Dialectical Journal Worksheet

Meursault is aware that this applies to the current situation equally as to everything in his life up to that point, which has been a "Yes or No" situation he simply accepted without disobeying this. The fact that he was able to make such a realization under relatively intensive sunlight is odd for his character. Later on "The scorching blade slashed at my eyelashes and stabbed at my stinging eyes. That's when everything began to reel. The sea carried up a thick, fiery breath. It seemed to me as if the sky split open from one end to the other to rain down fire." (The Stranger, 59) Meursault represents an existentialist existence. That he was able to make a life-changing realization, but later on is not able to control his mind when the situation becomes real, shows how he is directed by the glaring sun. In the dark Meursault is himself, as soon as he is surrounded by light though, his self is pushed aside and he is physically as well as mentally lead by a different force over which he has no control.

The funeral director is the first to discuss this with him, critically stating, “You don’t have to justify yourself, my dear boy. I’ve read your mother’s file,” (Camus 4). By leaving Maman under the care of the senior home, Meursault should feel guilty for his actions since he was his mother’s “sole support” (Camus 4). However, he feels no guilt, similar to how he lacks any sentiment of sorrow during the processions. Individuals of society are conditioned to have a specific pattern of emotional responses elicited by inevitable yet critical life events. Regardless of whether genuinely affected or not, all are expected to conform to these behaviors. Thus, it is what Meursault does not do that makes his character such a prominent cause of concern in the context of the literary work. The absence of an emotional relationship with Maman develops justification as to why Meursault did not cry at her funeral, nor feel culpability for placing her in the nursing home. Camus develops the social outcast aspect of his character through these instances of defiance to social rituals. It is significant to consider how although Meursault 's preoccupations are unusual, he still runs through the motions of cultural norms. He attends the funeral, has a girlfriend, and enjoyed the companionship of his friend Raymond. The real threat of his

Joseph Campbell once said that, “Life has no meaning…It is a waste to be asking the question when you are the answer.” The character of Meursault embodies this idea as he believes, and shows through his actions, that life is utterly meaningless;

The biggest conflict is the aftermath of the murder of the Arab. Meursault had to go through a conflict with the court process. Everyone was judging him. Everyone in the courtroom was focusing more on his reaction to his own mother’s death rather than the actual crime. The protagonist is Meursault. The antagonist is also Meursault. Meursault is his own worst enemy. Meursault means well, but the “sun” made him murders the Arab. However, Meursault is a murderer. Meursault didn’t defend well his case due to his indifference. Meursault’s faults, views on life, and ability to focus the physical aspects rather than emotional aspects is what made the court turn on him, not his actual crime. The crime is what makes him the antagonist. Despite the fact that taking someone’s life is horrible and immoral, if he wouldn’t have murdered the Arab

Meursault cannot make a decision. When he is given a gun by Raymond he did not know how to react to holding the gun. When he murders the Arab, the situation does not affect him in any way. This shows that Meursault doesn't know the meaning of life. This shows someone who is unable to do a meaningful act. Meursault killing of the Arab was an act out of no reason. He states the sun and heat was his motive for killing the Arab. He does not show any emotion toward the situation. This also shows that he is an anti-hero.

His encounter with the Arab shows how the presence of other people in his life makes absolutely no impression on him. Taking the Arab’s life was something he did as a natural reaction, he pulled the trigger thinking it was justified where as any normal human being would think other wise. Once on trial, Meursault constantly observed the people in the courtroom as if he had no idea of how the rest of society lived. Every thing he saw was new to him and it brought him a feeling of excitement, as if he was enjoying being on trial. Fear only came after his verdict. He didn’t even consider his fate early on in the trial because he was in awe of the rest of society; their behaviors and actions were all new to him. In chapter three part two Meursault explained this by saying:

conflict in the book is based on the us vs them dichotomy which is based on the notion of fear of

In the novel of Les Misérables Valjean, internal conflict can be seen in a more descriptive form rather than a visual form compared to the film. Valjean’s internal conflict starts off when inspector Javert brings Monsieur Madeleine who is Valjean news about that the convict Valjean who has been found and will be put on trial and sent to prison. Valjean fights within himself trying to make the right decision of either to speak up and take the blame for being the real Valjean or let this innocent man go to prison for him and live his life with this burden. Valjean can be seen going back and forth in the novel about if he should turn himself in or stay a free man. He gives reasons why he should not go and speak up for the innocent man. One of those reasons being “The

Meursault stops being passive; through his actions and words, he makes a choice to yell at the chaplain and then to go forward into his death. His actions might not be radical, but he is aware of them now and is conscious. Another time where Meursault has to think about him and actions is when, he is being questioned and forced to analyze his life in the court room in front of society. However, his thinking begins to broaden once he is sentenced to death. After his encounter with the chaplain, Meursault realizes that the universe is, like him, totally indifferent to human life.

An understanding of Meursault’s nature is better achieved after he stumbles upon characters such as Salamano. A Specific encounter includes when Salamano grieves over his lost dog, and Meursault attempts to comfort him. Ultimately, this particular event helps the reader understand that Meursault is not heartless, and actually very friendly. One significant difference between Salamano and Meursault is the level of self-awareness one has and the other lacks. Strictly speaking, Salamano is one of the many characters that rely on external freedom for satisfaction, and when anything is modified externally such as the loss of a dog, the person is lost. Meursault on the other hand demonstrates the advantages of being a fully self-conscious person

Meursault is finding out that people view him in a bad light for putting his mother in a home for the elderly. The irony here is that Meursault suddenly cares when he realizes he is being ‘societally unacceptable’, when in countless other social situations he does the same and shows a lack of concern. This scene is foreshadowing that his mother living at home will later be used against him. The external conflict is Meursault vs societal expectation and what he does with that.

Meursault’s transformation began with the death of his mother and the unexplainable guilt that came with it. Before her death Meursault had recently sent his mother to a nursing home, and in French culture this is very unusual since a family member to help is still available. Later, Meursault explains his situation to his boss and feels the need to say “It’s not my fault...I thought I shouldn’t have said that. After all, I didn’t have anything to apologize for” (Camus, 3). While asking his boss for days off for his mother’s funeral, he feels as if his boss his blaming Meursault for her death. All of this guilt started with sending her off to the home and had built up over time without him being able to make amends with his mother. The reader can tell that Meursault regrets sending his mother away by how he reflects upon their apartment. “I was a little bored and I wandered see around the apartment. It was just the right size when Maman was here. Now it's too big for me” (Camus, 21). The apartment feels empty without his mother with him, and this makes Meursault miss her and wish he hadn't sent her away. But to hide his unresolved feelings Meursault tries to blame his unhappiness on his mother. “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” (Camus, 12). Meursault takes the very beauty of the day and blames it upon his mother that he cannot enjoy it. The day after Meursault returns home from the funeral he goes out with his friend Marie, once she finds out that Maman had died the day before Meursault gets another feeling to say it's not his fault, but justifies it. “It didn't mean anything. Besides, you always feel a little guilty” (Camus, 20). Trying to remain focused in the

Although it seems like a heartless and ridiculous response to the subject matter, Meursault's existentialistic honesty makes him heroic. In a way, Meursault loves Marie, but his problem with communication is one of the root cause for his alienation because his response never satisfies the society.

Meursault doesn't care if they get married he just wants sex, so he says they can get married if it makes her happy. It makes no difference to him. The most mindless decision Meursault makes occurs on the beach the day of murder. At the beach where Meursault is most happy because of the sun and the water becomes the spot where his life of freedom will end. Raymond has an altercation with an Arab man and is hurt. The man is the brother of the woman Raymond abused. Meursault fueled this attack through the letter he wrote, this is his passive attitude coming back to affect his life for the first time of many. Meursault take Raymond’s gun and finds the Arab. He murders him without a second thought and throughout the scene he speaks of the sun beating down on him. His once warm friend has become his hellish enemy. Five times he shoots the man, four into his lifeless body. Meursault is the stranger as he commits murder paying no mind to the consequences. This is the first event that will truly begin to open his eyes to the world's true meaning.

Meursault primarily shows his insensitivity toward others at his mother’s funeral. At the funeral, Meursault does not cry or show any signs of mourning the death of his mother. He is very passive, and he even disregards the feelings of others present. The text states, “The woman kept on crying. It surprised me, because I didn’t know who she was. I wished I didn’t have to listen to her anymore” (10). This quote demonstrates Meursault’s passivity about the feelings of others. He puts off the feelings of the woman due to the fact that he has never seen her and he wants her to essentially shut up. This insensitivity towards others and his own mother’s death is eventually used against him when he is being tried for murder. The fact that Meursault did not cry during the funeral and that he admittedly smoked in front of his mother’s casket while keeping vigil leads the prosecutor to question Meursault’s place in society. As Meursault sits in the courtroom, in his mind he