Journal 8 The Stranger

In my opinion at first I have to say, I literally had to force myself to read this book over the summer. I did not enjoy reading this book at all. It was boring and to straight forward. While reading it over the summer I had no idea what to mark cause it was hard enough to just even read it. When I reread it in class again and went into a deeper analysis of the book, it kind of rubbed off on me. I don't hate the book but yet I don't like it. Would I read this book again? Probably not but it was some what interesting to a certain extent.

Journal 7 The Stranger

Personal indulgences and how Mersault changes.

Quotes:
"I smoked a couple of cigarettes..." (22)
"... I'd drunk too much wine, and I woke up." (26)
"...I went downstairs to buy some bread" (24)
"I really thought we would get married" (50)
"She lay down right next to me and the combined..." (51)
"I've got some blood sausage." (28)
"No there was no way out..." (81)
"I didn't even have to think." (88)
"I had the urge to be on..." (76)
"But another, it killed time." (77)
"There were the cigarettes, too." (78)
"Little by little..." (79)
"I wanted to squeeze her shoulders..." (78)

Journal 6 The Stranger

1. Why does Mersault always get dizzy or tired when he is in some kind of situation?

2. What is the meaning of cigarettes and alcohol in the book?

3. Do women in the book represent some kind of symbol throughout the story?

4. Why does Camus use different sentence structures in part 1 and part 2?

5. Does the color red, as its shades get darker and fills the whole sky throughout the story, represent how his past maybe taking over or something else?

Answered:
1. Camus uses the significance of Salamon's dog to show and analogy of how society restrains Mersault in life. Maybe?(Taylor F.)
2. Camus separates the book after he shoots the Arab to show how while he is in jail he develops and loses his indulgences and changes as a person. (Tania P.)
3.Camus uses short, choppy sentences to show how Mersault is not able to comprehend with his emotions. (Matt M.)
4.Mersault's pointless lifestyle could be seen as him just preoccupying himself from the world and just filling it with sex, alcohol and drugs. A distraction of what is really in front of him. (Anothony N.)
5.Camus shows how without motivation, human experience can seem meaningless and lead to the killing of a human being. (Tanner B.)

Journal 5 The Stranger

I think Camus splits the novel in two because it shows how at first in the beginning what Mersault was like and then after while he was in jail. In the beginning he was a blunt straight forward guy. He was into sex, drugs, and alcohol. In other words he would always have indulgences preoccupying him. He never was decisive about anything and he usually just went with whatever happened. During the second part, Mersault loses those indulgences. He is gradually taken away from them. What he has left is just thoughts and memories and with those he ponders. Sentences become longer, they are not as blunt but a little more descriptive. Both parts do include him not believing in God and more in the last part of the book he tells how life is really meaningless as he gets closer to death

Journal 4 The Stranger

6 Questions

1. Those the beach and the water represent an escape from reality?
2. Why those Mersault always regard the sun over head?
3. Can the bus represent something?
4. What does it mean when he says "they didn't check my statement?"
5. Why shoot the Arab when he didn't provoke at all?
6. Why does Marie all of a sudden talk about time while they are eating lunch?

Journal 3 The Stranger

Metamorphosism

1. The change in one person from birth until death
2. Life is a journey, and through that journey one must grow, change, and develop into something significant
3. To not change would result in being the same and not developing in oneself
4. You create your own journey in life. What ever your actions are you must be ready to fend off what life has to give you back as a consequence
5. Life has meaning but it is unknown
6. There is no higher power that toys with you, you decide what you do with your life
7. Take a hold of what you do with your life, you are the one who controls your destiny

Journal 2 The Stranger

In my opinion I would say the Matthew Ward translation has more literary value. He uses words that relate to Mersault and the reader for example the very first word, "Maman." Using words like maman, mom, momma makes it feel like there is a connection between Mersault and his mom. Rather then saying mother which seems to formal and there doesn't seem to be a son and mother connection. What Ward also does is use more of complete sentences then short blunt straight to the point sentences like in the other translation. There is also a change in metric system, maybe used to relate more to the readers who are not familiar with using kilometers.

I would change the title to more of like Evolving. At first Mersault in the beginning is some what indecisive and is usually fulfilling himself with all of these indulgences. As part 2 comes around the indulgences go away and he is able to decide things. He is more focused on his memories and thoughts rather then trying to fulfill himself.

Journal 1 The Stranger

Symbols/motifs

Characterization

Setting

Repeating literary techniques

Anything I find to be notable that does not fit into the previous categories