Stranger Notes

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Stranger Notes

• Rapert/AP Lit

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• Read this as
• 1. A study of mans reaction to death 3 types
• 2. A study of a philosophy of existence-mans
  place within the universe
• 3. A study of society and its demands,
  expectations, and hypocrisies.

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• It happens that the stage sets collapse. Rising,
  streetcar, four hours in the office or the
  factory, meal, streetcar, four hours of work,
  meal, sleep, and Monday Tuesday Wednesday
  Thursday Friday and Saturday according to the
  same rhythmthis path is easily followed most of
  the time. But one day the why arises and
  everything begins in that weariness tinged with
  amazement.
• (From The Myth of Sisyphus, by Camus)

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Albert Camus

• 1913-1960 French
• Lived in French occupied Algeria
• Working class
• Journalist
• Focused on French mistreatment of Arabs
• Joined French Resistance in WWII-underground
  paper
• 1957 NOBEL PRIZE for Literature
• Dies of TB at 47

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The Stranger 1942

• Originally in French
• He called it the American Style (writing)
• Short sentences
• Spare style
• Journalistic in both style and point of view
• What is NOT said is as important, if not more
  than what is

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Stylistic change-be able to explain why

• First third cold, simplistic, detached
• Final third lyrical, freer, longer sentences,
  more detailed

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Initial Open Discussion

• Analyze
• Readers reaction and requirements placed upon
  the reader
• Setting
• Characterization
• Conflict
• Style
• Irony
• Symbolism

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Ch. 1

• Maman-mommy? Word choice important
• Death really doesnt mean anything-to universe,
  society, or M vs societal expectation that it
  should
• Note ritual of mourning (work, funeral, vigil)
  death disguised from elderly patients, rushed
  funeral (decay), elderly referred to as
  they-objects, others
• Awkward at vigil-eyeless elderly, silent (his
  isolation)/irritated at grief
• Mouthless Arab nurse-she is a symbol of the other
• Light/Sun-glaring, harsh, beautiful (contrast to
  scene), relentless sun (decays), bears down,
  no way out
• night passed-life passes

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Ch. 1- 2

• Funeral-stumbling march (Perez-pitiable, no one
  has mercy for him)
• Should we condemn Mersault for his reaction?
  Why?
• Ms life CH 2 (contrast to death)
• Enjoyment of physical pleasure-sex, swimming,
  smoking, food, sleep---animalistic and easy
  (Marie is light-forgets Maman)
• Sunday-no schedule, OBSERVES SOCIETY note life
  goes on
• Apt. utilitarian

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Ch. 3

• Boss (society)-maman old-death okay (societys
  irrational quality)
• Salamano Dog
• He was with his dog man dog
• Dog-mange, old/Sal-mange, old
• Hate each other/need each other
• M-Whos to say/Celeste upset by abuse
• Why doesnt dog run away? -accepts position/aware
  of no other
• Consider to dog manGod then man dog in
  relation to God
• Raymond-Sadist but has morals
• Womanizer/disliked/cruel
• Rpassion/fury vs M-passive
• Woman-beats-M writes letter/apathetic toward
  friendship
• M SHOWS NO MORAL JUDGEMENT IN EITHER SITUATION-do
  you judge him???

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Ch. 4

• Marie- love? dont think so-he cant lie. Love
  too abstract, has no meaning for M
• Juxtaposition Raymond vs mistress
• M doesnt act/Marie upset
• Salamano loses dog
• Desperate and lost what is going to happen to
  me? w/o follower
• M thinks of maman and loses appetite (sign of
  emotion)

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Ch 5

• Work-imprisoning and meaningless
• Offered transfer to Paris-apathetic/recollection
  of ambition (but what difference?)
• Maries marriage- if it pleases you
• Robot woman at café-M fixated by her. Is she a
  symbol? Ritual, detail, routinewhat is this?
• Beach trip-Arabs following (revenge?)

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Ch. 6

• Sunday-Seaside Climax
• Marie happy/M bitter like a mourner
• Under the weather/sun smashing him downlike a
  clinched fist (irony-M loves sun)
• Sea-black / Marie beheads the flowers/ garish
  scenery-harsh and extreme/suffocating heat

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Murder

• Arabs-silent and following /conflict w/ R
• SUN IS SYMBOL OF SOCIETY-blinds him/makes him
  irrational
• Note-R asks should I kill and M says no
• Why does M return to beach? seeking cool
  stream/silence
• M has gun one might fire, one might not fire-all
  the same (58-60 read)
• Not really conscious of shooting-gun fires,
  (disassociates) but then he chooses to shoot
  other 4 shots
• Created his own undoing-no longer an
  innocent-finally acted

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Part 2-ch 1

• Plunged into societal norms -can no longer be an
  outsider-imprisoned
• Note stylistic change-less detached-fluid
• Note complete absurdity of trial/interrogation
• Faceless to cops
• Like a game (M cannot/doesnt know how to play)
• M is confused, bored, disassociates again
• Absence of a motive infuriates legal system/LACK
  OF REMORSE FOR EITHER MURDER OR GRIEF OVER MOTHER
  CEMENTS HIS DOOM judged inhumansentence
  decapitation
• Society becomes indifferent to him
• Note readers often condemn, judge, dislike M, as
  society in the book does

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Ch. 1 contd.

• In recounting the murder, one never is clear how
  aware M was, at that moment, of his actions.
  Camus leads reader into intentional ambiguity we
  can never understand another fully.
• Note, this is M analyzing his actions finally
  (growth). He accepts his actions, makes no
  excuse or defense. It is a fact.

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Ch 2 (pt 2)

• Adapts to imprisonment
• Tried to understand society, but incapable of it
• Victory over system-body trapped, mind free -uses
  memory to relive life (choice to adapt,
  understands maman)
• Freedom from HOPE (be able to explain what Camus
  means)-consider why hope may be bad?

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Ch 3 (pt 2)

• Trial
• Sun brilliant
• Note next trial on docket-parricide-which is what
  M is judged on
• Camus critique of societys hypocrisy-more
  concern over Ms lack of concern over mother than
  his murder of an other, the Arab
• M is an object of curiosity (note joviality
  -society loves to judge)
• Robot woman-condemnation (all of judges comments
  are ironic)
• All witnesses condemn him for not showing proper
  prescribed emotion
• M takes stand, but does not even attempt to play
  the game-if he had feigned guilt and remorse he
  may have had a chance

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Ch 4 pt 2

• Style-more and more complex
• M gains insight into self-is creating
  meaning-becoming his authentic self
• Indifferent to fate
• As M lives in the present, cannot regret
• SOCIETY CANNOT TOLERATE THE ABSENCE OF A
  SOUL(WHAT THEY DETERMINE TO BE A SOUL)
• Decapitation-society separates Ms head from his
  heart-making him literally faceless and inhuman
  (remember the Arab woman at the
  vigil-bandaged-missing face and silent Arab
  men---now M is an OTHER- faceless/silent)

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Ch 5 Pt 2

• Hears buzzinghis own voice finally (absent
  incessant drone of society)
• Chaplain-desperate attempt to save M-pray for
  himwhy????
• M angered---wants to be free from society, free
  from hope
• Embraces benign indifference of the universe.
• Symbol of sun and stars indifferent universe
  (neutral and eternal). Often plays role of
  society.

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Chap. 5 contd.

• M considers he could have lived his life
  differently with a different outcomeemphasizing
  the belief that we are the determiners of our own
  lifes course inasmuch as we can control (cannot
  control society, random universe or nature-we can
  control our choices, however).
• He is not a fatalist (all is up to fate and out
  of our hands-no free will). He owns the choice
  he made. Free will is all we have.
• Execution scheme of random poisoning mirrors
  randomness of life with no rationale behind it.
• Not a pure nihilist. He is for some time, but
  then at as he finds worth is this life, owns his
  choices, he appreciates simple existence for
  existence sake.

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Overall

• Inspection of 3 deaths-how man deals with the
  inevitable (maman/an Other/self)
• First half-Mersualt is an innocent-devoid of a
  spoken consciousness, an indifferent observer of
  the world. His life is SIMPLE. He enjoys the
  animalistic pleasures of the world sans analysis
• Second half-he has made a choice and is thus
  actualized, he understands his own consciousness
  and has accepted the indifference of the
  universe.
• We must choose how we react.
• Camus urges the readers to make a choice. This
  book is intended to spark reaction.

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Themes

• Apart from ones own conscious being, all else is
  Otherness, from which one is estranged.
• In an indifferent universe, imprisoned within our
  arbitrary and alienating human society, how can
  one find comfort except by accepting the
  meaninglessness of existence and ultimately
  defining truth for ourselves?
• Society and its norms blind ones individual
  perceptions.
• Now, come up with your own..

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Effectiveness?

• As literature is a wonderful vehicle for
  philosophy, how effective is Camus presentation
  of his philosophy couched within this narrative
  of Mersault?
• Did he make you think?
• Did you have a reaction?
• Did you fall into the role of society?
• Did you wrestle with M?