Journal #15

Journal #15

I think that Camus made two parts to The Stranger because each part represents a completely different phase in Meursaults life. I think Camus does this to show that although Meursault’s life has taken a drastic turn that would make anyone breakdown, Meursault is still completely indifferent and quickly adapts to the major changes and continues living his life as if nothing had happened. I feel like this further cements a defining part of Meursaults personality and his irrational thoughts and actions.

An instance where part one and part two of The Stranger parallel each other are, towards the beginning of both parts, Meursault is put in a situation where he refuses to shoulder the blame. In part one, he has to leave work to be at his mother’s funeral and tells himself that it isn’t his fault for missing work when his boss yells at him. Similarly, in part two he kills the arab and while in the prosecuting process, he denies the blame as well, although indirectly, by “forgetting” that he is a criminal. The fact that he couldn’t believe he was a criminal or maybe even refused to believe it, shows that he doesn’t feel he is to blame for the death of the arab.

The second similarity I saw was simply the way that Meursault reacts to adversity. When his mom died and when he was put in prison, the style of the narration are not urgent of stressed, but rather nonchalant and give the reader a feeling that Meursault does not mind the predicament he is in. When his mom dies, he refuses to look at her body, doesn’t cry and seems overall emotionless about the loss. When he is put in jail, he seems to concentrate more on how he has adapted to not having cigarettes, rather then the fact that he is about to be put to death.