Journal #5- The Stranger

Philosophy: Honesty & Effort

Earn What You Want
You are not entitled to something you have not earned. If you want respect, if you want success, you have to earn it by proving you deserve it. Back up your words with action, make sure you are actually capable of what you say you are or you will look like a fool. No one person is above another in terms of entitlement, everyone has to go through the same process to be considered true equals.

Work for What You Want
Nothing in life is free. If you truly want something, you MUST be willing to work towards it in order to achieve it. Anyone can say they want to do something or be someone, but those who truly desire it will never stop working until they have accomplished what they have set out to do. Natural talent will only get you so far because hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.

Be Honest
Honesty is crucial to success in life, to having a happy and well lived one. Whether you're referring to honesty with other people, or being honest with yourself, nothing is more crucial in building relationships. You have to be honest with others if you want them to respect you. If you tell someone something that you don't really mean, it is usually easy to pick up on, not to mention harmful to that person's trust in you. Being honest with others and yourself make you a trustworthy and reliable person that is able to recognize flaws within themselves and to be willing to make a change.

Have an End Goal in Sight
It is important to know where you are going so that you understand why you are doing whatever it is you are now. Having a plan is essential to success, life is not as straightforward as some might say, you can't just wait until something is almost over and expect to be successful. If you want to achieve your goals, have a step by step plan on how you will go about fulfilling your aspirations.

Loyalty
Having loyalty is an exceptional asset to have. A loyal person is irreplaceable and makes life bearable. When the chips are down, that one person who is always by your side provides a comforting feeling making you feel like you're not alone, that you don't have to do everything by yourself. A loyal friend allows you to confide in them, things you would most likely not share with others, allowing you to release pent up stress and anxiety.

Do Not Dwell on the Past 
Our past can come back to haunt us, and for some of us it can be hard to get over. However, no matter what has happened previously in your life, you have to forget about it and move on. Dwelling on negative aspects is reasonable and understandable for a short time, but focusing on it for days or months on end is severely unhealthy and can only serve to keep you down. Regret and grief are both very natural aspects of life, however if you can only focus on those things, you will miss out on life and experiencing what it has to offer.

Do Not Limit Yourself
It is important for you to do all that you humanly can during your time here on Earth. By passing up on opportunities you are essentially taking a pass on life, content to just stay on the train that keeps creeping towards death. No one can fault you for trying something and not succeeding, life is full of risks and to not take any really isn't living at all, but rather spectating from the sidelines. If you want to enjoy life you have to remove yourself from your comfort zone and push yourself just to see what you are capable of. That alone is enough to establish a sense of pride in oneself.

Journal #4- The Stranger

At the end of the novel, Meursault is able to reflect and look within himself after the chaplain visits him for the last time. He lashes out at the holy man for pestering him with guilt that he wants no part of. By confronting the chaplain, Meursault is able to reach a sort of closure and identify with what he believes truly matters. He is sure of himself, and feels irritated with this priest whose claims aren't warranted by any real justification in Meursault's eyes.  He comes to the conclusion that nothing truly matters, that since we are all destined to die, nothing should matter to him. In his opinion, nothing that we do on Earth will affect us any differently after death than it will the next man. Meursault also comes to terms with his mother's death, understanding why she took a fiance at such an old age. Now close to death himself, Meursault identifies with the liberating essence of the evening, bringing out a refreshing feeling, ambition to live life over again.
 I don't think that Camus wants us to come to the same conclusion, at least not just because we think that's what he wants. I believe that Camus wants us to reflect on what the Stranger is saying about life, about what its meaning is, and to form our own explanation. I don't believe he expected everyone who read his book to agree with him necessarily, but rather to contemplate their existence and think about what we are doing and why we are doing it rather than just blindly following our habits and tendencies.

Journal #3- The Stranger

I believe that Camus divides up his novel into two parts because they are almost completely different stories. There are still many parallels, like the role of light, Meursaults peculiar social interactions, and his acceptance of the inevitable. However,while the characters and setting remain the same, many things change within Meursault from the first part to the second. One of the main aspects of the story that changes is that Meursault begins to look within himself and find out what he truly feels and believes. Whereas in the beginning, he was more focused on his surroundings and others around him, in the second part he starts identifying with ideas or aspects of life that are important to him. Prior to being in prison, Meursault's indifferent and apathetic attitude kept the reader from knowing too much about him, but now that he is cut off from the aesthetics of nature to distract him he is forced to realize his true feelings and thoughts that he kept mostly hidden whether intentional or not. A quote from the first part shows just how indifferent Meursault can be in very significant situations. "Then she pointed out that marriage was a serious thing. I said, 'No.' She stopped talking for a minute and looked at me without saying anything" (42). This quote portrays Meursault's apathy towards a topic that by the general public's standard is pretty important. However, he shrugs the question off, simply disregarding it by refusing to agree. In contrast to this, Meursault expresses remorse when returning form the trial back to prison realizing that he will never again walk the streets and experience the town that he truly valued. " [...] I could make out one by one, as if from the depths of my exhaustion, all the familiar sounds of a town I loved and of a certain time of day when I used to feel happy" (97). Clearly there has been a transformation in Meursault's personality as he discovers his value and love for something only after it is too late. Whether, or not Camus meant for this to be significant or not, it clearly shows that Meursault is a different character from when we first met him.

Journal #2 -The Stranger

Option 2: Camus use of the first person point of view allows the reader to experience the world through a limited perspective, that still retains a somewhat objective tone. Although, under normal circumstances, a first person point of view would involve a lot of personal bias, not much is seen throughout the novel due to Meursault's generally indifferent attitude towards most things. I believe that Camus didn't use a 3rd person omniscient point of view because he wanted to preserve the mysterious nature of Meursault's world. Had he allowed the reader to delve into other characters' thoughts, many of the curiosities and questions of Meursault would disappear as a new, outside influence would be affecting our view on him. The first person point of view forces the reader to think about the answers to the many questions that arise while reading the novel, not just giving them away through another character's thoughts or feelings. This point of view relates back to one of the key themes of The Stranger in which Camus attempts to get the reader to question the meaning of life by leaving so many unanswered questions that can be left to many different interpretations.

Journal #1- The Stranger

1. The Caretaker- The caretaker is described as being someone who is proud of his position at the rest home. He refers to the residents of the home as "them" or "they" even though he himself is sixty-four, about the same age as some of the residents there.  The caretaker serves as a companion to Meursault during the night vigil for Maman, discussing his life and the home to Meursault. Initially he appears in order to inform Meursault about the home and the state of Maman's funeral. However,he is also there to watch over the old residents who have come to pay their respects and make sure everyone is fine. I believe Camus uses the caretaker as a way to give the reader insight right off the bat about Meursault's personality and thoughts. Through the caretaker's interaction with Meursault, we are able to observe Meursault's social apathy towards other people and his tendency to focus more on his surroundings.
2. Perez- Perez is an old man that lives at the home that was a good friend of Maman's and has taken her death pretty hard. He wishes to accompany the procession to the church even though it's a good fourty-five minute walk. As the procession progresses, Perez falls farther and farther behind, limping and taking shortcuts trying to catch back up. To make matters worse, it is a hot day and beads of sweat and tears mix along his wrinkly face. Perez eventually faints from all the stress, "crumpling like a rag doll." I think Camus used the old man to portray a contrasting figure to Meursault and really get the reader to start asking questions. The old man seems to be the one taking Maman's death the hardest, they were apparently inseparable and had good times together. This aspect really engages the reader making them question Meursault. Why does a complete stranger have a better relationship with this woman than her own son? Why is the old man who knew her for a few years at best taking her death with more grief than someone who's known her all his life?
3. Salamano- Salamano is one of Meursault's neighbors, an old man whose wife died several years before. He has raised his dog since it was a pup and the two are always together and share a peculiar relationship. From the outside it looks like the old man abuses the dog, calling him a "filthy, stinking bastard" and beating him whenever the dog does something that annoys him. However, we later see the softer side of Salamano when his dog goes missing. Meursault sees Salamano mumbling outside his apartment and invites him in once he learns that his dog is missing. Salamano describes his dog as bad-tempered, but also says that "he was a good dog just the same." I believe that Camus uses old Salamano to forshadow Meursault's near future. One line in particular on pages 45-46 highlights this technique, "His life had changed now and he wasn't too sure what he was going to do." This line most definitely relates to the situation that Meursault soon finds himself in after shooting the Arab.