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.

Clockwork Orange and Metamorphosis

In comparing Clockwork Orange and Metamorphosis, there are clear differences between the way the styles in both books. Firstly, the styles completely contrast each other; in Clockwork Orange, there is continuous repetition of slang language and elongated paragraphs, while in Metamorphosis there is much simpler and more direct language used in short, distinct paragraphs. In Clockwork Orange, the purpose of this style is to directly attach the reader with the lives of the street gang and put the reader in a position where they feel connected to the lives of each character. For example, an effective tactic employed by the gang members is the way in that they initially seem polite and thoughtful, but really are about to victimize society. This was effectively employed in the second chapter of the novel where the member said, "Pardon, madam, so sorry to disturbe you." (27) In Metamorphosis, the language appears to be simpler in large part because of Gregor's transformation into a bug; as Gregor ages, his thoughts become extremely simplified. This was directly illustrated towards the ending of the story where Gregor has a unrestrained urge to lift himself towards Grete and "kiss her throat." (44) This language conveys Gregor's transformation as even though Gregor may not feel sexually attached to his sister, Grete has ultimately become the only person who tried to protect him in his bug state. Lastly, Clockwork Orange is written for a mature, young adult audience that is capable of understanding the continuous slang portrayed throughout the story. On the other hand, Metamorphosis represents a story that honestly many people can read, whether in high school or much later in their lives.

Darwin and Genesis

While both Darwin and Genesis confront the conflict regarding how humanity was created, both take drastically different paths in explaining the phenomenon. In Genesis, there is a very simplistic form of writing; moreover, there is evident repetition of G-d first saying what he wants, and then liking what he has created. It appears that Genesis illustrates a much more simple process on how the world was created when compared to that of Darwin. However, while there is a succinct structure to Genesis, there are also some key words that hold a deep meaning. The repetition of vault, for example, may signify that G-d has the key to the universe and can change the structure of it if he does not like what he has created. However, after creating all the beauty of the stars, sky, creatures, and even a sense of equality it is particularly strange when G-d orders mankind to rule over everything he has created. Darwin's work is fundamentally different to Genesis, especially in the time period that Darwin had written it; Darwin was extremely nervous to release it as he expected an enormous uproar form society in his questioning of religion. In the end of "Origin of Species", Darwin rather than explicitly stating what he believes in often has to defend himself from the opinions of society. In regarding his theory of evolution, it is clear however that Darwin does not believe in an omniscient being as the result of the creation of mankind. Rather, Darwin is fascinated by people evolving everyday from the parent before them. Darwin argues that we have to "contemplate every complex structure and instinct as the summing up of many contrivances, each useful to the possessor" and then we will be able to understand creation.

Short In-Class Writing on Kafka Passage

In this passage, it is evident that there are different attitudes expressed toward each family member. In analyzing Gregor's father, the use of sluggish effectively dehumanizes the father and directly relates the father to Gregor's new form as a vermon. Moreover, while the narrator does acknowledge that Gregor's father did work hard, he was largely unsuccessful and over the past five years has become increasingly fat, lazy, and unmotivated. The narrator offers more sympathy towards the mother as she really should not be expected to work, especially with her current suffering from asthma. Thus, the narrator expresses some pity towards the mother while directly illustrating the faults of the father. Lastly, the daughter has a specifically unique situation. Even though she is not a really young child at seventeen years of age, the narrator describes the daughter working as "a pity to deprive of the life she had led until now." As the narrator describes, for the sister it would be a drastic transformation from being generally free as a child to now having to take a vastly important role in the family.

Metamorphosis Picture Book

After reading Metamorphosis as a novel, it was really interesting to read it through images. I was not only able to read it extremely quickly, but I really enjoyed visually being able to see how the characters felt about the situation. Moreover, initially I was interested in how big Gregor really was, but being able to see the images allowed me to understand the situation in much greater detail.

Bug or Human or Both?

Although Gregor experienced a somewhat supernatural transformation by initially being a human and then changing into a vermon, it was evident that throughout the novel Gregor still was able to think and feel emotion like a human. Kafka effectively depicts Gregor's emotion and sentiment towards his sister, Greta, "And yet his sister was playing so beautifully...Was he an animal that music so captivated him?" (45) However, while Kafka conveys the idea that Gregor is so attracted to the music because of his transformation into a vermon, ultimately it is the human emotion that Gregor has for his sister that makes him feel so attached to the music. Thus, although Gregor has the appearance of a vermon, even towards the end of the novel he still is able to feel those same humanistic emotions and feelings. Kafka illustrates Gregor's admiration for his sister when he writes, "His sister should not be compelled but would remain with him voluntarily... his sister would break out in tears of emotion, and Gregor would lift himself up to her armpit and kiss her throat..." (45). Through this scene, Kafka effectively portrays Gregor's inward outward self with Freud's model of the id. While it does appear that Gregor's fantasicization of his sister may be a more sexual impulse, ultimately Gregor's attachment towards his sister is a result of his loneliness and isolation. Gregor is not subsequently releasing his id but rather he is trying to show the emotion that he is feeling to his sister; after being so accustomed to helping the family financially, ultimately Gregor has become a monster in his family's eyes and desires the responsibility that he recently had. Gregor's unfortunate transformation into a bug goes beyond the release of his id; rather, Gregor's inward ourward self is a depiction of what we all have to face in our normal lives. For Gregor specifically, his appearance significantly affected the way his family thought about him, but still because of his unselfish inner nature, he did not question the metamophosis that he had experienced.

Metamorphosis Reading P. 58

After reading the last ten pages of the story, what I found the most perplexing was the way in which the sister had an utterly different way of handling Gregor's situation. While first attempting to protect Gregor and feed him when nobody else in the family would, it was the sister in the end that finally decided that they could no longer live with Gregor in the house. Moreover, rather than remorsing after Grego'r's death, the family felt free as they could finally proceed their lives as they initially desired.

Metamorphosis Reading P. 45

In pages 35-45 of Metamorphosis, the most interesting part to me were the lodgers and how they interacted with the family. It is evident that the two groups of people share differences in the way they act and the way they think. For example, the lodgers did not permit any mess in their living conditions, thus making Gregor an even more complex situation in the story.

Marlow Essay Reflection

After reading my Marlow essay, I am particularly happy on how I was able to analyze a challening topic by exploring the unique relationship between Marlow and Conrad specifically. Also, after reading the comments, I like the way I was able to use effective sources to further advance my ideas in the essay, especially through the work of Karl and Murfin. My writing throughout this year has definitely improved, most notably in my last two essays. I feel like I have been able to better analyze specific topics and focus in through the use of succint examples in my essays. However, there were still many mistakes in my essay that I still need to work on. Most noticeably in my Marlow essay was that in my second body paragraph I kind of strayed off the main topic of my essay and then came back to it shortly after. However, for the rest of my writing process into college, I will keep working on focusing on a specific topic, expanding my sentences and vocabulary, and employing succint examples.

Metamorphosis Reading P. 35

In reading to page 35, I found the relationship between Gregor and his father particularly interesting. Even though the father knows that it is truly Gregor under the skin of the bug, he still desires to kill him as he believes that Gregor purposely hurt his wife. Moreover, the wife is extremely shocked and fainted to see the creature that Gregor has become.

Best Ideas From Metamorphosis Discussion

I particularly liked the way our group was able to analyze Gregor's relationship with this family; it is evident that Gregor truly does love his family as he has taken the provider role for his family. Although he and his father may not be particularly close, they are still family and Gregor has essentially sacrificed his future so his dad has not needed to work over the past five years. However, it appears to me that Gregor has limited himself because of that which directly parallels with the meaning of the bug. The bug has such physical limitations which compare with the limitations of the family. Both the family and the physicality of the bug do not allow Gregor to completely express himself in the way he wish he could. Moreover, I also found it interesting to see what we would think if we became a bug as some people would maybe simply accept it as Gregor did while others would truly question what has just happened to them.

Metamorphosis Reading to P. 25

I found the relationship beteen Gregor and his sister extremely interesting in this section of the book. It is clear that the sister now knows that Gregor is the creature, but at the beginning they still hold a somewhat awkward relationship as it is challenging for the sister to accept Gregor's appearance. She only really gives him food twice a week but does not really look at him at the beginning. However, after a month or so, their relationship starts to illustrate what it used to be as the sister can understand Gregor's unique attitude and feelings.

Metamorphosis Reading P. 11

I found the language really interesting so far in the novel. There was such great imagery and relationships conveyed by the author where he made the image of a bug appear to be like a much larger object. So far the reading has not been to challenging as the imagery helped convey the novel.

Heart of Darkness Socratic Discussion

In my socratic discussion, I found specifically the topics that we covered the most interesting. While we not only debated on whether man is inherently good or evil, we also mainly debated on whether people should release or restrain their id. It was interesting to see personally what people thought about humanity; while many see the good in every human being, some are more pessimistic and rational about humanity. Moreover, the most conflict occurred when talking about the id. Obviously people can not freely express their id when they desire or chaos would ensue. However, as seen with a lot of personal breakdowns, holding in all emotions can unfortunately cause anybody to harm other members of society. Ultimately, my own personal take on it after the discussion is that people need to release a small extent of their id to not fully repress all emotions; furthermore, rather than releasing horrible realities to society, people that are struggling may be able to express their emotions through more peaceful and well-mannered actions.

Heart of Darkness Essay Conclusion

While many readers often believe that Conrad is writing his own self through the character of Marlow in Heart of Darkness, ultimately Conrad is rather writing about his own beliefs and attitude regarding humanity. By illustrating such sinister images of darkness and inhumane treatment of society, Conrad effectively reveals how everybody, even the most moral of people such as Marlow, often can not restrain their id from influencing their decisions and beliefs. Thus, although Conrad employs the destruction of Marlow as a key theme in his story, he is trying to express the inner evil of the sub-conscience that lies in people rather than portraying himself as Marlow. Marlow's downfall, moreover, is most pertinent in his obsession of Kurtz; on his journey, Marlow is a victim to such horrific actions that he allowed his id to be partially released. As a result, when Marlow views the malignant actions that Kurtz has committed, Marlow already had been so blinded by his obsession with finding him that he is able to not only forgive Kurtz for his actions, but actually praise him for what he has done.

Heart of Darkness Second Body

While Conrad effectively conveys Marlow's release of his id through the darkness of humanity, ultimately Marlow's obsession and blindness of his obsession with Kurtz greatly reveals his own downfall as a person. Marlow became so passionate about discovering Kurtz and why he was so celebrated by the company that ultimately he allowed his id to be partly released throughout the journey; however, while Kurtz represents the full release of the sub-conscience, Marlow still was able to hold on to some of his moral values. Even though Marlow would have initially been shocked by Kurtz inability to restrain his inner id, at the end of his journey, Marlow argues that Kurtz was a remarkable man because "He had something to say. He said it. Since I had peeped over the edge myself, I understood better the meaning of his stare, that could not see the flame of the candle, but was wide enough to embrace the whole universe, piercing enough to penetrate all the hearts that beat in the darkness" (Conrad 86). Marlow effectively praising Kurtz rather than being completely stunned and horrified by the inhuman crimes and murders that he has committed clearly demonstrates how Marlow has allowed his id to be released; while Marlow initially would have been opposed to such disgusting and gruesome behavior, he is able to praise Kurtz for taking action. Thus, Conrad vividly portrays the destruction of Marlow through his unique interaction and obsession with Kurtz, furthermore conveying how Conrad believes that each person, even a moral human such as Marlow, can often not restrict releasing their id when faced with such dark and horrific situations surrounding them.

Heart of Darkness Body Paragraph

Through Conrad's evident use of darkness and sinister imagery, he effectively reveals his belief that humans have an inner sub-conscience that they are afraid to release. By illustrating his ideology through a moral man such as Marlow, Conrad vividly expresses how the inhumane treatment of humanity can cause even a strong and righteous man such as Marlow to express his darker emotions. However, by illustrating the downfall of Marlow, Conrad subsequently shows how him and Marlow are fundamentally different. As Karl describes in his essay, Marlow's "intelligence is displayed in his moral sensibility" (126). Thus, while Conrad understands humanity's inner dark nature, Marlow oppositely believes that all men whether in America or in Africa will be civilized and good. Ultimately, "Marlow's great revelation comes when he sees that the world is not arranged this way - and here the Congo is a microcosm of the great world in which those who can, plunder those who cannot. Marlow's awareness of evil comes when he notes that many men, and those the most willful, do not share his belief in an orderly, enlightened society" (Karl 126). Karl effectively reveals the distinct difference between Conrad and Marlow through this passage as Marlow is somewhat shocked by the deceptive and dark nature of man, while Conrad understands that those men have allowed their id to be released. Thus, rather than writing himself through Marlow's own downfall, Conrad is writing his ideological belief that man's id is naturally evil. Marlow is most noticeably exposed to the darkness of humanity when he views the treatment of the natives by the Europeans. Rather than treating the slaves fairly as Marlow's morality would have expected, the Europeans through their own evil id give them wire instead of food, ultimately forcing them to become cannibals.

Heart of Darkness Intro

In Heart of Darkness, Conrad continually illustrates darkness and horrific imagery to fundamentally alter the protagonist of the story, Marlow. Conrad effectively reveals how Marlow's id, or sub-conscience, is partly released; for example, even after seeing the inhumane nature of Kurtz, Marlow is still able to forgive him. Even though Marlow held a unique obsession with not only finding Kurtz, but also learning about him and his mysterious nature, it is rather hypocritical of Marlow to forgive a man that has allowed their id to be completely released. However, writers such as Frederick Karl and Ross Murfin have analyzed Conrad's psychoanalytic writing, questioning whether Conrad was writing his own feelings about humanity through Marlow. Even though Conrad throughout his novel portrays the evil sub-conscience of man, ultimately he is not the same person as Marlow. Rather, through his novel, Conrad effectively illustrates the unique and somewhat disheartening change in Marlow. After being exposed to the horror that the lies within Africa on his voyage, Marlow's sub-conscience subsequently begins to be unleashed. Thus, rather than portraying himself through the character of Marlow, Conrad is illustrating his inner feelings and attitude through the inhumane treatment of society, consistent images of darkness, and ultimately Marlow's change of attitude in his quest to to fulfill his obsession of finding Kurtz.

Heart of Darkness Essay Topic

Is Conrad revealing his inner feelings through Marlow? Or rather is he portraying such dark images and setting to reveal his thoughts about the inhumane nature of society in general?

Heart of Darkness Essay Idea

In my essay I will be analyzing how Conrad has effectively written his inner conscience and beliefs through Heart of Darkness, and specifically Marlow and Kurtz. Moreover, I will also be writing about how Karl and Murfin interpret why Conrad has chosen to write about the id specifically and the more evil, deceptive aspect of humanity.

Murfin Blog

The part of Murfin that I found most intriguing in my reading is how writers write to release their inner conscience, and how readers read what they want to know, even though they may not openly admit it.

Heart of Darkness Ending

Afer finishing Heart of Darkness, the main that stayed with me along with a multitude of other questions is that Marlow will always be obsessed with Kurtz and his unique nature.

Reading Now vs. Reading Next Year

When it comes to reading for English class, I feel that I do a pretty good job at completing the reading, especially if I like the book. Last year I really liked the Great Gatsby and felt that I was reading it for enjoyment rather than for school. However, I have never been somebody who can just read for fun. I am a little bit nervous about the amount of reading I will receive in college because it is quite a lot more than what I am accustomed to in high school, but I still feel that with the tools I have learned in high school I can hopefully manage the amount of reading in college.

Heart of Darkness Reading

The most exciting part of my reading last night was during Marlow's last eight miles of his voyage to find Kurtz. I found it particularly exciting when Marlow and his pilgrims were surrounded by white fog in the morning, and then were proceeded to have spears thrown at them by Kurtz's men.

Freud/Conrad Group Work

I worked as a partner with Ally and my initial reaction was that having a partner really helps in understanding the relationship between Freud and Conrad. We were not only able to read a lot more together in the same amount of time, but we were also able to analyze the increasingly indistinguishable line between sanity and insanity.

Freud

By reading Freud, it is evident that he reveals a more inhumane and deceptive side of humanity. This is specifically relevant when Freud reveals the unconscious side of humans when he argues that if it was not for the other members of society, people have the inner desire to suppress their neighbors and use them for their advantage.

Heart of Darkness Pages 10-15 Comment

Writer sets the reader up on a very long path through still scene, thus allowing the reader to put his or herself in the character's situation.

Opening Scene in Heart of Darkness

In the opening scene of Heart of Darkness, a very mysterious and dark setting is portrayed through symbols and tone. As Marlow begins to tell his story, he consistently eludes to the weaknesses of people and civilization, thus creating an ominous feel for the reader. This is portrayed through the battle of the Romans and the Gauls, where a dark and ominous setting and foreshadowing is created.