identifying human behavior through statistical analysis and economic theory. It held that only through the numbers could patters be identified.
6. There is a cause to everything. This is a direct copy from determinism, but I strongly believe in it. I think that anything can be traced back to a cause, and that nothing is done purely for no reason. This idea is extremely useful to scientists, in that it allows us to assume that there is cause and effect. Otherwise, it simply becomes random and there is no point in determining what caused something, because it could always change. I also picked this up during my years in science class and psychology, because it makes sense out of something that could be otherwise random.
7. A human being could be created using technology. This idea is similar to the idea that mind and brain are the same thing, but it gives a new spin to it. I think that given the appropriate amount of time, and tools, someone could construct a human brain out of artificial parts. This means that humans are simply extremely well-functioning machines, that could be copied. It means that the only thing that makes us human is the fact that nature does the job for us, and it has given us an amazing gift. However, it could be replicated. I thought about this idea while reading science fiction, and the feasibility of constructing a human brain. All you would need to do is map the neurons, and you could essentially create one.
1. There will always be things that humans cannot understand. For example, questions like "what came before the universe?" will always be left unanswered, because our brains simply cannot process the information. I think this belief came from simply thinking about abstract ideas and realizing that simply theorizing about them is impossible, because our brains cannot process some of the ideas. They are out of reach of our thought process. This is important because it means that humans are fallible, and we will always have problems because we can never figure everything out. we are doomed to have unanswered questions.
2. "God" exists in the above unknowable places. It is not a things, or a force, or anything. It does not interact with the world, and it did not create the world or the universe. It simply exists in that humans can never completely process all information, since it is too complex and out of our reach. We will always have questions about life and our place in the universe, and since some cannot be answered, God will exist within us. I think this came to me because religions are always trying to answer life's questions.
3. Humans have no soul. Mind and body are the same, and will never be separate. When we die, our bodies become part of the earth, which is then eaten and made into new bodies, so in a way, we reincarnate, simply through the process of matter. We have no soul because we cannot physically find it in our bodies. This came to me in psych, when I realized that physically it does not exist.
4. Humans' main concern is passing on their genetic legacy. Every motivation, everything we do is bent towards this goal, and we will sacrifice everything towards it. Even if there is no actual child created, simply the drive is what matters. It dictates human behavior, and always will. I realized this while reading a book about evolutionary psychology, and it basically had the same opinion as above.
5. Everything is ordered and has reason, but only in acceptance that nothing has reason. single cases may present strange or unknowable decisions, but when looking at overall population, we can easily find reason in the madness. It is all in the patterns, in the statistics. If we look simply at our own situations or someone else's situation, it can become meaningless. But whole populations have overall characteristics. I started thinking about this idea while watching a documentary about identifying human behavior through statistical analysis and economic theory. It held that only through the numbers could patters be identified.
6. There is a cause to everything. This is a direct copy from determinism, but I strongly believe in it. I think that anything can be traced back to a cause, and that nothing is done purely for no reason. This idea is extremely useful to scientists, in that it allows us to assume that there is cause and effect. Otherwise, it simply becomes random and there is no point in determining what caused something, because it could always change. I also picked this up during my years in science class and psychology, because it makes sense out of something that could be otherwise random.
7. A human being could be created using technology. This idea is similar to the idea that mind and brain are the same thing, but it gives a new spin to it. I think that given the appropriate amount of time, and tools, someone could construct a human brain out of artificial parts. This means that humans are simply extremely well-functioning machines, that could be copied. It means that the only thing that makes us human is the fact that nature does the job for us, and it has given us an amazing gift. However, it could be replicated. I thought about this idea while reading science fiction, and the feasibility of constructing a human brain. All you would need to do is map the neurons, and you could essentially create one.
Journal #12
I find Ward's version of the story to be more relevant to the themes, and also more unique. Ward creates very small sentences, while Gilbert uses semicolons and commas to make his version less fluid. On the first page, there are huge differences between the two translators simply in the words they choose, and the connotations that come along with them. For example, Gilbert says "Which leaves the matter doubtful; it cold have been yesterday"(Camus 1). This sentence makes it feel like Mersault is simply unsure, whereas in Ward's version, "That doesn't mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday" gives the feeling that he doesn't care or doesn't want to care. There are major differences in other parts of the novel, and most of them obviously stem from word choice and connotation and sentence structure. Overall, I prefer Ward's translation because I think it fits Mersault's character better. I feel like he doesn't want anything to mean anything, and he is trying to hide his emotions.
I think that the title of the book could have been The Outsider. This would have produced interesting changes in how the book is perceived, instead of Mersault simply being unknown, he would have been completely different. In the scene where he watches the streets of Algiers from his window, it feels almost as if he is not connected to the real world, but instead viewing it at a great distance. Camus says, "Then the street lamps came on all of a sudden and made the first stars appearing in the night sky grow dim. I felt my eyes getting tired from watching the street filled with so many people and lights." (Camus 24). This passage shows how he is very detached from the people on the street, just like an outsider would be curious of the goings-on in a city. He is watching the world, and not participating in it, just like someone unaccustomed to society would.
I think that the title of the book could have been The Outsider. This would have produced interesting changes in how the book is perceived, instead of Mersault simply being unknown, he would have been completely different. In the scene where he watches the streets of Algiers from his window, it feels almost as if he is not connected to the real world, but instead viewing it at a great distance. Camus says, "Then the street lamps came on all of a sudden and made the first stars appearing in the night sky grow dim. I felt my eyes getting tired from watching the street filled with so many people and lights." (Camus 24). This passage shows how he is very detached from the people on the street, just like an outsider would be curious of the goings-on in a city. He is watching the world, and not participating in it, just like someone unaccustomed to society would.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Journal #11
I think I will change my tabbing strategy from themes(which I marked in TEWWG) to motifs and other literary elements in The Stranger. I believe this will make my analysis more in-depth. The color scheme for tabbing is as follows:
green=the light in the novel. During different scenes there is a variation in the lighting, giving either harsh or soft light, and I think this has some importance
yellow=the colors shown during the novel. There are many uses of vivid colors to describe the sky and other earthly elements, like the blood-red ground buring maman in chapter 1. These may be related to the lighting above, but I'm interested in what significance they have, if any.
blue=people justifying themselves for others. I think this is related to the societal part of the novel, but it is more in-depth and could lead different places.
red=the use of numbers and dates and times to relate to Mersault's ability to comprehend his situation. This is a stretch, but I think it is promising, because Mersault seems very sure of numbers and dates that are dealing with work and transportation, etc., but does not know the age of his mother. On the first page, he is also unsure of which day his mother died.
green=the light in the novel. During different scenes there is a variation in the lighting, giving either harsh or soft light, and I think this has some importance
yellow=the colors shown during the novel. There are many uses of vivid colors to describe the sky and other earthly elements, like the blood-red ground buring maman in chapter 1. These may be related to the lighting above, but I'm interested in what significance they have, if any.
blue=people justifying themselves for others. I think this is related to the societal part of the novel, but it is more in-depth and could lead different places.
red=the use of numbers and dates and times to relate to Mersault's ability to comprehend his situation. This is a stretch, but I think it is promising, because Mersault seems very sure of numbers and dates that are dealing with work and transportation, etc., but does not know the age of his mother. On the first page, he is also unsure of which day his mother died.
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