The Stranger Question

Toward the middle of the second part of the book, Muersault is placed in jail. There are many things that show a change in his behavior. One way that shows that Muersault has changed is when he states, “… offered me a cigarette, which I turned down” (Camus 82). This particular quote shows that by refusing a cigarette has shown some change in Muersault. So with that said, do you believe that an individual should be executed even when you see a change in him/her? Explain why or why not.

Stranger Question

-"But everybody knows life isn't worth living. Deep down I knew perfectly well that it doesn't much matter whether you die at thirty or at seventy, since in either case other men and women will naturally go on living-and for thousands of years." (114 Camus) Does Meursault truly not care about life and want to die, or does this quote have another meaning?

Stranger Question

- "Throughout the whole absurd life I'd 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 this time, in years no more real than the ones I was living." (121 Camus) How does this quote describe Meursault's existentialist characteristics?

the stranger question

"All I care about right now is escaping the machinery of justice, seeing if there's any way out of the inevitable(Camus,108)." Throughout the course of his time behind bars, how does Mersault's perception of life and death change?

A Strange Question

During the second half of the book, Meursalt and the judge have many disputes on the belief in God and his refusal to believe. Through the trial precedings his refusal gets him in more and more trouble. Near the end he even states, "He wanted to talk to me about God again, but I went up to him and made one last attempt to explain to him that I had only a little time left and I didn't want to it on God" (114). Do you think Meursalt is doing this based on his beliefs or is he just having one last laugh on the judge?

The Stranger Question

The last two lines of The Stranger read, " I had only to wish that there be a large crowd of spectators the day of my execution and that they greet me with cries of hate." (p. 123) In this quote, it seems as if Mersault is wishing for the hatred of others towards him. Why do you think Mersault has this wish and what is the actual meaning behind it?

The Stranger Question

Throughout The Stranger, almost all of us had bad opinions about Meursault, saying that he was an overall bad, unhappy person. However, in the end of the story, Meursault says "... I felt that I had been happy and that I was happy agian" (123). So he is saying that throughout his life he has always been happy, and even though he is near his death, he realizes that he is still happy. Do you think he is truely happy, or is he just trying to make it seem as if he doesn't care that he is going to die. If you do think he is happy, why has he seemed so misirable throughout the story and seemed to us that he wasn't happy?

The Stranger Question

Do Meursault’s actions after the trial follow the guidelines set forth by existentialism? “Despite my willingness to understand, I just couldn’t accept such arrogant certainty. Because, after all, there really was something ridiculously out of proportion between the verdict such certainty was based on and the imperturbable march of events from the moment the verdict was announced” (109). Following the tenets of existentialism, should not Meursault just accept this consequence for killing the Arab? On the other hand, is Meursault’s questioning the verdict not letting others decide his fate?

General Question #1

Is anyone else finding it really difficult to come to grasps with the concept that young people are expected to choose one field/profession, get educated in it, and stick with it for life? I could probably feel equally passionate, and be equally successful, with some other major/field; does that mean that I should not be entering the one I have chosen?

Acceptable Use

Remember that anything you write on the wiki or blog is public. It should always be academic and respectful. Violating the AUP will mean failure for the course.