This is the commentary on the book "The Outsider" written by Albert Camus. I decided to set up my commentary writing about: characters, theme, style, time & place and symbolism
This is the commentary on the book "The Outsider" written by Albert Camus. I decided to set up my commentary writing about: characters, theme, style, time & place and symbolism. The Outsider is a story about a man called Monsieur Meursault, who lives his life in total simplicity and simple enjoyment, but whom society eventually roots out, humiliates and crushes. He lives for the truth. The novel is divided into two parts. In part one his mother dies and he has to go to the funeral. He does not about his mother, so he does not mourn his mother at all. Next day he meets a woman called Marie, with whom he used to work with and they start dating. Meursault invites her out, they go to the cinema and afterwards they sleep together. Later Meursault helps his neighbour Raymond to write a letter to his girlfriend, which leads to the culmination of the book. Raymond and Meursault are now friends and they go to a party where they meet Raymond's girlfriend's brother and the Arab, a fight breaks out and the brother attacks Raymond. Meursault goes back to the beach and kills the Arab. Part two is about his trial for murder. The prosecutor is very cruel and Meursault is to be guillotined. At the end he argues with prison chaplain about God and religion. Finally, Meursault finds peace and he thinks perhaps after death his existence may be less absurd; he may be more closely aligned with the
A Comparison Between the Coping Mechanisms and Realisations Made While in Prison by Alba in House of the Spirits and Meursault in The Outsider
Barbara Schmidt IB1 Supervisor: Dr. Kerry Vincent Developed Piece A Comparison Between the Coping Mechanisms and Realisations Made While in Prison by Alba in House of the Spirits and Meursault in The Outsider Alba in The House of the Spirits and Meursault in The Outsider display several survival strategies that are contrasting, yet there are some undeniable similarities worth noting. They come to contrasting realisations on the ultimate meaning of life, as Alba takes the decision to fight at all costs to preserve her life, while Meursault makes the opposite choice in taking a despondent attitude towards life and a fatalistic one towards death. Another contrast is that Alba's life has a definite cyclical nature, whereas Meursault's follows a typically existentialist linear form. Also, Meursault's acceptance of his guilt and his inability to form emotional bonds with people contributes to his resignation towards life, whereas Alba's knowledge of her innocence and her compassion towards others fuels her fight for life and her optimism. But both characters experience, to some extent, an alteration in personality as a result of their incarceration. As well, both characters occupy their minds with listing things and writing on imaginary paper in order to escape the horror of their ordeals. Alba and Meursault both emerge from their incarceration with new realisations on
The Stranger by Albert Camus
The Stranger by Albert Camus is the story of Meursault, a young man living in Algiers, who receives a report of his mother Madame Meursault's funeral. He attends her funeral, but he does not display the normal signs of grief at the loss of his mother. He returns to his home and immediately begins an affair with Marie Cardona, a former co-worker. He strikes up an acquaintance with Raymond Sintes, a local gigolo and pimp. Meursault unintentionally becomes involved in a dispute between Raymond and Raymond's mistress and her brother, the Arab. The dispute ends with Meursault's murder of the Arab. Meursault is arrested and brought to trial. During the trial, it becomes clear that various members of the courtroom feel a need to explain the senseless, unmotivated killing. It refuses to convict him of the murder without giving a sensible explanation for him doing it.. Unfortunately, Meursault ends up being tried and sentenced to death more on the basis of his atheism and lack of emotional attachment to his mother than on the basis of anything connected to the murder. By the end of the trial, the court interprets his lack of emotional attachment to his mother as an explanation of the murder, and vice versa. Together, the two justify the prosecutor's definition of Meursault as a "monster." Meursault's predicament develops Camus's idea of the absurd. He
How Aschenbach and Meursault in Death in Venice and The Stranger respectively, are driven by mind initially then change to being driven by the heart as the result of a key event.
How Aschenbach and Meursault in Death in Venice and The Stranger respectively, are driven by mind initially then change to being driven by the heart as the result of a key event In both The Stranger and Death in Venice, the characters change as the book progresses. There is mainly one action that sparks this drastic change. In The Stranger, this action is the murder of Raymond's mistress' brother, and in Death in Venice this critical moment occurs when Aschenbach has the sudden urge to travel. Aschenbach and Meursault are both characters that move from one extreme to the other. They begin as characters who make decisions based solely on what their mind tells them. As the novel develops, these characters move to the other extreme, which is making decisions based solely on what their heart tells them. This transition from extreme logical thinking to extreme emotional thinking is what leads to the downfall of both Aschenbach and Meursault. As the novel begins, Thomas Mann introduces Aschenbach as a fairly likable German writer. Initially the reader sees Aschenbach as a normal character anyone can relate to. He lives a very stable life, and has never traveled before. Aschenbach is a character who is extremely involved in his work and one who organizes his entire life based on how he can best achieve quality in his work. At this point in the novel Aschenbach makes all
In the first half of Albert Camus' "The Outsider," was Meursault rebelling against the pressures of normal society, or was he passively accepting events as they occur?
In the first half of the book was Meursault rebelling against the pressures of normal society, or was he passively accepting events as they occur? Society as a whole enforces its ideas and values upon all individuals, but particularly those who differ from the "norm". Meursault, the narrator and main character in Albert Camus' 'The Outsider' does not think much about events or their consequences, nor does he express much feeling in the relationship or during emotional times. He displays impassiveness throughout the book in his reactions to the people and events described in the book. After his mother's death he sheds no tears, nor shows any emotions. He displays limiting feelings toward his partner, Marie, and shows no remorse at all for killing an Arab. His reactions to life and to people distance him from his emotions, positive or negative, and from intimate relationships with others. Meursault's passive nature is a manifestation of the perception that nothing matters to him. He leaves everything down to chance. He does not take the initiative in determining his behaviour but rather, he waits for objects or people to trigger his actions. His passive nature can also be seen when, after returning home from work, Raymond invites Meursault for wine and pudding. Meursault was about to cook dinner for himself, but Raymond's invitation has changed his behaviour. He accepts the
Alternate Trial Verdict: Society's Hostility, Irrationality, and Fathomlessness in Albert Camus's The Stranger
Alternate Trial Verdict: Society's Hostility, Irrationality, and Fathomlessness in Albert Camus's The Stranger Statement of Intent Albert Camus's The Stranger presents an Existentialist point of view of life through its protagonist, Meursault. From the start, his indifference towards life is established via his reaction to the news of his mother's death. While visiting the retirement home, it is made apparent that his physical condition overpowers his emotional state. Later, in jail, he explains to his lawyer that his "physical needs often got in the way of [his] feelings" (p. 65). This is clearly shown when he is at his mother's vigil, in which he is too weary to do much else except sit and eventually fall asleep. Not only that, but he never once feels or shows grief for his deceased mother. It is for this that society sentences him to death at the trial, not the fact that he has murdered an Arab. I shall write a pastiche that takes place during the defending lawyer's speech, revealing how Meursault's sentencing could have differed. This allows me to explore Meursault's character and style and some of the central themes in the novel. Since The Stranger is written from Meursault's perspective, this pastiche will imitate his generally indifferent style and, as a result, grants me the opportunity to explore his language. His vocabulary is reminiscent of the vocabulary used in
Je Suis Absurde, Tu Es Absurde, Nous Sommes une Famille Heureuse - L’étranger
Je Suis Absurde, Tu Es Absurde, Nous Sommes une Famille Heureuse In L'étranger, Albert Camus anticipates an active reader that will react to his text. He wants the reader to form a changing, dynamic opinion of Meursault. The reader can create a consciousness for Meursault from the facts that Meursault reports. By using vague and ambiguous language, Camus stimulates the reader to explore all possibilities of meaning. Camus also intends to shock the reader into rereading passages. Through discussion of narrative structure, the opening lines, the role of pity, resentment toward Meursault's judges, and the relationship between murder and innocence, I will prove that Camus' purpose is to bring the reader to introspect on their own relationship with society. Through narrative structure, Camus invites the reader to create and become the consciousness of Meursault. Utah Sate University Professor David Anderson notices that "Meursault takes the stance of simply reporting these impressions, without attempting to create a coherent story from them." Indeed, in Part One, what Meursault reports are exclusively facts. Micheline Tisson-Braun comments that Meursault "registers facts, but not their meanings; ... is purely instantaneous; he lacks the principle of unity and continuity that characterizes man" (49). Through generalization, the reader links the details
Explore how the writers use the technique of defamiliarisation to reveal hidden truths about human conditions. Camus and Kafka use literature as a vehicle for revealing uncomfortable and normally hidden truths
Explore how the writers use the technique of defamiliarisation to reveal hidden truths about human conditions. Camus and Kafka use literature as a vehicle for revealing uncomfortable and normally hidden truths about the human conditions and the state of man. Arguably the most significant technique they employ is the use of defamiliarsation. Certain truths are often hidden or disguised because certain 'dark' cause uncomfortable feelings or what is thought to be unconventional, often does not conform to social norms. Naturally, all individuals can form their own code of ethics but society creates a set of supposedly 'objective' truths and does not allow subjective truths to surface. In The Outsider, Camus creates Meursault, a character who is shockingly blunt through his lack of 'artificial' social masks. The apparent callousness of Meursault's reaction to his mother's funeral is shocking to the reader, "She (a funeral attendant) was crying regularly... I thought that she would never stop"1 Meursault does not once grieve for his mother's death even though society expects him to and his annoyance towards the woman is thought to be extremely 'unacceptable'. However through defamiarising Meursault's behavior at the funeral we are given insights into the absurdity of the whole ceremony of death. To Meursault, death is the end and the weeping is a social artiface rather than a
The Portrayal of Society in The Sound of Waves and The Outsider
World Literature Paper One The Portrayal of Society in The Sound of Waves and The Outsider Miyuru Fernando June 16, 2002 Word Count: 1,230 The Portrayal of Society in The Sound of Waves and The Outsider Society often plays a major role in many novels, and can be portrayed in a variety of ways. In The Sound of Waves and The Outsider, two opposing views on society are displayed. These books show how one person's moral actions can be regarded as highly acceptable by society, while another person's still moral actions can result in rejection and loathing. In The Sound of Waves, Mishima illustrates the norm: society is acceptant of moral individuals. Using Shinji as an example, it is apparent that Shinji has been accepted by society when he earns the right to marry Hatsue, thanks to his show of honour, purity, and courage. Compared to the other young men, Shinji is an exceptional fisherman. At the plot's climax, Shinji's morality becomes glaringly apparent since it is to be blamed for his right to marry Hatsue. Over the course of the plot, Shinji always displays the utmost honour, always deserving of what he earns. Shinji works hard on the fishing boat, and pays his respect for the lighthouse keeper by dropping by with fish every now and then. He earns a decent living, and nothing more. Another example of his honour would be when he lies to Yasuo about not having a
The role of judgement in The OutsiderThe actions of Meursault, the protagonist in The Outsider by Albert Camus, are characterized by irrationality. For example, there is no clear logical
The role of judgement in The Outsider Pascal Geldsetzer English A1 Standard Level, Part 1 Laurie Tomin March 21st, 2005 The role of judgement in The Outsider The actions of Meursault, the protagonist in The Outsider by Albert Camus, are characterized by irrationality. For example, there is no clear logical reason for his decision to marry Marie or to kill the Arab. "That evening, Marie came round for me and asked me if I wanted to marry her. I said I didn't mind and we could do if she wanted to" (Camus 44). However, the idea that things sometimes happen for no reason is disturbing and threatening to society, because, as a logical conclusion from that, individual existence could have happened for no reason and would therefore be purposeless. Hence, society always attempts to find logical reasons for everything. In this novel, society superimposes its rational nature upon Meursault's irrational character, which has the consequence of society making judgements upon Meursault that are false, because the judgements do not agree with his irrational personality. The prosecutor's speech and the meetings between the magistrate and Meursault will be used as examples to show this. Before getting into them, it must be explained that the prosecutor and the magistrate both symbolize society, since they are part of the court, which stands for society as a whole. The idea of a court