The lines 73-74 of the book “The Stranger” written by Albert Camus, it talks about Merusault indifference and his perception towards life. Through the successful use of syntax, imagery and tone, Albert Camus created an atmosphere of indifference while putting the reader in the protagonist’s shoes.
Syntax is a key literary device used throughout the book, especially in lines 73-74. All Merusault narration varies in a way that reflects his attitudes toward the world around him. When describing his social or emotional situations, his sentences are short, precise, and offer minimal detail. For example “Most of the Arab prisoners and their families had squatted down facing each other. They weren’t shouting.” In this scene, Marie visits Merusault in the jail and relatives or friends visit other jail mates. Merusault tells only the essentials of what he sees and rarely uses any literary devices. His focus of attention is not on Marie but rather on the environment and surroundings. These meager descriptions display Merusault indifference to society and to the people around him. Like the vigil that he attended earlier in the story, he doesn’t feel happy or sad when a person close to him passes away or visits during a time of dismay- he’s indifferent. Another example is “A little, thin-lipped old woman dressed in black and a fat, bareheaded woman who was talking at the top of her voice and making lots of gestures.” This is viewed from a different perspective where his longer descriptive sentences are about others rather than himself. Although he saw Marie, he described the commotion around him and even what the people were wearing rather than detailing commenting about the beauty of Marie or even the way she dressed. This further shows that Merusault attitude towards the world is by far stronger than his attitude towards the people close to him.
Imagery is perhaps the second key literary devices used in lines 73-74. By having Merusault narrate the story, it allows the reader to see and feel the way he feels. Furthermore, by describing what he see’s enhances our understanding about his character and how he perceives things. For example “To get to the visiting room I went down a long corridor, then down some stairs and, finally, another corridor. I walked into a very large room brightened by a huge bay window.” In this excerpt, Merusault was told that Marie was there to visit him. On his way down to the visitor’s room, we can see that he was busy observing the objects around him rather than reminiscing about his past with Marie. This reveals another aspect about his character; he accepts the world as it is because he knows that nothing is dynamic enough to change the world. Seeing Marie would not revert his to-be-execution or world it get him out of jail. Although we may see this a negative aspect of Merusault, it does in a way benefit him. He has proven that he doesn’t live a life of illusions but rather a life that is true to him.
Another literary device that is powerfully used in this passage is tone. Tone is used in this passage For example “My cell was quieter and darker. It took me a few seconds to adjust. But eventually I could see each face clearly, distinctly in the bright light. I noticed there was a guard sitting at the far end of the passage between the two grates.” The tone of Merusault in this excerpt is mellow, calm and relaxed. This is rather ironic because someone who has been spending much time with him was there to visit and yet his tone wasn’t joyful or anything. He should be exuberant that she’s here to visit him but his tone shows otherwise. This reveals more about his character and how he’s more or less emotionless.
In conclusion, through the use of syntax, imagery and tone, Albert Camus has successfully described the protagonist’s indifference towards the people and the world.
