Essay about The stranger

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The Stranger novel ends after Meursault’s judgment. He only cares about shunning the “machinery of justice” that has condemned him to death. He believes that the only thing matter is the possibility of an escape to freedom. He remembers his mother telling him how his father once forced himself to watch an execution. Afterward, he vomited several times. Now, Meursault thinks an execution is really the only thing of interest for a man. He only wishes he could be a spectator instead of the victim. He fantasizes about a combination of chemicals that would kill the condemned only nine times out of ten, because then at least he would have a chance of surviving.
Meursault also dislikes the fact that the guillotine forces the condemned to hope that the execution works on the first try. If the first attempt fails, the execution will be painful. Therefore, the prisoner is forced into “moral collaboration” with the execution process, by hoping for its success. He further objects to the fact that the guillotine is mounted on the ground, not on a scaffold. The condemned is killed “with a little shame and with great precision.” Meursault counts himself lucky every time dawn passes without the sound of footsteps approaching his cell, because he knows that such footsteps would signal the arrival of the men who will take him to his execution. When he considers the option of filing a legal appeal, Meursault initially assumes the worst, believing any appeal would be denied. Only after considering the fact that everyone dies eventually does he allow himself to consider the possibility of a pardon and freedom. Whenever he thinks of this possibility, he feels happy.
Against Meursault’s wishes, the chaplain visits and asks why he has refused to see him. Meursault reasserts his denial of God’s existence. When the chaplain states that Meursault’s attitude results from

The Stranger

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Meursault In The Stranger

different situations. Often times a person tends to act before they think and regret their decision in the future. The response someone has in this type of situation might not be characteristic of their personality or identity. The main character in The Stranger did not seem like a likely person so conduct a murder, but in fact he did. The main character, Meursault, is lead to murder the Arab because he is not self-aware of his actions. Through his daily life, Meursault is detached from his surroundings…

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The Stranger Essay

The Stranger by Albert Camus is a french novel that exemplifies the idea of a mad protagonist. Meursault, the so called madman, is a french man living in North Africa whose conflicting existentialist views with both himself and those around him form the basis for the novel. Meursault’s eccentric behavior puts him peculiar situations and sends him spiraling down the path of murder. One of the most difficult social concepts that Meursault has difficulty grasping is the idea of love. Not only in…

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The Stranger Essay

In Albert Camus’ The Stranger, Meursault appears to be completely alienated from the world around him. Events and situations most people would describe as significant or traumatizing seem to have little effect on him. His personality, emotions, and indifference to the world may be explained by his awareness of his fate. Meursault simplifies his fate to a commonality all humans share: one is born, one lives, and then one ceases to exist with nothing left of him or her. He does not believe there is…

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Within Albert Camus’ 1942 novel, The Stranger, the sun is an ever present force. The Stranger’s protagonist, Meursault, is tormented by it and seems to have a dislike, if not a disdain for the sun. Meursault is even driven to kill because of how much the sun irritates him, and during his mother’s funeral, a man named Thomas Perez Death and human suffering have a connection to the sun’s rays and light as a whole. Through his novel, Camus uses the societal symbol for joy and life to create an ironic…

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Essay On The Stranger

Alec Rosen Mr.Brown World Literature trk1 February 2015 Meursault’s Emotional Changes At the beginning of the novel Meursault shows much indifference to the life that he has led. As readers on the first line of the novel we hear that his mother has passed and he acts as if nothing has changed. "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" (3)…

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The Stranger Essay

Emma Cerovich 10/2/14 Mrs. Cooper Albert Camus and Existentialism It’s weird to be different in this world. We are told in society to “be unique” and “be yourself”, but can you be too weird? In Albert Camus’ book The Stranger, several ideologies that are introduced do not conform to the world. Camus was an existentialist—he believed that life was meaningless and that we are here solely to exist. Feelings and emotions are inhibitors to living a good life, because they ultimately don’t matter.…

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Essay the stranger

The Stranger Albert Camus' The Stranger is a story about Meursault, an honest man who lives in the moment yet seems to lack the certain emotional traits the normal human being would have. Meursault believes that the human life is meaningless and the fact that we are all born just to die influences his life and character. The novel opens with Meursault receiving word that his mother has passed away. "Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know. I got a telegram from the home: “Mother…

Words 667 - Pages 3