Merursault, in my opinion, is a criminal. Not for his attitude, but for his act of murdering the Arab. Does Meursault deserve to die? I'd say yes. Is he more dangerous than a criminal with motive? That would be a no. I think that Meursault is a murderer and should be punished for that and only that. 

I think that Meursault is a threat to society because he killed an Arab when he had very little reason to. I feel like the next time Meursault has a gun and is irritated with the weather, he might kill someone. FOr this murder, whether it be provoked or not, I think that he deserves to die. An eye for an eye, as they say. However, I do believe that that he is less dangerous than a criminal with motive. With motive, I feel like Meursault would or could have gone on a murderous rampage because he actually had reason to.

All in all, I think that despite Meursault's absurd personality, we shouldn't kill him for that, but for his murder. He is a threat to society, and the "eye for an eye" should play a role in this situation.
 
Marie and Raymond are both very characters to us readers. For one, Marie plays Meursault's love interest (or as close to one as he could have), while Raymond essentially causes all the main problems in the story. They both show us Meursault's characteristics of apathy towards others. Marie and Raymond are both literary foils to Meursault. 

Marie and Raymond both bring out more of Meursault's character. When Marie asks Meursault if he loves her and he says that it doesn't matter if he does or doesn't, we get to see his indifference to love. Raymond brings out Meursault's apathy towards people. Whenever Raymond asks him of something, Meursault basically just nods and shrugs his shoulders. Through Marie and Raymond, we get to learn about Meursault's indifferent and almost emotionless nature as the story progresses.

In conclusion, Marie and Raymond are basically plot and character development devices. Marie develops character, while Raymond develops both character and plot. They shine light upon our protagonist's (if you can even call Meursault a protagonist) apathetic nature for us, the readers.
 
1. In chapter 1, Mersault tells us, "It had been a long time since I'd been out in the country, and I could feel how much I'd enjoy going for a walk if it hadn't been for Maman." What can we discern about him based on this quote?
I think it shows us how Meursault is nearly emotionless. His mother is dead, and most people would be mourning if their mothers had passed away, but not Meursault. He concentrates on how beautiful the weather is, and how nice it would be to take a walk. And then he blames the fact that he can't go on his walk on his deceased mother. 

2. "I got up. Raymond gave me a very firm handshake and said that men always understand each other. I left his room, closing the door behind me, and paused for a minute in the dark, on the landing. The house was quiet, and a breath of dark, dank air wafted p from deep in the stairwell. All I could hear was the blood pounding in my ears. I stood there, motionless." What is the significance of this quote? How does it add to the story? How does it make the reader feel? Elaborate.
I think that this means that something interesting is going to happen, and that something is not how it seems to be. It seems like some kind of foreshadowing, like something rather dark is going to happen. I think it makes readers feel intrigued, and slightly fearful for what's going to happen later on.

3. Meursault appears heartless for failing to express grief or even to care about his mother’s death. Yet to condemn and dismiss him risks missing much of the meaning of the novel. What is the meaning of the novel thus far? What is the author saying about life?
The meaning of the novel thus far is probably that death is not something to make such a big deal out of. However, the subject of death is being passed over now, and it's going towards Raymond and his problems. I think that the author was trying to tell us that death isn't something that we should fret about so much, because it's bound to happen to everyone at one point.

4. Do you feel Mersault to be a good person? Why or why not? If not, what parts of his character make him "bad"?
I don't think Meursault is a good nor a bad person. I think he's just a very indifferent person. He doesn't really care and doesn't seem to have many emotions. To some people, that might seem like a "bad person", but to me he's just more of a robot type of person. Highly functional, but emotionless.

5. Choose any quote from the novel that you feel is particularly important. Copy the quote to your web page. Explain it's significance.
"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." I feel like this quote is important for a few reasons. Number 1: It's the opening line for the whole book. Number 2: It shows us how Meursault is apathetic to his mother and death (also his mother's death) which shows us a bit of his personality.
 
After Meursault arranged for his mother to live in a nursing home, why did he visit her so infrequently?
He finds it bothersome to travel all the way to his mother's nursing home. That, and it would mean having to take up one of his days where he rests. Not to mention that he and his mother were never really close and she was happy there anyways.

Does Meursault give an explanation for wanting/not wanting to see the open casket? Why would someone respond in this way? In your opinion, is this normal behavior?
Meursault didn't really want to see his mother and nor did he give an explanation of why. I think a person could respond this way if they thought that it would cause them too much grief, or because they were extremely sincere and didn't want anyone to go through any trouble whatsoever for them. Of course, int Meursault's case, I think that he didn't care that much. I think it could be normal behavior, but more often not.

Describe Meursault’s dream-like experience beginning on page 9. What is happening?
He is dozing off, then waking up again. He is half-asleep and notices things, but he doesn't care for them. There were men making funny noises with their cheeks, and a man sleeping on a chair. 

What are three (3) of Meursault’s last thoughts of the burial?
That he might acquire heatstroke, how an old man was crying, that he'd sleep for 12 hours when he got back home
 
1. When and where was Albert Camus born? What do you know about the climate of this place? (You may have to do a separate search for this question.)
Albert Camus was born in a French part of Algeria, which is in Africa, on November 7th of 1913. He moved to France at the age of 25. Algeria has a Mediterranean that’s rather mild. In the summer it’s about 21 to 24 degrees Celsius, while the winter is about 10 to 12 degrees Celsius. Lots of rainfall during September to December, but summer brings drier climate.

2. What was his family like?
He was born to a rather poorer family who had moved to Algeria with him. His father was a vineyard laborer, and his mother was a cleaner. They were both very interested in philosophy. He had had a brother named Lucien.

3. What is The Stranger about? Write a short summary.
The story revolves around a man named Meursault who has become involved in a murder case. That’s the essential plot, not the summary. I honestly do not think that we should be writing the summary when we haven’t even read the book. Oh well. Here goes. 

The Stranger is narrated by the main character, Meursault who lives in Algiers. He receives a telegram that his mother has passed away, and goes to see her in the old person’s home. There, he meets the caretaker who keeps him up all night by talking unceasingly. At the funeral later, Meursault doesn’t remember anything, even when Thomas Perez (a friend of Meursault’s mother) faints. That night, Meursault goes back to Algiers. The next day, Meursault meets former co-worker Marie Cardona while at the beach for a swim. They go on a date, and spend the night together. When Meursault wakes up though, Marie is gone. On Monday (the next day) Meursault goes to work. He and his friend Emmanuel have lunch together, then work for the rest of the afternoon. At home, he ends up having dinner with a neighbor, who confesses to want revenge on his adulterous wife. He asks Meursault to write a letter to lure her back to him. Meursault agrees to do so. On Saturday, Marie visits Meursault who is at his home. Marie asks him if he loves her, and he says that probably no, he doesn’t. Then they hear shouting from the neighbor’s apartment, and end up seeing a policeman slapping the neighbor for having to have hit his wife. He is summoned to the police station, but he asks Meursault to testify for him, and once again, Meursault agrees. Marie asks Meursault if he wanted to wed her. He says they can if she wants to, so they become engaged. Then on Sunday, Marie, Meursault, and Raymond (the neighbor) go to the ocean to have fun. They run into the brother of Raymond’s wife, who stabs him. Raymond later shoots the brother. Because of this, Meursault is arrested. Meursault’s lawyer is disgusted that Meursault feels no remorse at the murder, nor even at his mother’s funeral. Later, they meet with the examining magistrate, who can’t seem to understand the motivation for Meursault’s actions. Meursault is told to put his faith in God, which he does not. Marie comes to visit Meursault in the jail, and expresses her hope that they will soon get married when he is out. Waiting for his trial, Meursault becomes accustomed to the life in the jail. He soon does not need any company of women, cigarettes, and so on. He sleeps. At the courthouse of his trial, the subject switches from murder to Meursault’s character. Everyone says that Meursault has a lack of emotion. Meursault is found guilt and is sentenced to a beheading. Meursault then returns to his prison to wait for his execution. He has trouble accepting that what is happening is inevitable. He images escaping to freedom with a successful appeal. One day, the chaplain visits Meursault and encourages him to turn to God, but Meursault refuses. Meursault becomes angry and grabs at the chaplain and declares that his own belief of existentialism is correct. He abandons all hope for the future and it finally makes Meursault happy. 

4. When was The Stranger published? What language was it originally published in?
The book was first published in 1942 in French. After this though, the novel has been printed into more languages.

5. What major world events were happening around this time?
In 1942, the Battle of Midway happened. It was a naval battle between the United States of America and Japan. America won eventually, and sunk four aircraft carriers in a single day. 

6. How did people respond to the novel?
People these days regard it as a great novel. However some argue that although the content of the book and critical thinking it causes you to do is good, the essential plot itself is a bit drab and boring. I saw a review that went so far to call it “pointless.”

7. How and when did Camus die?
He died in 1960, January 4th. He was involved in a car accident, on the way to the train station. The man who crashed into his car also passed away that day. His children hold the right to his books.

8. What existentialism? Who were the major players in this philosophical movement?
See above for So Existentialist, Existentialism... What Does it Mean? for the definition of existentialism. The major players in this philosophical movement are Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Soren Kierkegaard, Gabriel Marcel, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Simone de Beauvoir, Karl Barth, Karl Jasper, Martin Buber, Paul Tillich, Karl Rahner, Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger, Franz Kafka, Boris Pasternak, Fyodor Dostoevsky, C.S. Lewis, and Woody Allen according to http://hub.webring.org/hub/existentialism.

    Welcome!

    Hi again, Reader! This is the blog where I post about things assigned to us in my English classes about "The Stranger" by Albert Camus. I hope you find my thoughts interesting!

    “In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer."

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