Sunday, March 11, 2012

Journal#3- The Stranger

I think Camus separates his novel into two parts because it shows Meursault in two different situations and how  he reacts in both of them. It also shows how Meursault changes as a character from the first part to the second part.
In the first part the syntax is short and choppy characterizing Meursault because it is simple like him. "I caught the two o'clock bus. It was very hot. I ate at the restaurant, at Celeste's, as usual". The choppy and simple syntax in part 1 creates the character of Meursault in part 1 as a boring and simple person.
In part 2 the syntax is different. It is lengthier and more complex creating the Meursault in the second part as a more thought provoking character. " Because at the thought that one fine morning I would find myself a free man standing a cordon of police- o the outside, as it were-at the thought of being the spectator who comes to watch and then can go and throw up afterwards, a wave of poisoned joy rose in my throat". In this second part the complex syntax is used to create a more complex thinker that is Meursault. He is more hopeful in the second part and thinking about getting out of jail. Instead in part 1 he had nothing to hope for until the second part when his freedom was taken away.
A similarity I saw between the two parts was the contrast between lights and darks that remains as a motif. Also the sky and nature still remain a motif. The sense of loneliness in the book remains the same as well.

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