Questions:
1. How does the sun symbolize Mersault's feeling and how is this effective?
2. Is Mersault's character truely that detached from emotion? How so?
3. How does Mersault's personality and world view change thoughout the book? Why do you think Camus wrote it this way?
4. Mersault has many different types of relationships, a family clossness to his mother, a friendship with Raymond and a physical relationship with Marie. However, how are all of these relationships held is such little emotion and feeling is shown?
5. Are the relationships between Mersault and his mother similar to the one of Salamano and his dog? If so, how?
6. Could Mersault be seen as a threat in the courtyard because he is so emotionally detached? Why is this?
My Comments:
- InTanner's blog: I think that by creating a character with a lack of motivation Camus revelas the choices one has to make in their life and that they have to choose in order to continue living in the future.
- In Tate's blog: In question number 4 Camus refers to the strange men as "Arabs instead of using their own names. I belueve he does this because of two reasons. I believe firstly that we have no imformation about the other men and second that it creats a distance towards those characters.
- In Ivan's blog: In question two it is explained that Mersault's description of philosophy changes from part one to part two. I believe that it is based on the fact that in part one Mersault is relatively free to do and believe in whatever it is that he wants. This is contrary to part two when he is in jail and the court and society is surrounding him telling him what to do and what to believe in.
-In Matt's blog: To answer question one, the sun is related to Mersault's mood almost exactly. When Mersault is happy and with Marie, Camus descirbes the sun as positive and light. However, when Mersault is faced with conflict, for example before he shoots the Arab, he describes the sun pounding down on his head giving a more exagerated emphasis to his feeling of pain.
- In Anthony's blog: I 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.
#2: Camus grants his character, Meursault, the one emotion of happiness because is the source of motivation, even though he has very little. Happiness propels a person towards their goals and desires.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Question 3:
ReplyDeleteI don't think Meursault's personality or world view "changes" throughout the course of the novel, but rather that he comes to a realization about who he is and what he believes. Throughout the novel, especially while he is in prision, Meursault experiences moments of epiphany about himself, but he never changes his behavior/beliefs. Camus does this in order to give the reader a deeper understanding of Meursault and also to establish his uniqueness in society.
#1, Camus uses the sun to represent a pressured feeling, whereas, the more intense the qualities of the sun, the more pressure Mersault feels.
ReplyDelete3) I believe Camus wrote the book with a change in Mersaults personality throughout parts one and two in order to express his belief that human behaviour is affected by traumatizing events.
ReplyDelete