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The stranger by Albert Camus analytical essay
Essays on albert camus the stranger
Essays on albert camus the stranger
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In the novel The Stranger by Albert Camus, the main character Meursault was convicted of murder and as a result was sentenced to death for his questionable character and wrongdoings. It can be argued that the verdict was just or unjust but in the end, the unjust assumptions and invalid connections outweigh the severity of the crime. Meursault’s is justly put on trial because murder is a severe crime that must be dealt with in court. During the trial, Meursault is able to recognize his wrongdoings but blames his actions on the sun. His lack of motive for the murder could be seen as a hazard to society; to let a man go out and kill other people for frivolous reasons like the sun is cumbersome. Also, it was just to bring out witnesses …show more content…
In the beginning of the trial one of the reporters says to Meursault, “we’ve blown up your case up a little. Summer is the slow season for the news. And your story and the parricide were the only ones worth bothering about”(84). The publicity of the trial may have affected the final verdict by making the punishment intriguing to the public eye. Also, the prosecutor’s arguments had little affiliation with the murder itself. When the prosecutor asked the director about Meursault, he asked about Meursault’s relationship with Maman which has no correlation to the murder. The director talks about Meursault at Maman’s funeral and says, “[he] hadn’t wanted to see Maman, that [he] hadn’t cried once, and that [he] left right after the funeral without paying [his] last respects at her grave”(89). Meursault’s lack of grief was an ongoing point that the prosecutor wanted to somehow link to the murder. The prosecutor was able to manipulate the facts to perceive Meursault as someone who is inhuman and has “no place in society whose fundamental rules he ignores”(102). Lastly, the prosecutor accused Meursault of the parricide case. This is obviously unjust because there was no evidence that linked the two cases together. The prosecutor states that “a man who is morally guilty of killing his mother severs himself from society in the same
Chapter 6 of part I of The Stranger concluded with Meursault’s conscious decision to shoot an Arab because of the physical discomfort the Arab’s knife caused him. The significance of the ending of part I is that it was the first demonstration of Meursault’s awareness of the possible consequences of the act that he committed. This awareness continues into the second part of the novel as he is arrested and trialed. The reason for Meursault’s trial is the murder of the Arab. His insensitivity towards Maman’s death and lack of a social conscientious are factors that contributed to support further investigations, but are not reasons to trial him because they have not ‘harmed’ society on a way that he could be arrested for. For example, if Meursault
“Next came Raymond, who was the last witness. He waved to me and all of the sudden blurted out that I was innocent” (95). This scene is ironic because prior this trial, Raymond doesn’t express any sense of loyalty. But in this scene, Raymond shows loyalty towards Meursault. He says that the Arabs hated him and Meursault was there by chance. This scene is important because it shows how everything that occurred was indirectly caused by Raymond and Meursault’s friendship under the pretense of “chance.”
This is best exemplified when comparing the novels opening paragraph, “Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know. I got a telegram from the home: “Mother deceased. Funeral tomorrow. Faithfully yours.” That doesn’t mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday.” to the uncomfortable heat that he complains about for the entire first chapter. Upon learning of his mother’s death Meursault doesn’t show any emotion in relation to her death. Instead he is more concerned with the telegram not telling him exactly when it occurred. After arriving at the home Meursault then becomes preoccupied with the extreme heat causing...
If any of the events that happen, would take place somewhere else, the plot would fall apart. For example Meursault kills the Arab in the beach. If this situation would have had occurred somewhere Meursault wouldn’t have killed the Arab. Because first of all the environment, Meursault says clearly in Part 2 “ the sun made me do it” Since Meursault has a weakness against a bright light, he feels sleepy and gazes off. This cause him to the shoot the arb. If Meursault was in a darker room, he wouldn’t have shot the Arab. We see how Camus order this turning point event to take place here for a particular reason. Another event that must be kept in this particular order, is the where prosecutor suggest that Meursault be killed. This has to happen in court for a particular reason. Camus has gather the majority of the characters in the story in this court room. So the prosecutor telling that Meursault be executed, not only effect Meursault but the characters around him. Such as Marie she emotionally broken. But what if this didn’t happen in the court room? None of the other characters would have known which affects characterization and tension. It affects tension because of all Meursault friends are there and they hope he doesn’t get executed which builds up to him getting the death
Since he cares little for the affairs of the world, claiming they do not mean anything, then justice—a major concern of the world—also means nothing to him. His actions both before and after his decision to kill a man without provocation demonstrate his apathetic view of the world, and his indifference to justice. Therefore Meursault’s search for justice, culminated by the court’s decision to execute him, remains an example to all of the inability of society to instill justice in criminals. Meursault’s perpetual refusal to acquire a sense of morality and emotion instigates skepticism in all who learn of his story of society’s true ability to instill justice in the
Meursault resists being typecast into an archetypal moral category in many of his deeds and actions. Many of his actions in Part One of the novel help contribute to the fuzzy picture of the character. For example, at his mother's funeral, Meursault does not cry or weep in the typical mourning fashion, but rather sleeps during the vigil and entices one of the other mourners present to smoke a cigarette with him. This would be typically considered "evil" behavior, in the context of the story. He could easily been seen as disrespectful and seditious toward his mother and the established procedures of mourning, which seem to be fairly definite at that era in France. However, this "evil" mold can easily be shaken if one considers that Meursault may be more shaken than anyone else present at the funeral. Considering the other events in the novel, it seems as though he does not have a large capacity for emotion. Based on this, it is not unreasonable to assume that the events leading up to and including his mother's death may have overtaxed his limited scope of emotion, and he was therefore nearly incapable of mourning in the "normal" or expected way for his mother, but rather had to resort to his own, more c...
In the novel, we are given a more complete view of Meursault. The story is told from his point-of-view, which allows us to understand the situation as Meursault perceives it. Looking at the situation in this light, we can see Meursault as not evil, but simply indifferent and detached from life. He doesn’t attempt to get wrapped up in emotion or relationships, he just takes things as they come, doing whatever is easiest for him. He becomes friends with Raymond and agrees to marry Marie simply because he doesn’t have a very good reason not to. Seeing the story from Meursault’s viewpoint, we understand that even killing the Arab wasn’t an act of malice or evil intent. As Meursault puts it, “My nature is such that my physical needs often get in the way of my feelings.” With this in context, things begin to make more sense. Meursault’s seemingly cryptic statement that he murdered the Arab “because of the sun” can be taken as truth. Meursault does things that society judges as wrong not because he is evil or wants to appear immoral, but because the sun and heat, symbols for Meursault’s emotional state, cause him to become uncomfortable and act “inappropriately.
How do we know that every time we go into the courtroom for a crime that we have committed we are going to receive a fair trial? How are we supposed to know that each person in there will not already have an opinion? Over the years there have been many different court cases that were decided on what color you were. An example of this is, a white man was a juror in a black man’s case where he killed his wife and his kids, he said that since the man was black he wanted to give him the death penalty. Is this the type of person you would want in your jurors, already having an opinion before you even begin? This is constantly happening all over the United States in court rooms. No matter what happens though people will always have an opinion no matter what. There is no way to change that. What we can change though is having people on the jury that understand what you have been through. This is one of the biggest problems when it comes to court rooms. We need to make sure everyone is given a fair trial, no matter what the circumstance are, and what the ruling could be.
Jury Trial The history of jury trial dates back many centuries in which time the role and status of jury members have changed considerably as have the number and range of cases tried by the jury system. A major milestone in the history of juries was in Bushell's Case (1670), that established that the juries were the sole judges of fact, with the right to give a verdict according to conscience. They could not be penalized for taking a view of the facts opposed to that of the judge. The importance of this power today is that juries may acquit a defendant, even when the law demands a guilty verdict.
“But from the moment he knows, his tragedy begins.” Meursault is not unlike Sisyphus. In the novel, The Stranger, by Albert Camus, we watch this character change from a carefree man who loves being alive and free to a man who is imprisoned for a meaningless murder he commits but who eventually finds happiness in his fate.
In The Stranger, Albert Camus describes the life of the protagonist, Meursault, through life changing events. The passage chosen illustrates Meursault’s view during his time in prison for killing the Arab. In prison, one can see the shifts in Meursault’s character and the acceptance of this new lifestyle. Camus manipulates diction to indicate the changes in Meursault caused by time thinking of memories in prison and realization of his pointless life. Because Camus published this book at the beginning of World War II, people at this time period also questions life and death similar to how Meursault does.
The novel opens with Meursault having just learned that his mother has died. His reaction to her death is far from typical, and he simply says, “Maman died today, or yesterday maybe, I don’t know.” As he prepares to leave town to attend the funeral, he expresses a sort of general discomfort. This discomfort can be seen in his extremely uncomfortable conversation with his boss, in which Meursault simply tells his boss, “it’s not my fault.” Meursault also wishes that the funeral were already over so that, “the case would be closed, and everything will have a more official feel to it.”
Society believes Meursault as an emotionless killer or a stranger to society’s morality, Meursault then can’t explain why he couldn’t feel any emotion, drive, or thoughts of remorse for his murder. Lastly, when the chaplain visits Meursault against his wishes, this scene shows how society expects everyone to ask for forgiveness from God when near death. Meursault then thinks it is absurd and refuses to believe it because he says it’s ridiculous and there’s no time at all.
...c killer. It is easier to be prejudiced against something than to take the effort to understand, so the jury accepted this simple depiction of Meursault, without attempting to understand his more complex nature. And the absurdity of it all is that by lying Meursault could be released, or get a lesser punishment. The court completely disregards the value of human life by giving a man the most severe form of punishment, even though he told the truth.
Camus’s motif of the sun illustrates Meursault’s emotions as he approaches the Arab, the sun’s rays separating Meursault from reality. “I knew that it was stupid, that I wouldn’t get the sun off me by stepping forward” (59). Yet after he utters this statement he takes another few steps forward. This sets the stage for the climax of Meursault’s murder of the Arab. More than anything the sun is depicted as a distraction to Meursault. It causes him to do things he would not normally do and clouds his judgment, causing him to commit a serious crime which will cause his own death. The sun is in a way a representation of the constraints society places upon Meursault. The effect the sun has on Meursault that results in death is a parallel to the effect of society on Meursault, which also results in death.