The Stranger Second Body

Meursault's complexity is furthermore conveyed through his change in attitude and thought towards his final days in prison. It is evident through Meursault's clearly expressed speech that he finally chooses to become more accepting of what he has done throughout his life, whether it be good or bad. Meursault is able to become so accepting of his punishment and the way that the world is that ultimately he exudes a much more philosophical tone throughout his prison sentence. This idea is most evidently portrayed through Meursault's analysis to the chaplain, "I had been right, I was still right, I was always right. I had lived my life one way and I could just as well have lived it another. I had done this and I hadn’t done that. I hadn’t done this thing but I had done another. And so? It was as if I had waited all this time for this moment and for the first light of this dawn to be vindicated. Nothing, nothing mattered, and I knew why" (127). Meursault illustrates an understanding of his life through his scene; he knows that he was detached from his mother, or that he killed the Arab, but ultimately to him it does not even matter. He will accept his punishment and whether he was executed today or lived until old age truly was irrelevant to him as he was going to die regardless. Mearsault's verbal fight with the chaplain thus reveals his overall complexity as he effectively analyzes his own life for himself without truly allowing other people's thoughts and words to wholly affect him. Mearsault becomes so entrenched in this philosophy towards the chaplain when he states, "What would it matter if he were accused of murder and then executed because he didn’t cry at his mother’s funeral? Salamano’s dog was worth just as much as his wife. The little robot woman was just as guilty as the Parisian woman Masson married, or as Marie, who had wanted me to marry her. What did it matter that Raymond was as much my friend as Céleste, who was worth a lot more than him? What did it matter that Marie now offered her lips to a new Meursault? Couldn’t he, couldn’t this condemned man see" (128). Ultimately to Mearsault every person among all the billions have the same fate, and whether he murders a woman, or a dog dies, none of truly means anything; and to Mearsault, the chaplain fails to see this realization. Thus, Mearsault chooses personally to not believe in God and reject the chaplain's prayers as it truly does not mean anything to him; Mearsault will be presented with the same fate either way. This philosophical realization that Mearsault makes regarding the fate of not only himself and the rest of humanity along with his ability to accept who he is and what he has done with his life clearly conveys his own complexity among a much simpler world.

The Stranger Essay First Body

The introduction of the novel essentially opens up with Meursault discovering that his mother has passed away in her home. However, even this soon in the novel we see that Meursault is conveyed as a much simpler, and in some ways a very detached character from the society and people that surround him. This detachment was explicitly noted when Mearsault firstly could not remember the day that his own mother passed away. Oddly though it probably would have been extremely easy for Mearsault to remember the day, but it seems like he was so detached from the situation that he did not feel the need to. Thus, while it may appear that Mearsault is simple in that regards, ultimately this portrays his complexity as it is so difficult to understand his actions. Mearsault's complexity is furthermore illustrated when he states, "Then I felt like having a smoke. But I hesitated, because I didn’t know if I could do it with Maman right there. I thought about it; it didn’t matter" (Camus 17). Although Meursault smoking a cigarette does not signify his complexity, the way he analyzes the situation in front of him and choosing to smoke clearly does. Although most people would not smoke next to their mother's grave, Meursault reveals his detachment by justifying that ultimately it did not matter whether he smoked or not because his mother had already passed away. Again in this scene it visually appears that Meursault is portraying his simple mindedness but he is actually revealing exactly why he is a complex character; ultimately as the story progresses, he is constantly having to justify most of his actions to himself, even if society may think it is strange or abnormal. In the conclusion of his mother's funeral scene, Mearsault was not only consistently distracted by the heat rather than mourning his mother, but he was also able to distract himself from the sadness by being with Marie the day following his mother's funeral. Consistently throughout this scene the reader is exposed to Meursault's questionable and somewhat confusing actions which can only be explained through his complex nature; Meursault is different in the way that he was not very saddened by his mother's passing, and thus can justify to himself making odd and perplexing actions.

The Stranger Essay Intro Paragraph

In The Stranger, Camus effectively illustrates Meursault through simplified language to make him appear much less complicated than he actually is. While from a narrator or exterior viewpoint Meursault exemplifies an uninterested and unaware person, ultimately Meursault's ability to analyze distinct situations and people around him convey his complicated nature. It appears that as Meursault's story progresses, ultimately he fails to even understand his own self and his actions; he is constantly analyzing everything around him that he can not even contemplate himself. Camus most effectively reveals Meursault as a complicated character through the way he handles his mother's death and also through his actions during his trial. While most people would mourn during their mother's passing, Meursault oppositely acts rather normal and appears extremely detached from his mother completely. Although this scene from a narrator's viewpoint would make Meursault's actions convey a much more simplified character, rather this illustrates his inability to understand himself and moreso his complicated life. Furthermore, during the trial scene, Meursault's inability to pay attention while his life was on the line attention while his life is being decided conveys his unexplained actions. Although Meursault may seem simple through an outward view because of his actions, he is contrarily rather complicated as seen through the way he handles his mother's death and his prison case.

The Stranger Essay Outline

Intro Paragraph - Set up the story that Meursault experiences; discuss how is actions are made to make him see simple, but really he is a much more complicated character. His outward actions make him seem simple, but he is extremely observant and intelligent. Set up the paragraphs: the funeral and the prison scenes with some analyzation. Thesis: Although Meursault may seem simple through an outward view because of his actions, he is contrarily rather complicated as seen through the way he handles his mother's death and his prison case.

First Paragraph - funeral scene: does not cry at the funeral, constantly defends herself. Should have experienced discomfort but does not really. Heat annoys him, and he smokes. Does not truly mourn his mother.

Second paragraph - does not really pay attention during the prison scene. Heat again bothers him, but even when his life is being decided on, he can not truly concentrate on what people are saying. Maybe also begins to feel emotion, but it seems that he also might feel empty. Somewhat confused about everything going on, but still shows intelligence by being very observational about the people around him. Furthermore detached from the world.

Conclusion- sum up all the ideas stated previously.

The Stranger Essay Topic

Is Mearsault a simple or complicated character? Use specific passages in the text to support your analysis.

Prison case, mother's mourning of death, translator's note, murder

- very intelligent
- afraid to show his feelings
- sun, heat is what really pushes him to murder?
- does not pay attention to the prison case at all, death penalty on the line
- does not tell Marie he loves her; scared to show emotion and affection
- always cautious about what other people think that he never really worries about himself

Translator's Note

In the passage on p.44 ‘A minute later she asked me if I loved her. I told her it didn’t mean anything but that I didn’t think so. She looked sad.’ it is evident that Camus's short sentences make it appear that Mearsault does not truly care that he has saddened Marie who is essentially his lover at this moment of the story. Rather than expressing emotion and care towards Marie, Mearsault first tries to defend himself by saying that it did not mean anything, and then only subtly states that she looked sad. However, while it appears that Mearsault does not truly care about the situation, Matthew Ward would argue that Camus is attempting to make a complex man look much more simple. If Mearsault really was such a simple man, he probably would have told Marie that he loved her, whether it was true or not. Instead he hid his inner feelings which appear to be at a tangle. I am not entirely sure that at this moment even Mearsault understands how he feels and while he appears to be a simple man, he is truly conflicted on the inside and is not revealing is true emotions.

The Stranger up to P. 33

Meursault’s detachment from his mother and his inability to display an optimistic outlook on the people and life around him has led me to believe that he has his own psychological problem. However, whether he has always been this way or it is a result of his mother's death is yet to be unknown. Ultimately, because he argues that he is unchanged by his mother's death and he himself did not even know her own age, I am continually led to believe that Meursault has a severe problem that will only be further illustrated throughout the novel. However, while it appears that Meursault is extremely judgmental of even the most miniscule objects around him, his sense of happiness is effectively illustrated when interacts with characters such as Marie.