Dominant Pressure

English IV

4 / 23 / 14

            Meursault mentions his thoughts about the indifference he feels about time, death and thoughts of other people, yet he is easily manipulated. "Hardly anyone listened [to Masson and Salamano when they] testified that [Meursault] was an honest man" in court (Camus 94). Masson and Salamano do not make that big of a difference in the court when defending Meursault. The majority of the crowd takes the position of most importance and concern in Meursault's mind because of this. Meursault yells to the chaplain "at the top of [his] lungs, and ... insulted him and told him not to waste his prayers on [Meursault]" (Camus 120). The pressure Meursault feels from other people exceeds his ability to control his thoughts and decide for himself. Toward the end he claims to have "opened [him] self to the gentle indifference of the world"  (Camus 122). Meursault's own opinion is present but not active. His last desire is that he wants "there to be a large crowd of spectators the day of [his] execution and that they greet [him] with cries of hate" (Camus 123). As a last thought before dying he is conquered by the pressure that has been put on him by the justice system and the majority of the people around him.

Bibliograhy: The Stranger by Albert Camus

Room For Change

English IV

4 / 16 / 14

            In The Stranger by Albert Camus, Mr. Meursault’s emotions and behavior are affected by the environment in which he is in. Meursault is a very honest character and is indifferent about what others think of his actions. At the beach, he initially claims that “the sun was overpowering. It shattered into little pieces on the sand and water.” (Camus 55). Meursault feels pressure from the sun and begins to feel uncomfortable. It is odd that in an environment where most people go to relax he feels as if he is being attacked by the environment. He goes on to compare the “sunlight” to “crashing” “cymbals” “on [his] forehead” and feels “as if the sky split open from one end to the other to rain down fire.” (Camus 59). This is an extreme and exaggerated interpretation of basic surroundings that are expected to be at the beach; pain is abundant in Meursault’s mind and it is created through his interpretations of the environment. As the heat intensifies Meursault's negative mood,he says that his body got tense and he "squeezed [his] hand around the revolver...[and] The trigger gave" (Camus 59). His action of shooting the gun is blamed on the heat and this makes Meursault look weak since he cannot accept that he causes his own actions. When Meursault is arrested and he gets interrogated he claims that "it all seemed like a game to [him]" (Camus 64). He seems like he lacks responsibility and as an adult, he seems relaxed as opposed to worried. In jail Meursault says that he "had lost the habit of analyzing [himself]" (Camus 65). As a sign of maturity, Meursault learns from his mistakes in prison. He realizes that he "couldn't get used to" the fact that he is a criminal (Camus 70). Since Meursault acts as an outcast of society, he is learning where he belongs and how he should change. Sadly, prison is the place that made him reflect on his wrong doings. Fortunately, his personality appears to have room for him to change and become a better man.

Bibliography:

The Stranger by Albert Camus

The Way of Expression

English IV

4 / 9 / 14

Focus: Style

            It is hard for Mr. Meursault to find his place in society. A big contribution to this aspect of his life is Meursault's lazy, and nonchalant personality. He starts off by saying his "Maman died" and he is not sure exactly when (Camus 3). In comparison to other humans, he could be considered a strange cold man. He talks in very short sentences. For example, he replies "Yes, sir." when speaking with a person who knows about his mother (Camus 5). He does not put in an effort to express himself with the intent to carry on a conversation through the use of short sentences. What he says does not reflect any characteristic of his feelings. He is very direct because he is indifferent about what people think of what he says.

Bibliography:

The Stranger by Albert Camus

Paragraph on Patterns you detect in Meursault in The Stranger

Write a paragraph on patterns in Camus

·         30-minute in-class writing (which you can revise at home and turn in next day)

1.       Paper copy or type and email to instructor

2.       By the end of the week, post to your blog

·         TEA Body paragraph style: 1) ASSERT (topic sentence makes a claim), 2) EVIDENCE (quote(s) or examples, 3) ANALYSIS (discuss and explain evidence, and 4) CLOSER (explain how your assertion explains the text and/or the narrator).

·         1^st: Focus on a topic or a pattern you’ve detected in the writing (and that interests you).

·         Choose one:

1.       How does the writing style match the narrator’s view of life? Analyze examples.

2.       How do Meursault’s physical needs take precedence over social or emotional needs? Analyze examples.

3.       How does Meursault relate to people (Marie, Maman, Salamando, or Raymond)? Analyze one or two examples.

4.       A different pattern that you detect in the text and Meursault.

·         Analyze your example(s).

·         Craft an assertion to open your body paragraph.

·         By the end of your paragraph, write a closing to your paragraph connects your assertion, evidence, and analysis to what we are learning about Meursault as a character.

·         Revise your paragraph for clarity, grammar, sentence structure, or meaning.

·         Email your paragraph to the instructor and post it on your blog.

STYLE: How does the writing style perfectly match Meursault’s point of view?  ‘I was tired.’ (12)

PHYSICAL: Find examples of how Meursault’s physical needs are more important than his emotional needs. Washing hands. (25) Heat and light bother him. Hunger (47) Smoking. Physical thrills/attraction.

SHOULD: Meursault wonders about social conventions and “shoulds.” Should he have viewed the body?

RELATES: How does Meursault relate to others?

HABITUATION: Repetition and routine gets you used to anything. (Salamano)

YOUR CHOICE: Find a pattern in the book and analyze examples of it