Thought provoking questions:
1) Is Camus racist through his descriptions of the "Arabs" at the beach?
2) What significance does Raymond have in regards to the theme Camus attempts to illustrate?
3) Does the robotic lady signify a more extreme Meursault? (43). If not, what does she signify?
4) What led to Meursault's view on life? How did his experience in school change his past perspective? (41).
5) Why does Camus have Meursault call his mother "Maman" and an Arab prisoner do the same? (76).
6) What significance does the article about the Czechoslovakian have in regards to the theme?
Replies:
Andy Luu #5 - Camus utilizes the "robotic lady" in order to provide a contrast to Meursault. Camus attempts to distinguish the difference between Meursault's indifference and voluntary routine and the robotic lady's involuntary and programmed life.
Anthony Nguyen #2 - Camus utilizes the indifference of the character, Meursault, in order to examine the "absurd." His "irrational" priority of physical impulses ultimately free him from the symbolic imprisonment of society.
Ivan Kallevig #2 - Through the structure of two parts, Camus follows the same philosophy by having Meursault awkwardly operate within society's boundaries in part one. The second part is used to demonstrate how Meursault ultimately transcends society's symbolic imprisonment.
Isabel Harger #5 - Meursault utilizes the absurdity of the trial, society's way of judging Meursault, as a method to show Meursault's transcendence from society's symbolic imprisonment.
Shannon Graham #1 - Camus describes the Arabs with little detail to illustrate the French society's racist perceptions of Arabs at the same.
5.) Camus has the Arab prisoner refer to his mother as "Maman" to show the closeness between the two. Mersault was also close to his mother, and the Arab prisoner's interaction symbolizes how a simple change in one's life can have a different effect. If Maman had not died the wordless, yet meaningful, time would be spent with his mother, rather than the meaningless chatter between him and Marie.
ReplyDelete1) It seems to me to be 1 part racist, 1 part literary. It extends throughout the book the portrayal of flat characters with nameless faces using ethnic classification (the reason it doesn't just happen to 'Arabs'. Kinda like a caricature? Whatever that Lit term was)
ReplyDelete2) Raymond plays all sorts of parts. He is the catalyst for plot development and is a mirror of how Meursault acts with other people. Therefore all of the things that Camus demonstrates through Meursault are emphasized when there is a split between his thinking and his actions with Raymond.
3) I think that is the main part she plays, but the lady also defines purpose, hence the reason she intrigues Meursault. She is so directed that he can't keep up with her (symbolically, being left recognizing the Absurd). This shows that the world isn't inherently Absurdist, but rather that Absurdity is only necessary when one recognizes that somethings PURPOSE is meaningless (like Sartre's classic hammer analogy)
4) In this case, I think Camus simply uses Meursault to mirror himself.
6) "Don't play games" is a parallel to don't pretend something that is not. The idea is that when you do (in reference to finding a life purpose) that you only give the possibility to hurt yourself. The mother and sister come to represent that even in such a system, self-responsibility and INTERNAL punishment can still function.
4) What led to Meursault's view on life? How did his experience in school change his past perspective? (41).
ReplyDeleteI think Meursault may have always been this way his whole life. He does mention that he had ambition in school, but also that he had never been able to feel emotions. I think he has been emotionless and his life/his emotionless perspective taught him of the indifference of life.
2. I think that Meursault's relationship with Raymond illustrates some existentialist beliefs that Meursault (and Camus) may possess. When Raymond asks Meursault to write his girlfriend a letter to lure her back so that he could 'teach her a lesson'. Meursault sees no problem with this. Existentialists believe that one should make decisions without influence from society or presumed 'morals.' This shows Meursault's disregard for society's expectations.
ReplyDelete3. I do not think that she is representative of a more extreme Meresault in that she is described as "robotic" and meticulous, where as Meresault is more physically oriented (a robot does not feel tired or hot) and is definitely unsure of himself and his actions on multiple occasions. I think her purpose is that she provides one catalyst for Meresault's eventual thought processes when he is in prison. As pointed out by Sean, I think a reason Meresault has such an interest in her is that she has created a purpose for herself and even though that purpose cannot be seen it is evident that one can be created for the individual.
ReplyDelete