Journal 9-Thesis Statement

In The Stranger, Albert Camus uses the color red to represent sadness and illustrate how Meursault deals with the grief from his mother's death.  This emphasizes that Meursault does have emotions, and the repetition of red represents his grieving process.  Camus does this to convey the idea that different people deal with their emotions in different ways.

Journal 8-Reflection

          After reading The Stranger twice through, I think it's a book meant for English classes.  If I weren't in this class, I would never pick it up and read it, much less like it.  The first time I read it I thought it was dumb and dry, but I did recognize that there was some larger meaning.  In general, I prefer books that have a more interesting plot and characters where I can get wrapped up in suspense and exciting events.  This book seems to be almost too obvious about its themes and points.  I enjoyed analyzing this book because it was more straightforward than other books like Their Eyes Were Watching God.  However, I liked the general story and idea of Their Eyes Were Watching God better than The Stranger.  I think this book is meant to be analyzed and interpreted, not to be read for pleasure.  I wouldn't reccommend it to anyone because I don't think just anyone would like it. 
          I also think reading this book has made me realize more just how complex novels are, with all the ideas and motifs and themes.  I still don't think authors put as much thought into them as we think they do, but reading this novel made me appreciate the complexity more.

Journal 7-Quotes

Topic: The color red
In The Stranger, Albert Camus uses the repetition of the color red to represent sadness and how Meursault deals with the grief from his mother's death.  This subtly illustrates that Meursault does have emotions, he just deals with them differently than most people.

1. "Above the hills that separate Marengo from the sea, the sky was streaked with red" (Camus 12).
2. "I was struck by their blood-red color next to the pallor of his face" (Camus 15).
3. "Seeing the rows of cypress trees leading up to the hills next to the sky, and the houses standing out here and there against that red and green earth, I was able to understand Maman better" (Camus 15).
4. "Then there was the church and the villagers on the sidewalks, the red geraniums on the graves in the cemetery, Perez fainting (he crumpled like a rag doll), the blood-red earth spilling over Maman's casket[...]" (Camus 18).
5. "A little later the local boys went by, hair greased back, red ties, tight fitting jackets" (Camus 22).
6. "Above the rooftops the sky had taken on a reddish glow, and with evening coming on the streets came to life" (Camus 23).
7. "Old Salamano has reddish scabs on his face and wispy yellow hair" (Camus 27).
8. "he took out a sheet of paper, a yellow envelope, a small red pen box[...]" (Camus 32).
9. "There was the same dazzling red glare.  The sea gasped for air[...]" (Camus 57).
10. "Once again I could see the red sand and feel the burning of the sun on my forehead" (Camus 67).
11. "I saw a tall, thin man dressed in red and wearing a pince-nez" (Camus 85).
12. "Three judges, two in black, the third in red, entered" (Camus 85).
13. "The man in the red gown sat in the chair in the middle" (Camus 85).
14. "He had nice pale blue eyes and a reddish complexion" (Camus 6).

I have gone through the book and tabbed the mention of red, and it is only used this many times...therefore, I can not post 15 quotes.  However, I may use another topic, so I'll post quotes for that too.

Topic: Coffee
In The Stranger, Albert Camus uses the motif of coffee to illustrate Meursault's connection to society-how delicate it is and how easy it is for him to act in a way that is considered wrong and that can be used against him.

1. "Then he offered to bring me a cup of coffee with milk.  I like milk in my coffee, so I said yes, and he came back a few minutes later with a tray.  I drank the coffee" (Camus 8).
2. "'I have to go get some chairs and black coffee" (Camus 9).
3. "He left, came back, set up some chairs.  On one of them he stacked some cups around a coffee pot" (Camus 9).
4. "It was pleasant; the coffee had warmed me up" (Camus 9).
5. "I had some more coffee and milk, which was very good" (Camus 12).
6. "You have coffee in the afternoons with your friends. You even provide the coffee and sugar" (Camus 30).
7. "By the time the coffee came, my head felt heavy and I smoked a lot" (Camus 52).
8. "He said I hadn't wanted to see Maman, that I had smoked and slept some, and that I had had some coffee" (Camus 90).
9. "for the first time I realized that I was guilty.  The caretaker was asked to repeat the part about the coffee and the cigarette" (Camus 90).
10. "He hesitated and then he said that he was the one who offered me the coffee" (Camus 90).
11. "'they will conclude that a stranger may offer a cup of coffee, but that beside the body of the one who brought him into the world, a son should have refused it'" (Camus 91).
12. "I had the ridiculous feeling that they were there to judge me" (Camus 10).
13. "He simply asked, in the same weary tone, if I was sorry for what I had done.  I thought about it for a minute and said that more than sorry I felt kind of annoyed" (Camus 70).
14. "And again I almost thanked him.  But I thought that that would be ridiculous" (Camus 84).
15. "examining me closely without betraying any definable emotion.  And I had the odd impression of being watched by myself" (Camus 85).
16. "He was quiet, and I was embarrassed because I felt I shouldn't have said that" (Camus 6).

Journal 6-Questions and Answers

5 Questions
1. What does Salamano's dog represent?
2. Why does Camus create a character that is irritated when other people show emotion?
3. Why does Camus describe some things or events as colorful and not others?  When he uses figurative language or imagery, it almost always involves color.  What do colors represent?
4. Is Camus using the motifs of coffee and cigarettes as symbols for something larger?  Is it something to do with emotion?
5. Is the idea of Meursault's forehead burning and his "veins pulsing" used to signify a change in him?  Do they represent something else?

5 Answers
Shannon's blog: Camus describes everyone but the Arabs in detail to emphasize the racism felt by the French at that time, and to portray the Arabs as inferior.

Tania's blog: Camus separates the novel into two parts to show that even though Meursault's life is so different in jail, it is really the same endless pattern of meaningless events.

Anthony Nguyen's blog: Marie does contribute to the "life is pointless" theory. Camus uses Marie as an example that work doesn't get one anywhere; even though she tries to get Meursault to marry her and love her, everything is futile and he doesn't care about her at all.

Isabel's blog: Camus uses so much ambiguous language to emphasize two things: Meursault's clarity and bluntness, and also to illustrate that, since he believes life has no meaning, details and specific events don't really matter in the grand scheme of things.

Tate's blog: The repetition in Meursault's life emphasizes the futility of things; no matter what Meursault does, his life is basically the same pattern of eating, sleeping, etc. It conveys the idea that life is pointless.

Journal 5-Parts 1 & 2

I think Camus made The Stranger in two parts for two reasons that I see.  First, it's obvious that part 2 begins right after Meursault kills the Arab.  That draws attention to the shift in Meursault's life after the shooting.
Second, I think Camus draws parallels between Meursault's life before and after the climax.  For example, in both parts Meursault's life revolves around consistency and patterns.  In part 1, his life is about coffee, cigarettes, sleep, etc.  "I drank the coffee.  Then I felt like having a smoke" (Camus 8).  In part 2, when Meursault is in jail, his life is monotonous and all blurs into an endless cycle of dull days.  "it was one and the same unending day that was unfolding in my cell" (Camus 80).  Camus illustrates that even though Meursault's life has changed drastically, it's really the same.  It's like the cliche 'the more things change, the more they stay the same'.  Also, some of the same random characters are in both parts for some reason.  The strange little woman from Celeste's restaurant is also at Meursault's trial.  In part 1, "[h]er gestures were jerky and she had bright eyes in a little face like an apple[...]put her jacket back on with the same robotlike movements[...]making her way with incredible speed and assurance" (Camus 43).  In part 2, the woman is at Meursault's trial for an unknown reason.  "I recognized next to him the little woman from the restaurant, with her jacket and her stiff and determined manner" (Camus 86).  I think this woman is in the novel to illustrate someone who has a purpose in life, basically the opposite of Meursault.  I don't think she could be considered a foil, but it's interesting that Camus mentions this seemingly random character in both parts of the novel.

Journal 4-Questions

6 insightful questions about The Stranger-hopefully I don't need to speculate about answers.
1. Why does Meursault think so much about marriage in chapter 6, but seems not to care when other men objectify Marie and make comments about her body?
2. Why doesn't Meursault describe the Arabs, yet he describes Masson in detail?
3. Why isn't the color red used to describe the large amount of blood, yet is used to describe many other things that are not conventionally red? (like the sun and rocks)
4. Why does Camus make the Arab only able to play three notes on his flute?  Do they represent something else?
5. Why is Meursault's forehead burning in chapter 6 and also when his mother was buried?  What does that signify?
6. Why is the alliteration of the "s" sound used on the last page of the chapter?  Is that Camus, or is it Ward's translation?  Does it matter?  Is it supposed to be there?

Journal 3-Philosophy

Hope-ism
My philosophy is based on the belief that everything has a purpose and is for the best.  I also think that there are some things that are mysterious and shouldn't have to be explained, just accepted, and that's beautiful to me.
1. There is something good in everyone; people are naturally good, not evil.
2. People can change their own destiny/future.
3. There is a God with whom humans can have a personal relationship.
4. Life does have purpose and meaning.
5. Positive relationships are the single most important thing in life, not material things.
6. Nothing good can come from dwelling on negative things.
7. Our expectations determine how we react to and feel about everything.
My beliefs are optimistic, and I realize how naive they sound.  But I really don't see the point in going through life not believing in anything.  I don't see how negative expectations, thoughts, and attitudes make life better for anyone.  I like to believe that everything is for the best and that there is a plan for how it will work out in the end.  These beliefs have developed from my upbringing, my relationships, and from being observant of others and their beliefs.  From my experience, the people who have the most positive outlook are usually the ones who do the best in school and sports, and they are the ones who are leaders.  People like positive things.

Journal 2-L'etranger

Part 1: I believe that Matthew Ward's translation of The Stranger has the most literary value.  This is because I think that Gilbert's translation had entirely too much description.  Ward's translation uses adjectives and extensive imagery sparingly, and that is most likely how Camus wrote The Stranger.  I think that because if Camus did write his novel with as much description as Gilbert uses, then Ward would have translated it too, like Gilbert did.  I think Gilbert's style embellished Camus' novel, based on what I saw in class today.  By choosing Ward's translation, I am valuing the integrity of the character and characterization of Meursault, that he doesn't care much about the flowers, or the little villages, or the frou-frou things.  He cares about what's happening to him and not much else, it seems from Ward's translation.
Part 2: I personally would prefer the title of The Foreigner instead of The Stranger. When I first read the book, I was frustrated by not knowing who or what the stranger was.  I think that The Foreigner is more obviously a specific person.  I think that title would have  double meaning.  It would reference/represent the Arab man that Meursault shoots, and it also would emphasize that Meursault is a kind of foreigner in his own country because he is so oblivious to social norms and customs.  He is insensitive to others' feelings and has almost no empathy.  This makes him seem like a foreigner to me, someone with a different way of looking at things.  For example, at the vigil, Meursault is annoyed with how his fellow "mourners" are reacting to his mother's death.  "The woman kept on crying [...] I wished I didn't have to listen to her anymore" (10).  His lack of compassion towards the old people in the home really distances the reader from Meursault and, to me, makes him seem like a foreigner in his own world.