The Stranger Thesis

Camus uses dialogue sporadically throughout The Stranger to show Meursalt's indecision, personal philosophies, and discernment between his personal feelings and how society will judge his feelings, philosophies, and indecision as well as use them against him if it personally benefits the community.

Journal #18: Personal Response and Literary Value

I personally liked The Stranger. I liked how Camus involved an interesting and authentic approach to philosophy and his views on the human experience. I really like this book as one we study in class because it really only has so much meaning which makes it a little less challenging. Although, I do believe that it has a genuine and legitimate spot among the titans of IB English. Camus is brilliant in his syntax and all of his literary elements which makes it a superb piece of literature.

Journal #17: Topic, Quotes, and Thesis

Topic: Erratic use of dialogue
Quotes:

1. "I even said, 'It's not my fault'" (Camus 3).
2. "I said, 'Yes,' just so I wouldn't have to say anything else'" (Camus 4).
3. "'Madame Meursalt came to us three years ago. You were her sole support.' I thought he was criticizing me for something and I started to explain. But he cut he off. 'You don't have to justify yourself, my dear boy'" (Camus 4).
4. "The director spoke to me again. But I wasn't really listening anymore. Then he said, 'I suppose you'd like to see your mother'" (Camus 5).
5. "He looked at me and then asked, 'Why not?' but without criticizing, as if he just wanted to know. I said, 'I don't know'" (Camus 6).
6. " I said to the caretaker, 'Have you been here long?' Right away he answered, 'Five years'---as if he'd been waiting all along for me to ask" (Camus 7).
7. "After that he did a lot of talking. He would have been very surprised if anyone had told him he would end up caretaker at the Marengo home. He was sixty-four and came from Paris. At that point I interrupted him. 'Oh, you're not from around here?'" (Camus 7).
8. "After a long pause he explained, without looking at me, 'She was very close to your mother'" (Camus 11).
9. "'Before I do, would you like to see your mother one last time?' I said no" (Camus 13).
10. "'It's more humane that way,' he remarked" (Camus 13).
11. "'Here's the priest from Marengo already. He's early.' He warned me that it would take at least three-quarters of an hour to walk to the church, which is in the village itself" (Camus 14).
12. " As we approached, the priest straightened up. He called me 'my son' and said a few words to me" (Camus 14).
13. I turned a little in his direction and was looking at him when the director started talking to me about him. He told me that my mother and Monsieur Perez often used to walk down to the village together in the evenings, accompanied by a nurse" (Camus 15).
14. The man from the undertaker's said something to me then which I missed[...] I said, 'What?' He pointed up at the sky and repeated, 'Pretty hot.' I said, 'Yes'" (Camus 16).
15. "Except for one thing: as we entered the village, the nurse spoke to me. She had a remarkable voice which didn't go with her face at all, a melodious, quavering voice. She said, 'If you go slowly, you risk getting sunstroke. But if you go too fast, you work up a sweat and then catch a chill inside the church'" (Camus 17).

Dialogue is used at random in this novel. It seems that some dialogue is used to create an emphasis of how Camus is trying to depict Meursalt. Other times dialogue is used to portray Meursalt in a certain way.
Thesis: Camus uses dialogue sporadically to expose and/or emphasize certain qualities of Meursalt such as his indecision and personal philosophies.

Journal #16: 5 Questions

1. Are the opinions of the flat characters portrayed  in the court sequences that of bitterness because of Meursalt's personal philosophy and if so, how does Camus portray those opinions effect the plot?
2. Why does Camus's interpretation of Meursalt's philosophy change from part one to part two?
3. Why does Camus's narration suddenly portray Meursalt with more emotion in the court?
4. What is the effect of having dialogue interspersed within the paragraphs rather than begin new paragraphs?
5. What is the connection between the setting and the actions of the characters placed in the novel by Camus?

Journal #15: Parallels between Part One and Part Two of the Stranger

First off, I think that Camus splits the book into two parts because of the significant scene in the end of part one. Camus wants used to make a distinction between these similar, yet different parts.

Other parallels between Parts One and Two in The Stranger include, but are not limited to:

• Both parts are approximately 59-60 pages long, most likely depending on which edition of the book you have
• It seems like the language is slightly more protracted in part two than in part one for a specific reason, possibly to show that Meursalt has changed from one part to the next
• Even after committing a murder, it seems Meursalt disregards certain parts of life that most people would not
• Meursalt is self-centered and ignorant to people around him
• Death is a big motif in both

Journal #14: 6 Questions

1. Why does Meursalt have a bi-polar attitude towards the sun? It seems like he goes back and forth praising the sun and it's qualities and then slandering it soon after.
2. Why are the Arabs so obscure and not described really at all when you would think as the reader that they would be described in detail because they are important?
3. Why does the syntax vary so much throughout chapter 6?
4. What is the value in including the romantic beach scenes?
5. What is the meaning of the phrase "funeral face"?
6. Does Meursalt show more emotion in this chapter than he has through out the whole book because it is a really important part?

Journal #13: My World Philosophy

Betterism:

 Defines who I am as a person because I want to be the best I can be at everything I do. I believe everyone has a ceiling of potential, but few of us ever get off the ground. There is a heavy influence from Christianity because I am Christian but all religions are accepted.

• Always try as hard as you can because that's your best and that is good enough.
• Strive to be better by defying odds and ignoring the pessimistic things in life.
• Regardless of your racial, religious or cultural background, you can be the best.
• Raise your expectations of those around you so they also have a chance to be the best they can be.
• Get everything you can out of a certain experience, good or bad and turn it all into good.
• If you believe in God, then strive to serve Him to the best of your ability.
• Seek the best you can be, and in that you will find pleasure.
• Test yourself constantly to reach the zenith of your success.
• Repetition can lead to perfection.                                                                                    

 If everyone was the best they could be then there would be no conflicts, no poverty, no crime, nothing but happiness and peace. Raising people's mentality is the quickest way to improve them as a person. When I imagine a better world, I imagine everyone being successful.

Journal #12: Title and Translation

Part 1: I believe that Ward's version was better. I think that he stayed closer to the actual story and made Meursalt how he was originally supposed to act in the eyes of Camus. Both Gilbert's and Ward's versions have different ways of being the short, choppy, concise sentences that are present in the book. I believe Ward does a better job portraying the short, choppy sentences and Meaursalt's thoughts and feelings.

Part 2: Even though The Stranger sounds the best and fits the best in my opinion I'm gonna take a shot at saying that irrelevant would fit even better. I think that when Meursalt is explaining things such as the setting, it is really irrelevant and random. "The sky was already filled with light. The sun was beginning to bear down on the earth and it was getting hotter by the minute" (Hurston 15). Meursalt thinks that some things are irrelevant that shouldn't be as well. Like when his mom died and how he couldn't remember how old she was. I think that is quite odd how he spends so much time thinking about little things and very little time on more important things. It highlights what he puts value in and makes him seem quite maladjusted.