English
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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
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