The Stranger (first body)

Meursault's opening lines of the novel instantly expose his psychological indifference to the world around him.  Instead of grieving, he is emotionally removed, cold, and apathetic in regards to the news of his mother's death. Once he receives the telegram, his fundamental concern is finding out which day his mother passed away: "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," (1). He does not express any anguish or sorrow, which makes him a  difficult character to classify. Moreover, he is neither happy nor unhappy; thus, it is challenging to cast him as being immoral or normal: he is simply amoral.  Meursault utterly declares the fact in a straightforward and ordinary manner. Already his opening lines connote one of the many themes in the novel: the meaninglessness of human existence. In addition, although Meursault dismisses the interpersonal, emotional, and collective matters of situations, he shifts his attention to the physical and practical details revolving around his mother's death. He finds particular interest in the heat, sky, and nature: "the sky was already filled with light. The sun was beginning to bear down on the earth and it was getting hotter by the minute...I was hot in my dark clothes...it was inhuman and oppressive," (24). Before his mother's funeral, he savors and appreciates the lovely climate and scenery. Likewise, Meursault does not feel pain nor sadness throughout the entire funeral process; however, he does find the heat unbearable, causing him more grief than the idea of burying his own mother into the ground. 

The Stranger (intro paragraph)

Albert Camus' novel, The Stranger, not only explores the meaninglessness of human life, but also the intense infatuation with the external world versus the internal world. The detached protagonist, Meursault, immediately reveals himself as a lost, emotionless individual in the beginning of the novel. Throughout The Stranger, Meursault constantly diverts his attention to his inner core, his intimate, yet solely physical relationship with Marie, his external life, and the extraneous components of his surroundings. While Meursault introduces the novel with an aloof reaction to his mother's death, his depravation in the prison cell at the beginning of part 2 causes him to focus on the internal as opposed to the external, unusually disclosing emotional information about Marie and shockingly, his mother. 

The Stranger (quick notes)

fascinated with the external normal life heat & sky

depravation makes him focus on the internal because there is no external anymore... unusually happy in prison

The Stranger (outline, thesis, best ideas)

Outline:

Intro paragraph: introduce the essay by speaking about part I first -- general statements about him being detached. Perhaps begin speaking about his unusual indifference with his mother's passing? Then, towards the thesis, become more specific about part 2 and how he reveals more emotion.

Thesis: irony about how once he is in a confined environment, he opens up!

First body paragraph: explore Meursault in part 1 to eventually make the connection... quote about his mom passing away and another one describing Marie.

Second body paragraph: explore Meursault in part 2 in the prison... one quote about how he feels in the prison itself... he starts to have these epiphanies about his life and then another quote about Marie (a perfect way to compare his detached self in part 1!)

Conclusion:

The Stranger (essay question)

I'm thinking of writing my essay on the sudden shift in emotion during the beginning of part 2 in the novel. Meursault finally allows himself to become a bit vulnerable and reveals his sensitive side to the audience. For example, he speaks of Marie in a different way and even mentions his mother! This was extremely surprising, considering Meursault has not mentioned his mother since the funeral in the beginning of the novel.

The Stranger (pg 65-79)

Meursault begins to comprehend that not only does he not care what happens, but that the world does not care either. For example, when Meursault told Raymond not to shoot the Arab and to give him the gun, that is when Meursault reached an epiphany: “it was then that I realized you could either shoot or not shoot.” His epiphany  connotes that no difference exists between the two alternatives. In addition, the nature motif reoccurs during this chapter. In the beginning of the chapter, Meursault portrays nature's benefits: the sun calming his headache and the sea providing him and Marie to swim and enjoy each other's company. However, as the chapter progresses, Meursault conveys nature in a negative light. Moreover, the heat oppressing Meursault is an example of nature's negative on him. 

The Stranger (pg 45-64)

Meursault asserts that although details may change, one’s life remains essentially constant: "I said that people never change their lives, that in any case one life was as good as another and that I wasn’t dissatisfied with mine here at all." This declaration implies that each person’s life is essentially equal to everyone else’s. It becomes clear that Meursault concentrates largely on the moment in which he finds himself, with little reference to past occurrences or future consequences. This outlook perhaps explains his ambivalent attitude toward marriage with Marie; thus, the emotional and sentimental aspects of marriage never enter into his mind.