- How does Meursault's apathy about going to Paris fit in w/ your understanding of his personality? How about his "acceptance" of Marie's proposal of marriage? Or the fact that he is willing to testify that Raymond's girlfriend cheated on him though he really doesn't know?
- How do you connect these acts/attitudes w/ his killing of "the Arab"?
- Why does he kill the Arab?
- Why is it "not enough" that Meursault wished that his mother hadn't died (65)?
- Why does the Magistrate ask Meursault if he believes in God? What does that have to do w/ anything? Why does he call him "Monsieur Antichrist" (73)?
- Meursault finds a news clipping under his mattress (79-80). What does this news story have to do w/ his own crime, if anything?
- In prison, Meursault remembers what his mother's nurse said to him: "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." What significance does this quote serve?
Monday, March 28, 2016
The Stranger Part II
We've got some good definitions of alienation. Now let's apply it to the book. Is Meursault alienated? If so, alienated from what/whom? If not, how do you know? Also:
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Meursault killed the Arab guy because the Arab guy was after his friend Reymond. Meursault also kill the Arab guy because the Arab guy was pointing a trying to stab him
ReplyDeleteI also think he killed the Arab because they were after his friends and he was not felling secured and had to pulled the revolver trigger and killed the Arab.
DeleteWhen Mersault, Raymond, Masson and Marie faced the Arabs, the Arabs were the ones who first approached them beginning with the boldly staring. Since the Arabs slashed Raymond's arm and mouth, Mersault goes right ahead and pulls the trigger on the Arabs with Raymonds gun, against his will. Later, it does not seem as Mersault feels any type of remorse and faces the consequences by serving time in prison along with some Arabs from the murder sight.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely, from what i understand of the book it seems Meursault definitely knows right from wrong and he does seem to take control of his actions. Just like when he agreed to write the letter, he knew what he was doing yet he continued to do it simply because he doesn't care.
DeleteAfter the first altercation with the men,Meursalt came back to the spot where it happened. When he was approaching the area he saw the Arab guy, he went closer but the Arab guy drew his blade on Meursalt. Meursalt remembered that he had the gun in his pocket, he reached for the gun and gave the Arab guy a shot, Followed by four shots after.
ReplyDeleteI feel as if the four shots that were followed after were because of the irritation that he was experiencing from the heat. You can tell he was living in the moment because it didn't show that he wanted to avoid the situation and didn't care about the consequences.
DeleteMeursault killed Arab because he thought that Arab was going to attack him. He felt that there was a danger from Arab when he saw that the Arab,s hand was going in his pocket and took out a knife and pointed it to Meursault. Meursault though that he was going to attack him. Mersault shot once at the Arab but then he said that in rays of sunlight he wasn't able to think so he shot four more bullets into Arab.
ReplyDeleteIts true that he thought the Arab was going to attack him and thats one reason why he did it. But the other reason is because Raymond didn't want anyone to know that he had cheated on his girlfriend with the Arab Sister I believe.So it was a way to defend himself and at the same time help his friend cover up what he had going on.
DeleteMeursault killed the Arab because he felt annoyed. He was having a good day at the beach with Marie and Raymond and the Arabs started to annoy them trying to hurt Raymond. So he just shot him. The thing that surprised me was when he shot him once he went over and shot him a couple times more. The "Sun" apparently pushed him to shot but i believe he shot in self-defense.
ReplyDeleteI don't think as much as ruined the day because the Arab wasn't really doing anything to him until that point with the knife. It was senseless when he shot him four times. I agree the sun did not have a literal meaning but a metaphorical reason behind it. I think he related the feeling of when his mother died to when he killed the Arab because he does mention it at one point when the sun is beaming at him that it felt like when he buried his mother. I think killing the Arab does relate to his feelings about his mother and his own misery
DeleteThe News paper clipping significantly affects his emotional state of mind due to his experience being closely related to the news clipping. It reminded him of the obtuse nature that is very hard to tell the difference of behavioral extremes. He listens to his thoughts without confusion. To many being confused may be a blessing. It may be a blessing in disguise. It truly isn't confusion that alters Mersault's thinking. Understandably the reason for killing the Arab wasn't due to effecting his girl, it was due to feeling overwhelmed with emotions. If he gathered himself, or if you will, 'regrouped', he would have possibly been able to handle the situation a lot better. The main state of mind that he was in had a lot to do with the main point of the news clipping. That is being dead. The life being sucked out as if the almighty GOD came and ripped a tenth of the earth apart from the rest and through it into the sun. The subject of the matter is a very typical one. Obscure to the nature yet divine in all of its contrast. Coincidentally there is nothing more relative between exactness. You cut my finger and i read he cut this beings finger. He cut her finger or she cut his finger. Someones finger had been cut.
ReplyDeleteI really don't know why Meursault kills the Arab and I wonder if that's part of the problem of the book, that it's an action w/out meaning, that it's just something he does--like writing the letter for Raymond, or sitting w/ his chair backwards and watching the day or having sex w/ Marie--doing stuff b/c that's what humans do, do stuff. In many ways, Meursault is like a human w/out reflection. He does things, but he doesn't spend time reflecting on what he's done b/c he doesn't see that as worthwhile. He's an atheist, but by default, not b/c he's reasoned that there can't be a god, but more b/c he can't be troubled to imagine what a god might be like (most atheists are very opinionated about their belief system and have put a lot of thought into it). Many would say there's something "broken" about him--the chief prosecutor calls him "Monsieur Antichrist"
ReplyDeleteIts sad to see how people and his surrounding are all so meaningless to him .I agree that Merusault is a human who does not reflect and take into account the consequences of his actions but while reading the scene where he kills the Arab I think of the emotions he expresses. He thinks of his mothers death and the funeral, he thinks of this "door of unhappiness". Do you think that maybe these thoughts were what lead him to kill the Arab ?
DeleteWhy is it "not enough" that Meursault wished that his mother hadn't died (65)?
ReplyDeleteThat response i believe was a bit nonchalant, in that rather than showing acknowledging the death of his mother the way a "normal Person" would. It kinda like his words aren't matching his actions, showing him to be a heartless person.
The Arabs were after his friend. After that they were going after meursalt and they were trying to kill him. He was sort of scared and felt anger at the same time and then he shot the Arab.
ReplyDeletewhy do you think he was so angry that he shot him four more times even after when he was dead?
DeleteMeursault doesn't show any emotion towards anyone even his mother thats why hes willing to testify that Raymonds girlfriend cheated on him. I think he doesn't care about who hes hurting so he thinks its okay to just go along with it. Raymond and Meursault both agree that Meursaults mother was going to die anyways so he doesn't really care that she died. his life is the same with or without her. thats why he thinks its okay to shoot the arab man, He considers the Arab man unhappy so it makes it okay for him to shoot him.
ReplyDelete- Why do you think Meursault considers the man unhappy? And I don't feel that it's okay for meursault to not show any emotion but I do however feel he is this way because maybe hes used to that type of environment where no one shows that they care.
DeleteMeursault isn't really able to feel type of emotion towards the death of his mother or the love towards his girlfriend. In a way Meursault is alienated from his superego which give him is logical thinking and emotional thoughts. This places him in one of those mental states that now nothing is giving him joy. Almost one of those serial killer mental states. I think Meursault kills the Arab because he wanted to see if had any emotions when killing him. To see if anything in his mind would stop him from pulling the trigger.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with him being emotionally gone. Having no emotions is one thing. Showing it is another. I know that I think anything can turn somebody into a serial killer. Having the ability to confuse somebody rationally into thinking that they are someone they aren't will eventually catch up to both of them and impact the livers of new aged Pangaea. The moment i step into class i criticize everyone. I wonder if I'm thought about instantaneously as well. The light and contrasting dark to this are/is emotion(s).
DeleteI think the reason Meaursault killed the arab is he has some anger issues. he couldn't control his emotions and he shot the arab. Even when the arab died he went and shot four more times.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this. I think he was scared and he probably has some type of issues.
DeleteBefore incidents took place Meursault had gotten a gun from Raymond. When they were at the beach an Arab was creating trouble. Meursault gripped in the gun in his pocket as if he were cautious of the situation in front of him.The sun was irritating Meursault because it was an overpowering heat. The Arab had drew a knife at Meursault and Meursault ended up shooting the Arab 4 times. I feel as if Meursault had no certain reason to kill the Arab because it could of been avoided. The character that he is i believe he didn't care about the future of the situation.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, in that i see no clear reason why Meursault killed the guy,I also believe that his character seemed lackadaisical in nature and truly didn't care what the outcome would be.
DeleteI think the reason he shot and killed the arab is not that he wasn't aware of it. He knew what he was doing. I think he felt empowered that he had a gun. Also he has no emotions. We saw that when his mother died. He didn't react to his mother's death.
DeleteThough i agree with you i feel like Meursault did have reason to kill the Arab. Just minutes before he slashed his friend in the arm causing them to have to back up from the situation. When he saw him again they where both already cautious of each other but i think when his sweat dripped into his face he started to get nervous because he couldn't see and when he saw the light shine against the blade he automatically panicked and just shot the guy. I do think the shots following the first could have been avoided though.
DeleteAn altercation between Meursault, Raymond and Masson against the Arabs started while they where taking a walk on the beach.
ReplyDeleteRaymond said something to one of the Arabs which then resulted in a physical altercation. One of the Arabs got knocked out and Raymond got cut by the other Arab. Meursault ended up killing the Arab because the Arab felt threatened by him as he walked towards him and drew his knife again. At that point the Arab slashed his face and he remembered Raymond gave him his gun and just like that he shot him
I too, believe that Mersault might have felt threatened by the Arabs for assaulting Raymond. Maybe he killed the Arab because he did feel threatened or in self-defense? But then again, depicting Mersault throughout this novel already, he comes off as this emotionless, careless (Monsieur) Antichrist as the prosecutor said.
DeleteBefore incidents took place Meursault had gotten a gun from Raymond. When they were at the beach an Arab was creating trouble. Meursault gripped in the gun in his pocket as if he were cautious of the situation in front of him.The sun was irritating Meursault because it was an overpowering heat. The Arab had drew a knife at Meursault and Meursault ended up shooting the Arab 4 times. I feel as if Meursault had no certain reason to kill the Arab because it could of been avoided. The character that he is i believe he didn't care about the future of the situation.
ReplyDeletewhy he killed the Arab ?
ReplyDelete- I think Meursault killed the Arab to protect himself from whatever he thought in his mind was going happen. Meursault probably felt as if the Arab was going to kill him first because he had a knife in his pocket and it happened to be shinning in the sun and pointed in his direction. Meursault was always on defense when it came to Arabs especially when he seen them on the beach that day. He seem a little nervous and cautious about shooting the Arab but somehow knew he had to kill him first. And he didn't just shoot him once he shot him multiple times to make sure he was dead.
i agree, i feel like that is the reason he killed the man. it was to defend himself and also because hes psycho. he shot the man several times instead of just once. i think he enjoyed it because he says how he did it more than once. he could've just ran away if he thought the Arab man was going to attack him. i also think its weird that hes always bothered by light. he takes naps during the say and sunlight bothers him. he also gets annoyed easily, I think he didnt have a reason why he killed the man. he just did it because he wanted to.
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