Journal #16: 5 Questions
1.) Why do you guys think Camus uses the weather, such as the sun, or sunlight, or the heat from the sun frequently? I feel like it has some significance because it is used so often.
2.) Do you think Meursault is really an indifferent, irrational and thoughtless person? A lot of people said that during one of our discussions and Wecker said that maybe we weren’t giving him enough credit and maybe there was more to him then what was on the surface.
3.) If we have to look somewhere other existentialism or absurdism, how else can Meursaults indulgent and seemingly pointless lifestyle be interpreted?
4.) What could Camus be trying to do by making Marie so foolish and naïve, or even including her in the story at all? She falls for Meursault even when it is clear that he has no romantic interest in her and only wants her for her body and the fact that she is there does nothing to contribute to the “life is pointless” theory.
5.) Throughout the story, Meursault seems to be embroiled in lots of drama; the old man that loses his dog, Raymond beating his mistress, the death of his mother. Could each of these situations be coming together to say something?
Journal #16: 5 Answers
Megan Davis:
#5 Is the idea of Meursault's forehead burning and his "veins pulsing" used to signify a change in him? Do they represent something else?
Camus uses the idea of Meursault's forehead burning and his "veins pulsing" to display how instinct and feeling plays a large role in his decision making process. He does things because he wants to and not because they make sense.
Matt Merckling:
#4 Why does Albert Camus use words that suggest a routine when describing the events in the book?
Camus uses words that suggest a routine to stress the reasons for why Meursault is indifferent about his life. The monotony of his life may be the reason that he believes there is no reason for existing.
Tania Predovic:
1)Does Camus start the novel off with Maman's death so that we gain perspective on who Mersault is? What view of Mersault is he trying to project?
Camus starts the novel off with Maman's death to introduce Meursault as an emotionless person. He uses Maman's death as a situation in which Meursault can express his true personality.
Tate Bankston:
2) Does the symbolism of the cigarette represent freedom from society?
(Also the motif of sleeping/tiredness)
Camus probably uses the cigarette as a symbol of Meursaults indulgence. One of the few things that Meursault does that shows that he is still human is enjoying the pleasurable things in life, such as the cigarettes.
Tanner Bean:
Is Camus trying to say something by Meursault's repititous life? if so, what?
Camus uses the repetitions and monotony in Meursaults life to express the fact that no matter what you do, the result will be the same and that trying to do anything different is futile.
Journal #16: 5 Answers
Megan Davis:
#5 Is the idea of Meursault's forehead burning and his "veins pulsing" used to signify a change in him? Do they represent something else?
Camus uses the idea of Meursault's forehead burning and his "veins pulsing" to display how instinct and feeling plays a large role in his decision making process. He does things because he wants to and not because they make sense.
Matt Merckling:
#4 Why does Albert Camus use words that suggest a routine when describing the events in the book?
Camus uses words that suggest a routine to stress the reasons for why Meursault is indifferent about his life. The monotony of his life may be the reason that he believes there is no reason for existing.
Tania Predovic:
1)Does Camus start the novel off with Maman's death so that we gain perspective on who Mersault is? What view of Mersault is he trying to project?
Camus starts the novel off with Maman's death to introduce Meursault as an emotionless person. He uses Maman's death as a situation in which Meursault can express his true personality.
Tate Bankston:
2) Does the symbolism of the cigarette represent freedom from society?
(Also the motif of sleeping/tiredness)
Camus probably uses the cigarette as a symbol of Meursaults indulgence. One of the few things that Meursault does that shows that he is still human is enjoying the pleasurable things in life, such as the cigarettes.
Tanner Bean:
Is Camus trying to say something by Meursault's repititous life? if so, what?
Camus uses the repetitions and monotony in Meursaults life to express the fact that no matter what you do, the result will be the same and that trying to do anything different is futile.
3. Camus shows that Meursault indulgence and pointless life style is due to the fact that Meursault cannot tell his emotions apart from one another and therefore he doesn't care about anything. He is incapable of distiguishing his emotions.
ReplyDelete2. Camus utilizes the indifference of the character, Meursault, in order to examine the "absurd." His priority of physical impulses ultimately free him from the symbolic imprisonment of society.
ReplyDeletePS - I think Wecker might have been right, although I think our interpretation of Meursault matches Camus' portrayal of him. I think she just didn't want us going into the book with a sort of prejudice against Meursault.
4. Marie does contribute to the "life is pointless" theory. Camus uses Marie as an example that work doesn't get one anywhere; even though she tries to get Meursault to marry her and love her, everything is futile and he doesn't care about her at all.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Marie is a contribution to the point that "life is pointless" in question 4. He does not seem to care about her or his serious relationship with her ( if they are married or not). This can be based on the philosophy of exestentialism and how everything the individual does is simply a choice.
ReplyDelete1) The conclusion that I am begining to come to is that the real focus is on the light that the sun provides and how it illuminates the things he either does or does not want to be seen (esp in regard to meaning). Note that it does not bother him when he thinks he is enjoying something and that at other times it makes him tired (the pressure shown through heat)
ReplyDelete2) To some extent I agree with Mrs. Wecker in that Meursault is not simply an irrational human being, although I do not go so far as to say that he is by any means 'normal'. In fact, I think he does a very good job in mirroring Camus in the sense of a similarly rational person who simply has a different perspective than everyone else. To us that appear irrational, from a literary standpoint, it's genius.
3) I think the answer lies in the middle. Even Camus pointed out that he was neither and Absurdist nor an Existentialist. He creates a netherworld where he critically analyzes all the different aspects of Existential theory and concludes in an Absurdist leaning viewpoint with key limitations that include still finding meaning.
5.) Throughout the story, Meursault seems to be embroiled in lots of drama; the old man that loses his dog, Raymond beating his mistress, the death of his mother. Could each of these situations be coming together to say something?
ReplyDeleteI believe that Camus uses this drama to build up to the trial. Have you every played Spore? It's kind of like that. Every action you make affects how events turn out later. Everything Meursault does affects him in the future. Salamano, Marie, Masson, Celeste, Raymond, Perez, the robot lady, they all show up to his trial. I think it shows how your actions have consequences and you must live up to them/accept them.
He is nice to Salamano and Raymond, but even that gets him in trouble. The prosecutor makes Raymond look like a monster and cross examines the heck out of Salamano, and both desperately want to help him but can't.
3)I think his lifestyle can be interpreted as a representation of Camus' beliefs. In order for this to be true, we must conclude that Camus believes in merely physical motivations in life.
ReplyDeleteMersault's pointless lifestyle could be seen as him just preoccupying himself from the world and just filling it with sex, alcohol and drugs. A distraction of what is really in front of him.
ReplyDelete