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.