1. Stranger Notes
Rapert/AP Lit

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

3. “It happens that the stage sets collapse
“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 rhythm—this 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)

4. Albert Camus 1913-1960 French Working class Journalist
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

5. 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

6. Stylistic change-be able to explain why
First third: cold, simplistic, detached
Final third: lyrical, freer, longer sentences, more detailed

7. Initial Open Discussion
Analyze:
Reader’s reaction and requirements placed upon the reader
Setting
Characterization
Conflict
Style
Irony
Symbolism

8. Ch. 1 Maman-mommy? Word choice important
Death really doesn’t 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

9. Ch. 1- 2
Funeral-stumbling march (Perez-pitiable, no one has mercy for him)
*Should we condemn Mersault for his reaction? Why?
M”s 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

10. Ch. 3
Boss (society)-maman old-death okay (society’s irrational quality)
Salamano & Dog
“He was with his dog” man = dog
Dog-mange, old/Sal-mange, old
Hate each other/need each other
M-”Who’s to say”/Celeste upset by abuse
Why doesn’t dog run away? -accepts position/aware of no other
Consider: to dog ~ man=God then man =dog in relation to God
Raymond-Sadist but has morals…
Womanizer/disliked/cruel
R=passion/fury vs M-passive
Woman-beats-M writes letter/apathetic toward friendship
M SHOWS NO MORAL JUDGEMENT IN EITHER SITUATION-do you judge him???

11. Ch. 4
Marie- love? “don’t think so”-he can’t lie. Love too abstract, has no meaning for M
Juxtaposition: Raymond vs mistress
M doesn’t 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)

12. Ch 5 Work-imprisoning and meaningless
Offered transfer to Paris-apathetic/recollection of ambition (but what difference?)
Marie’s marriage- “if it pleases you”
Robot woman at café-M fixated by her. Is she a symbol? Ritual, detail, routine…what is this?
Beach trip-Arabs following (revenge?)

13. Ch. 6 Sunday-Seaside Climax Marie happy/M bitter “like a mourner”
“Under the weather”/sun “smashing him down…like a clinched fist” (irony-M loves sun)
Sea-black / Marie beheads the flowers/ garish scenery-harsh and extreme/suffocating heat

14. 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

15. 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/doesn’t 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 inhuman…sentence decapitation
Society becomes indifferent to him
Note: readers often condemn, judge, dislike M, as society in the book does

16. 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.

17. 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?

18. Ch 3 (pt 2) Trial Sun brilliant
Note next trial on docket-parricide-which is what M is judged on
Camus’ critique of society’s hypocrisy-more concern over M’s 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 judge’s 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

19. 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 M’s 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)

20. Ch 5 Pt 2
Hears buzzing…his own voice finally (absent incessant drone of society)
Chaplain-desperate attempt to save M-pray for him…why????
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.

21. Chap. 5 contd.
M considers he could have lived his life differently with a different outcome…emphasizing the belief that we are the determiners of our own life’s 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.

22. 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.

23. Themes
Apart from one’s 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 one’s individual perceptions.
Now, come up with your own…..

24. 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?