Choose a critical lens that interests you. You may choose the lens that you looked through in class, or you may choose any other from the critical theory packet.
Please respond to the following questions and agree or disagree with ONE other BLOGGER:
1. Identify the lens through which you are viewing this text.
2. Based on your reading of the text, WHY is Meursault the way he is? Use one key piece of evidence to support your interpretation.
3. Through your lens, why does this text matter in the world?
Due Thursday, Jan. 22, before class.
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26 comments:
Ashley Hart
Looking through the Psychoanalytical lens, I feel Meursault is the way he is because he has a severe need for companionship.
I feel Meursault's need for companionship comes from a loss previously in his life. I'm not talking about his mother's death, but I am suggesting that beause Meaursault had to give up his studies he changed. When Meursault says, "When I was a student, I had lots of ambitions like that. But when I had to give up my studies I learned very quickly that none of it really mattered." (41) This line shows that he used to have something to fill his life. Without his studies he has a longing for something to fill the void which leads to him becoming friends with Raymond and also taking a liking in Marie.
The line, "I didn't mind being his pal, and he seemed set on it" (33), shows that even though Meursault somewhat knows what kind of man Raymond is, his need to just be around another person blinds his veiws even if it could end up being tragic. The same thing happens with Marie. The line, "So I rolled over, and tried to find the salty smell Marie's hair had left on the pillow, and slept until ten" (21), shows that even though he knew where Marie was, he longed for her to be with him showing his desperate need to a companion.
Having the lens of a Marxist, the wealthy have all the guilt for the actions Meursault had. For example, due to making low wage jobs, he had to be separated from his mother causing him to be distant from her. When the caretaker says to Meursault that it's understandable for placing her there, "You weren't able to provide for her properly" focuses our attention on how "the Man" controls us, creating an oppression that causes us to destroy or kill anything. Also, another thing that the caretaker tells Meursault, "You earn only a modest salary" leads the audience the same hard routine that we must go through that "the Man" (4) slams on us with, never being able to better ourselves. This creates the mood of hopelessness and carelessness due to no progression. Through my lens, money can only bring happiness.
I agree with Jorge, through a Marxist lens Meursault is the way he is because of his class in society. When Meursault is being questioned, he knows that his role and his status in society will do him no good when he is in court. When he says “nobody seemed very interested in my case” (63) enhances the idea that Meursault was no one important in the society that he was living in. This is why no one really paid attention to his case. Also, when the magistrate “looked Meursault over with curiosity” (63) the word “curiosity,” suggests that he was trying to find out just who Meursault was and was he of any importance. When Meursault is appointed a lawyer continues the idea that it is the people with higher status in society that seems to control your own actions. Meursault told the magistrate about hiring a lawyer that he “hadn’t inquired” and “it was really necessary to have” (63). In addition, he says “my case was pretty simple” suggest that Meursault still knows that his case means nothing in the eyes of people who are high in society than he was. But it’s the magistrate says “the courts will appoint one,” the authors choice to us the word “the courts” helps the audience to understand that the people with higher power in society controls decisions of the people in the lower part of society. Also, when magistrate enforces “the law is the law” this suggests Meursault had no choice but to accept the decisions of the higher people in society. This matters to the world because it is the higher class “the courts” who make the laws and the only thing lower class people in society can do about them is obey them.
Dominika Niemiec
I am also looking through the Psychoanalytic lenses, and I agree with Ashley that Meursault wants companionship. But he is the way he is because Meursault never really had anything that really lasted. He didn't have his father, he lost his mother, and he even had to give up his studies. His famous indifferent attitude and rare sparks of emotion, are a result of this. "Nothing, Nothing mattered, and I knew why. So did he. Throughout the whole absurd life I have lived, a dark wind had been rising toward me from somewhere deep in my future, across years that were still to come, and as it passed, this wind leveled whatever was offered to me at the time,..." (p121) This phrase highlights the constant swirl of loss and impenetrable obstacle that always separated him from things desired as well as people, and his depressing realization of it, along with his acceptance of it.
It matters to the world because Meursault presents to us this depressingly horrid show of people's lack of concern for there own well being and to the path that their lives are trailing on. He takes everything with such a detaching atmosphere all things from love, life, and freedom to death, and imprisonment. It puts the idea of life's worth and importance into great consideration. "He wasn't even sure he was alive, because he was living like a dead man." (120)
I agree with Ashley and Dominika, looking through a psychoanalytic lens, Meursault is the way he is because he is in desperate need of camaraderie. He pretty much has nothing and no one in this world. He has no money, no mother, no father, and he gave up his studies. Many people act as if they don’t care about anything when they lose everything, when in fact they care deeply. “At times like this I remembered a story Maman used to tell me about my father. I never knew him”(110). This phrase emphasizes his sorrowful longing for someone to be there. This text matters in the world, because it shows us the severity of situations that lonliness and desperate need for human connection could lead us to.
Jon Martinez
Looking through Sophocles' lens it's easy to say Meursault is the way he is because of his inability to control his fate. Throughout the story, Meursault is portrayed as almost numb to normal human feelings that he should experience in the midst of things such as; his mother's death, or profession of love. Once his mother went to a home, he was alone and was almost pulled through life. Things entered and exited his life and he grew used too that. His path and it's "road signs" being chosen for him, leads him to becoming a puppet of fate.
This shows the world that if we don't take control of our lives it will take control of us. String us along as it did Meaursault and lead us into a corner that seals our fate for the worse. I want to agree with Dominika's justification of the what her lens says to the world, "It puts the idea of life's worth and importance into great consideration. "He wasn't even sure he was alive, because he was living like a dead man." (120)"
The lens in which I view this text is through existentialism. I believe that Meursault is the way he is because he is an existentialist character. He doesn’t care about any ones feelings. He completely lacks connection to any minor character within the story. Yet, characters praise him for his existentialist view of life which promote to him that it is ok to be the way that he is.
He defines human existence as nothing. He uses woman for his personal sexual needs and has no connection to Marie other then through sex. He has no friends nor does he wish to have any. Also, he lacks the feeling of love or remorse for any human being. He show us this when he talks about his mother’s death and of the Arab’s. An example of Meursault existentialism is the moment is which Marie asked him to marry her he said, “...It didn’t make any difference,”(41) and she asks him if he loved her and he responds, “I probably didn’t love her,”(41) which highlights his indifference, lack of connection, and overall emphasizes Meursault existentialistic view. Nothing important to any “normal” human being is important to him. What I find most absurd is that he wants people to greet him at his execution with “cries of hate” (123), which furthermore emphasize his own want for no positive human connection. At the beginning of the story he starts with not believing in anything and lack all the emotional qualities of a normal person and he ends not wanting any human connection other then hate.
I disagree with the psychoanalytical view, I don't think that it was because of that he is the way he is because he has Marie who loves him and Raymond, Celeste and Salomon praise Meursault as the "man". Yet, it may have been some sort of previous circumstance that caused him to be the way he is. But that isn't relevant because we aren't talking about his past.
Justyna Ciezobka
Looking through a historian's point of view, I feel that Mersault is the way he is because of the situation that's going on in Algiers at the time. In the time of the writing of the book, algiers was occupied by the French, which might have been why Camus chose to show the French as more dominant over the other inahabitants, which in this case were Arabs. Mersault's actions were also in part influenced by his surrounding. As we see in the book, Raymond hated Arabs because he felt that one of them was after him. We can relate to this in that now we see middle easterners to be terrorists and we try to protect ourselves from them. Likewise, in "The Stranger" I had a feeling as if Mersault felt this way - on the beach as he approached the Arab, who really wasn't doing anything, he felt that he would attack so Mersault decided to take the first shot and then another and another. This can also be proof of the dominance that exists - Mersault was the faster one, the one with the gun; so the Arab with the knife lost. Merault acted the way he did, but his actions were influenced by others, his mother's death, Raymond's mindset toward the Arab all caused him to respond the way he did. This text matters to the world because it shows an important part of what the world is today. We constatntly have some kind of judgement toward people that are different from us. We see them as our enemies when sometimes they could become friends. Even though they're looking through different lenses, I agree with what Yesenia says that when looking through a psychoanalytic lens Mersault is the way he is because "he is in desperate need of camaraderie". It's true that he has no one in the world - he just lost his mom who must've been the most important person in his life even though he didn't show it. He shows that this didn't matter to him, but towards the end, while sitting in the jail cell, Mersault finally opens up about how he feels. All that we felt didn't matter to him, really did matter....
I am in agreeance with Jorge and and Louis, when looking through a Marxist lens. Meursault is the way he is because of his financial standing in the society that he lives in. "You weren't able to provide for her properly" is what the caretaker says to Meursault. This comment implies that we are limited by the amount of money we obtain in a years times. This text matters because the fact that you can't rise higher than your money( or can't rise unless your money rises) is frustrating and causes you to retaliate harshly(murder, rob, etc...) towards society. This hightens a strong sense of hopelessness and the lack in choices we have beacuse of our income...And Jorge, you can't say "the Man" anymore because "the Man" is white and theres a new "MAN" in town...OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA...lol, jk!!!!
Looking through the DECONSTRUCTION lens, I believe there really isn't a way of knowing why Meursault is the way he is. Through out the novel we are aware of Meursault's emotional detachment from everyone surrounding him, but we are not of the reasoning behind his actions. I agree with Ashley when she says that he has a longing for something to fill a void, but we never know what caused that void. In the line "I remember feeling a little disgusted by him at the time. But now I understood, it was perfectly normal." In this detail we clearly see that Meursault was not always the way he is now. He was once able to show emotion and feel something towards others decisions.
According to the DECONSTRUCTIVE lens, this text has no real meaning in the world. We can not assume we know what happened in the text. We are never told why Meursault is the way he is we are left to assume why he is this way.
Sorry everyone I was not able to state what page number my quote lies on because I don't have my book with me. I know it is on the first few pages(1-5).
-Desiree Portalatin
I agree with Macrina when she says Meursault is an existentialist character. And how it doesn’t seem like he needs companionship. Although I think Macrina did a better job at explaining this.
Looking through the Existentialism lens(that is, if I understood this right), I feel Meursault is the way he is because he is an outcast in society where others do not understand his peculiar view on life. After his mother passed away, the author chooses to have Meursault say, “It occurred to me… that Maman was buried now, that I was going back to work, and that, really nothing had changed,” (24). This line suggests how he does not allow his mother’s death to affect how he manages through life; he will go on about like he normally does, despite what others might think. Other people would usually be affected extremely by their mother’s death in the sense that they would want to take the day off of work to relieve stress as they are mourning. But he isn’t like everyone else.
Also, there’s the reoccurring ‘pattern’ of how things do not really matter to him. For example, when Meursault met with his lawyer, he mentions how he “probably did love Maman, but that didn’t mean anything; at one time or another all normal people have wished their loved ones dead,” (65). Since society would not understand Meursault’s way of thinking, the lawyer wanted him to promise he would not mention this in court. However, Meursault continues to think the way he wants to, despite what society might think.
That is a reason why Meursault is not religious, referring more to being Christian. Since Christians rely on the bible and/or church, their beliefs tend to be influence by that. That’s why when the examining magistrate asked if Meursault believed in God, and Meursault said ‘no’ without hesitation, the examining magistrate was shocked and asked God to “forgive his sins,” (69).
This matters because it shows how you do not have to always “go with the flow” or what majority believes. Just because you different views on life, doesn’t mean that is wrong.
Jeffrey Goines in “Twelve Monkeys”: There's no right, there's no wrong, there's only popular opinion.
On a separate note, I recommend watching the movie “Twelve Monkeys”. It is directed by Terry Gilliam.
Hej Co tam
Erica Castillo
I agree with Louis and Jorge, through a Marxist lens. However, I also agree with Macrina. I will have to say that it is both Marxist and Existentialism.
Meursault is the way he is because of society. Society makes us. We are who we are because of what we see around us. During the time of this story is when the Arabs and the French were fighting with each other. If Meursault always saw this then he too will think bad of the Arabs. When Raymond told him about the Arabs following him all day. "He'd been followed all day by a group pf Arabs.." and "If you see him hanging around the building when you get home this evening, let me know." "I said I would."(40), suggests that Meursault was in the middle of a fight and his friend wanted Meursault to help him and Meursault did help him. Raymomd is society and Meursault went along with his friend.
On the other hand, Meursault is isolated. Meursault seems not to care about people. When his mother died he did not care. When at the funeral he seem lost in his own mind. Again, he seem not to care about the people who were in his mothers life either. He did not even talk to them. "The director spoke to me again. But I wasn't really listening anymore"(5), suggests that he does not care about the death of his own mother. Also, Meursault uses women for his own use. He just needs a women for his sexual needs. He does not care about Marie. "A minute later she asked me if I love her. I told her it didn't mean anything but that I didn't think so"(35), suggest that he does not care about anyone. Meursault does not know how to show love to anyone.
This text matters to the world because we all have are own reason on why we are the person we are. We all do things in a different ways for different reasons.
Yesica Prado :D
By us looking through a Freudian lens, there are three main things in our minds: sex, aggression and survival, which are also best known as the three F’s (food, fight & f**k). Meursault is indifferent and aggressive because for men to think about the three F’s, it’s simply their nature. We can see these kinds of thoughts in his mind throughout the whole novel. For instance, when Meursault and Marie go to the movies, he only focuses on her physical, he says, “She had her leg pressed against mine. I was fondling her breasts” (20). This line leads the audience to sense the sexual appeal that consumes Meursault. He has no consideration of Marie’s feelings or persona. He only wants her body. Similarly, when Meursault is frustrated by the priest, he brutally responds to him, “I grabbed him by the collar of his cassock. I was pouring out on him everything that was in my heart, cries of anger and cries of joy” (120). This phrase focuses our attention on men’s need to fulfill their aggressive desires. If we repress these feelings, the more they are suppressed rather than be dealt with, the more likely they will express themselves in some inappropriate, possible strange way. In Meursault’s case, after not being taken in consideration in his judgment, he suppressed these angry emotions and remained quiet through it all. “But all the long speeches, all the interminable days and hours that people had spent talking about my soul, had left me with the impression of a colorless swirling river that was making me dizzy” (104). In the end, Meursault took out his anger on what he thought was an acceptable figure—the priest, and burst out all the rage that he had been drowning in. In just the same way, when Meursault was about to be attacked by the Arab, he responds to his threat this way: “As soon as he saw me, he sat up a little and put his hand in his pocket. Naturally, I gripped Raymond’s gun inside my jacket” (58). This line reveals how men are solely focused on their survival. Even the word “naturally” emphasizes the sense that is a men’s instinct to subsist at any costs. It’s their 6th sense. It’s a reflex. Ultimately, this text matters because as long as men are able to survive in this world and fulfill their desires, even if they might not be accepted by society, it’s the only issues in life that are relevant to them. They are alive and happy carrying on this way. Besides, it also matters because by looking at a men’s nature that their minds only revolve around the three F’s, judges might be able to feel more sympathy and deeply considerate the sentence that they will give to a criminal. It is their nature to act this way. So, why be harshly punished?
I disagree with Ashley’s view that Meursault longed for companionship, because he wasn’t interested in Marie’s feelings. He never felt anything close to love, but rather a strong sexual desire for her. He wants her to be his sexual toy not his companion.
By means of the Existentialism lens, I must say that I agree with Macrina and others blogging similar responses, because Meursault was just an isolated, remote being in a large world that he didn't even feel a long to explore. Meursault didn't dream of passion and love, success and money, nor did he ever take into account further bonding with his soon-to-go mother. He simply lacked almost all emotional reaction to all situations, people, and things, although he did enjoy people-watching on Sundays. That being said, he felt no desire to live life, but he did feel even the faintest amount of pleasure in watching others.
Even Meursault's indifference to Marie's love shows that he feels no needs in fabricating situations and creating theoretical meanings for each and every one.
"Then she asked me again if I loved her. I replied much, as before, that her question had meant nothing or next to nothing- but i supposed I didn't."(52)
As one man tells a woman he loves her because he can recognize that long and passionate bond with her, Meursault tells Marie the matter of loving one another means nothing to him. Why? I feel this is because he is simply Existential and, therefore, has never opened himself to such ideas and feelings. He does, however, enjoy certain simple characterist and traits of Marie and also certain moments they'd share together.
By means of the Existentialism lens, I must say that I agree with Macrina and others blogging similar responses, because Meursault was just an isolated, remote being in a large world that he didn't even feel a long to explore. Meursault didn't dream of passion and love, success and money, nor did he ever take into account further bonding with his soon-to-go mother. He simply lacked almost all emotional reaction to all situations, people, and things, although he did enjoy people-watching on Sundays. That being said, he felt no desire to live life, but he did feel even the faintest amount of pleasure in watching others.
Even Meursault's indifference to Marie's love shows that he feels no needs in fabricating situations and creating theoretical meanings for each and every one.
"Then she asked me again if I loved her. I replied much, as before, that her question had meant nothing or next to nothing- but i supposed I didn't."(52)
As one man tells a woman he loves her because he can recognize that long and passionate bond with her, Meursault tells Marie the matter of loving one another means nothing to him. Why? I feel this is because he is simply Existential and, therefore, has never opened himself to such ideas and feelings. He does, however, enjoy certain simple characterist and traits of Marie and also certain moments they'd share together.
By means of the Existentialism lens, I must say that I agree with Macrina and others blogging similar responses, because Meursault was just an isolated, remote being in a large world that he didn't even feel a long to explore. Meursault didn't dream of passion and love, success and money, nor did he ever take into account further bonding with his soon-to-go mother. He simply lacked almost all emotional reaction to all situations, people, and things, although he did enjoy people-watching on Sundays. That being said, he felt no desire to live life, but he did feel even the faintest amount of pleasure in watching others.
Even Meursault's indifference to Marie's love shows that he feels no needs in fabricating situations and creating theoretical meanings for each and every one.
"Then she asked me again if I loved her. I replied much, as before, that her question had meant nothing or next to nothing- but i supposed I didn't."(52)
As one man tells a woman he loves her because he can recognize that long and passionate bond with her, Meursault tells Marie the matter of loving one another means nothing to him. Why? I feel this is because he is simply Existential and, therefore, has never opened himself to such ideas and feelings. He does, however, enjoy certain simple characterist and traits of Marie and also certain moments they'd share together.
Looking through the Psychoanalytic lens I agree with Ashley because Meursault is in need of companionship, no matter where it comes from. Meursault wants someone to talk to and be his support. This desire, when not being embraced leads to his downfall. Throughout the story Meursault is seen interacting with someone that is an acquaintance or a friend. Usually, when he interacts with someone he seems at peace. The times that he is alone bad things happen. For example, what happened when he walked on the beach by his self, “Then I fired four more times at the motionless body where the bullets lodged without leaving a trace”(59). This line shows that because he was alone he did something that would lead to his death. This text matters to the world because it helps us understand that without someone by our side we make decision that we might regret.
The lens through which I'm viewing this text is the Archetypal Criticism. In my opinion, Meursault i the way he is because he's lived his life under the theory of the outcast by choice and has alienated himself from the world and created a imbalance in his thought pattern and feelings i.e. when he writes the letter for Raymond to his ex-girlfriend in order to get her "punished"(29), shows that he is nto in a normal thought pattern and his isolation has his sense of thought warped. This text matters to the world because it answers the age old question, "does alienation ultimately taint the person one becomes?" I am also in agreement with Ashley his need for companionship because all outcast secretly desire it, caused him to lash out and behave incoherently.
Cesar Servin
Looking through the Psychoanalytical lens, I agree with Ashley and everybody that also agrees with her that the only thing that kept Mersault from being empty and lonely were his studies. It was something he had "ambition" for before he felt that nothing mattered. Then he just sort of lost care for everything around him. He then turned into "an isolated being who is cast into an alien universe" and loses "value" and "meaning". For this i see it through the "Existentialism" lens. I see Mersault as lost with no connection with others. He has no feelings or care for something like everybody around him. He sees a woman crying at Maman's funeral and states " I wished I didn't have to listen to her anymore". (pg.10) This and how it seems like he is just watching everybody and criticizing them on their emotions. Emotions that he doesn't seem to have over Maman's death. He sees death as something ordinary that's going to happen sooner or later. "Then he explained that he'd heard about Maman's death but that it was one of those things that was bound to happen sooner or later. I thought so too." (pg. 33)
Cesar Servin
Looking through the Psychoanalytical lens, I agree with Ashley and everybody that also agrees with her that the only thing that kept Mersault from being empty and lonely were his studies. It was something he had "ambition" for before he felt that nothing mattered. Then he just sort of lost care for everything around him. He then turned into "an isolated being who is cast into an alien universe" and loses "value" and "meaning". For this i see it through the "Existentialism" lens. I see Mersault as lost with no connection with others. He has no feelings or care for something like everybody around him. He sees a woman crying at Maman's funeral and states " I wished I didn't have to listen to her anymore". (pg.10) This and how it seems like he is just watching everybody and criticizing them on their emotions. Emotions that he doesn't seem to have over Maman's death. He sees death as something ordinary that's going to happen sooner or later. "Then he explained that he'd heard about Maman's death but that it was one of those things that was bound to happen sooner or later. I thought so too." (pg. 33)
I am looking through an Existentialist lens, and i agree with Macrina, Kerri, and Desiree about how Meusault is the way he is because he is an "outcast" to society. People recognized him as a peculiar person because of how he reacted to certain things, for example his mother's death. He sees some things that people find important as meaningless. For example, when he doesn't want to see his mother, the director says "You don't want to?" (pg. 6). This line emphasizes the idea of Meursault's oddness, and helps create an idea of isolation from society because of our way of thinking. When people found out about Meursault's other's death, they all seem to be a bit thrown off by his reaction to it and his actions after it, which made him feel guilty. When Marie seemed surprised after seeing his reaction to his mother's death, he says he felt like saying "It wasn't my fault" (pg. 20). Also, when Meursault is in court and the lawyer talks about how wrong he was, Mearsault says "I had this stupid urge to cry, because I could feel how much all these people hated me" (pg.90). This helps create the idea of how we struggle to keep ourselves from being isolated from society while still being ourselves. This is the only time we really see Meursault express any emotion. This line helps create the idea of isolation from society. Meursault is the way he is, because he is an isolate being living in an "alien" type of society. We are the way we are, because we struggle to connect with other people's ideas and ways of being. This text matters in the world, because it expresses how we all live in an "alien" type of universe and are isolated if our thoughts and ideas don't match up with those of society.
I am also analyzing “The Stranger” through the Deconstruction lens, and I agree with ro ro with the idea that is not possible to know the exact reason why Meursault did what he did. It is hard to believe and absurd that the sunlight was the reason why he killed the Arab in, “I blurted out that it was because of the sun.” (103). If this is his explanation and one can regard him as being very self-conscious, it is hard to argue that it was more than just the sunlight that made him shoot the Arab five times. There is no meaning in the killing of the Arab as he is unsure himself of why he did this and to him it has no real significance as he was going to die anyway.
This text interests the world as it sheds light on the possibility of text not having much meaning and a direct reason why Meursault is the way he is. There is very little amount of explanation of his emotional feelings (then again they seem to be nonexistent throughout the story) and entire mindset other than how nature makes him feel to come up with a definite interpretation.
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