Essay on Camus’ The Stranger (The Outsider): Meursault as Metaphysical

Meursault as Metaphysical Rebel in The Stranger (The Outsider)  Ã‚     Ã‚   The Stranger by Albert Camus was published in 1942. The setting of the novel is Algiers where Camus spent his youth in poverty. In many ways the main character, Meursault, is a typical Algerian youth. Like them, and like Camus himself, Meursault was in love with the sun and the sea. His life is devoted to appreciating physical sensations. He seems so devoid of emotion. Something in Meursault's character has appealed primarily to readers since the book's publication. Is he an absurd anti-hero? Is he a moral monster? Is he a rebel against a conventional morality? Critics and readers alike have disputed a variety of approaches to Meursault. I believe he is the embryo of Camus' metaphysical rebel as articulated in the philosophical essay, The Rebel. He is the man who says by his actions, "I will go this far, but no farther." In order to understand Meursault's rebellion we must first understand the nature of his personality as portrayed by Camus. The novel begins with the laconic assertion "Mother died today. Or, maybe, yesterday; I can't be sure." His mother's death briefly interrupts the pleasant flow of Meursault's life, a life devoted to appreciating sensation. He loves the feel of a crisp towel in the washroom. He enjoys eating, drinking, and smoking cigarettes. He loves to watch the sea and the sky. Swimming and making love to pretty girls like Marie are his favorite pastimes, so much so that an offer of a job promotion in Paris does not in the least appeal to him. When something bores him or distresses him he simply goes to sleep, as he does on the bus to his mother's funeral and even in jail. He is a detached observer of life. Symbolic of this quality... ... noble act. Even we might be able to do that.    BIBLIOGRAPHY Bree, Germaine. Camus. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1964. Camus, Albert. The Rebel. New York: Vintage Books, 1954 Champigny, Robert. A Pagan Hero. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1969. Cruickshank, John. Albert Camus and the Literature of Revolt. New York: Oxford University Press, 1960. King. Adele. Camus. New York: Capricorn Books, 1971. Lottman, Herbert R. Albert Camus: A Biography. New York: George Braziller Inc. 1980. Masters, Brian. Camus: A Study. London: Heinemann, 1974. McCarthy, Patrick. Camus: A Critical Study of his Life and Works. London: Hamish Hamilton, 1982. O'Brien, Conor Cruise. Albert Camus of Europe and Asia. New York: Viking Press, 1970. Quillot, Roger. The Sea and Prisons. University of Alabama: University of Alabama Press, 1970   

The Importance of Marriage in Pride and Prejudice

Set in late 18th Century England, Pride and Prejudice depicts the search of women for the ‘inevitable' husband and of a male dominant society, within which no woman can be considered truly successful without the assistance of a man of ‘good fortune'. Austen addresses the common ideals of society throughout Pride and Prejudice, such as the monetary values of marriage and the need of a woman to find security for herself and her future children. The opening line of the novel reads ‘It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. Austen not only uses this line to introduce a key theme of the novel, but also hints at the underlining themes of the novel and at the irony and satire due to follow. This is also a use of proleptic irony, Elizabeth is considered as a woman who seeks true love, rather than a marriage based on the fortune of the male; however, upon seeing Pemberley Austen presents Elizabeth as considering money for the first time, the sheer size of the house impresses her and thus she cannot disregard its appeal. During both the 18th and 19th centuries marriage was regarded both a social and biological destiny for woman across all the classes. Austen portrays this belief through Charlotte Lucas whom after gaining some composure considers â€Å"Without thinking highly either of men or of matrimony, marriage had always been her object; it was the only honourable provision for a well-educated young woman of small fortune, and however uncertain of giving happiness, must be their pleasantest preservative from want† (Austen,J. 1853: 22). This amplifies the importance of the rejection of marriage by Elizabeth to Mr Collins, whom by the opinions of society at the time, the natural reaction for a woman in her situation would have been to accept. For she cannot afford to be overly choosy when it comes to marriage – earlier on in the novel Austen describes Mr Bennett cautiously going through the accounts of the estate, in which we are indirectly informed that the accounts are not looking positive. This marriage rejection is also relevant to the life of Austen, who we have learnt rejected a marriage proposal after overnight mentation. Marriage during the 18th and 19th centuries would be a whole family affair, and thus the effects of a marriage proposal or rejection would be felt throughout the generations. Families would look to ally themselves with other families of similar rank, hence marriage between cousins was common practice. This would ensure that both wealth and property would remain within the same family for generations via entailment, thus explaining the disappointment of Mrs Bennett upon finding out of the rejection of marriage between Elizabeth and Mr Collins. Moving to their husbands' establishment would often be the only possible freedom available to girls, though not to be confused in any way with independence, which girls at the time would be lacking. This was another reason that leading families would ally with one another, or often marry within – a family would never wish for their daughter(s) to be associated with a family of lower social value, and thus a smaller estate, or require any future financial support from them – this dependence would grow increasingly expensive and as Austen presents the Bennetts as a family with some financial troubles there is no question as to why she identifies the need for the daughters to be married off. With marriage being the ultimate goal for any young girl within Pride and Prejudice, events leading up to any such event are considered significant. For example, any balls or dances and the partnerships which develop within these; any ‘chance' encounters, such as meetings within town. Marriage would be a key theme of conversation within social circles of girls beyond puberty, the legal age for marriage was 16 (or the age of ‘coming out'), it was much desired by the age of 18 and would threaten to be beyond availability for girls of 20 or older. Girls would worry about being considered an ‘old maid' beyond the age of 20 which explains the desire that Austen presents Charlotte to have in ‘catching' Mr Collins and the warning that Mr Collins gives Elizabeth, who upon rejection of Mr Collins' proposal is already 21. Though the legal age of marriage in England was 16, due to the Marriage Act of 1853, it is assumed that Lydia and Wickham elope to Gretna Green in order to complete their marriage, rather than be living in sin and thus have society look down on them as an unlawfully acquainted couple – in Scotland was not necessary to live in each others' company for a minimum of 3 weeks prior to marriage like it was in England, thus allowing for an instant marriage. Much like the partnership between Darcy and Elizabeth we are made to wait for them to be partners in dance, it is a recurring theme throughout the novel that the longer the time period before the first dance between a couple the longer the time period will also be before they are romantically interested in one another. â€Å"To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love† (Austen, J. 1853: 6), thus the reluctance of Darcy to participate in dancing earlier on in the novel marks his limited social availability. However he becomes more available to Elizabeth later on in the novel as Austen presents him as someone whom is interested in being acquainted with Elizabeth and thus he asks her to dance, though even the act of doing this is portrayed as being difficult for him to achieve. The partnership between Elizabeth and Darcy is a stark contrast to that of Jane and Bingley, which Austen develops from the introduction of the two parties – they dance at the first meeting of one another and are thus romantically involved with one another from this point. Mr Bennett is presented by Austen as a man who is interested in the happiness of his daughters, though namely Lizzy, he is rarely phased by the actions of Lydia, Jane or Mrs Bennett however upon learning of Mr Collins' proposal states â€Å"Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins†¦ And I will never see you again if you do. † (Austen, J. 853: 64) Austen uses this conversation as a means of demonstrating the understanding and respect that exists between both Lizzy and her father, with Mrs Bennett already having come to the conclusion that Mr Bennett would insist on Lizzy marrying Mr Collins, however in this scene Austen also manages to portray a subtle humour – we read earlier on in the novel of Mrs Bennett's ‘nerves' and this is just another example of Mr Bennett knowing how to vex her, with the reader remembering earlier on in the book when Mr Bennett states â€Å"You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these last twenty years at least. † (Austen, J. 1853: 4). With Lizzy being truly her father's daughter she knows that she will have the support of the parent who means the most to her, or at least the parent whom she is more interested in pleasing. Mr Bennett plays a pivotal role in the marriage of Lizzy, he has the final say on whether or not she marries Darcy, throughout the novel Austen doesn't portray any form of interaction between Mr Bennett and any of his other daughters or their respective partners regarding the issue of marriage. Though this may be due to Elizabeth's importance to the novel, we assume that this is also due to the value of her partnership with Darcy and how this is used to show her romantic development throughout the novel. Austen presents Elizabeth as a character who goes through the typically romantic process of falling in love with someone – both Elizabeth and Darcy must overcome a variety of obstacles in order for their love to Blossom, their story starts with bad first impressions of one another, with Lizzy assuming Darcy to be a pompous, arrogant man and Darcy being blinded by Lizzy's social inferiority. Austen wrote this novel based in an era within which girls being forced in to marriages for financial reasons was coming to an end and though monetary reasons were still considered a valid reason for marriage, or at least one for which marriage would be considered acceptable by one's family, people were also marrying due to love for one another. Lizzy represents the new era within which love is the main reason for marriage or courtship, we recognise this as Lizzy is aware of Darcy's fortune from an early stage of the novel, however she dismisses him due to his arrogant behaviour – if Lizzy was only interested in his wealth, or if this were the reason of her interest in Darcy then Austen would have ensured that she, like her other sisters, flaunted herself in front of a male of such high social value. Austen represents marriage for the ‘wrong' reasons with the marriage between Mr and Mrs Bennett. With Mr Bennett having previously married Mrs Bennett for her youth and good looks, with Mrs Bennett declaring â€Å"I certainly have had my share of beauty, but I do not pretend to be anything extraordinary now. â€Å", he now finds his only happiness through private study or mocking his wife, referring to her ‘nerves' as his ‘old friends', with his witty humour being too complex for her to understand and thus not being able to tell when he is using sarcasm. This sarcasm is a trait which Lizzy shares, for example in Chapter 28 when describing Miss De Bourgh, Lizzy states â€Å"She looks sickly and cross. Yes, she will do for him very well. She will make him a very proper wife. † This use of juxtaposition is rife in Austen's work and is often used for comic effect. Austen uses the juxtaposed relationship between Lizzy and Darcy to present us with an example of marrying for love, rather than superficial reasons which are evident throughout the novel. Examples such as Mr Collins and Charlotte Lucas, or Lydia and Wickham are doomed to fail, or at least to result in the severe unhappiness of the parties involved due to the basis of the relationships being built on financial security or social status. Lizzy and Darcy represent a marriage which ignores the superficial values and focuses on true love, Austen shows us as the reader that this is the only way to have a truly successful and happy marriage to one another and she manages to gain our agreement by portraying the other possible choices throughout the novel.

A Case Study of T.C. Aspergers Syndrome Essay - 1943 Words

Case History: T.C. is a 13 year old, 2 month old girl in the seventh grade. T.C. lives with her parents and she is the oldest of three children. T.C.’s prenatal and birth history was unremarkable. T.C. was normal developing until 18 months old. By 18 months old it was apparent that T.C. was delayed in speech. In addition, she walked on her toes, did not make eye contact with others, had a terrible fear of loud sounds, cried frequently, and was a poor sleeper. She was evaluated before her second birthday and was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome or related pervasion developmental disorders and has profound difficulty with social interaction. She has received speech therapy, with an emphasis on social skills training, intense therapeutic†¦show more content†¦82), and it is important to use a happy tone of voice. After role playing with her SLP with different types of voice tones, T.C. practiced reading a passage slowly using proper intonation, stretching and pausing. After reading smoothly, T.C. was asked to state the most important detail using the proper intonation and facial expression when responding. Corrective feedback was used to correct the student when she did not use the appropriate tone and intonation when reading the passage. In addition, the SLP modeled and had T.C. communicate different messages using the appropriate volume for suitable situations. For example, T.C. was asked to speak in the appropriate tone when there is no one else speaking (quiet voice), i.e. a quiet classroom; to speak in the appropriate tone where there are others talking (louder voice), i.e. in the schoolyard during recess; and when you are standing right next to a listener (quiet voice), i.e. when speaking to one friend. The SLP and T.C. role played standing far away from one another to demonstrate using the appropriate tone. T.C. was verbally praised when she demonstrated the tone of voice to keep her motivated. Session #2: The SLP went over different scenarios with T.C. when retelling a story with salient details and suggested activities when calling a friend on the telephone. In one scenario, the SLP and T.C. role played was calling a friend to make plans that day. The SLP was the friend and T.C. was herself. It

Conflict in Afghanistan and Afghan Refugees Free Essay Example, 2000 words

Peoples' Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) was formed in 1965 which was basically the Afghan Communist Party. In 1969 elections the Communist was elected in the government. The PDPA representatives immediately took control of all the major authoritative positions and paved the way for the Soviet invasion and the military coup of April 1978. They tried to abolish all traditional and Islamic religious customs practices and policies and tried to form a secular state. This attempt became the root cause of all the internal conflict and the rise of the Taliban. Afghanistan came into the international limelight with the Soviet invasion, a guerrilla war fought by Afghans against the Soviet Union and the communist government. Recent history has seen huge political upheaval in Afghanistan. Civil war broke out after the fall of the Marxist government. It has also witnessed the rise and fall of the fundamentalist regime of the Taliban with its various human rights abuses. Taliban regime al so left Afghanistan with Osama Bin Laden and al-Qaida terrorists. This Al-Qaida element again brought the country into international limelight for its coalition with the USA, British and many other troops to launch a fight against terrorism and anti-Taliban forces in 2001.We will write a custom essay sample on Conflict in Afghanistan and Afghan Refugees or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now (Clement)One can understand the gory of war by studying the statistics of the catastrophe. The only soviet invasion has been very lethal for Afghanistan let alone the aftereffects of this war, and the ongoing war against terrorism in Afghanistan after the notorious 9/11 incident in 2001. In Soviet invasion out of the total population of 16.4 million in Afghanistan, more than 5 million were killed while 3 million people suffered from severe injuries resulting mainly in some sort of disability. (Senker, 2008)Half of the disabled population suffered from a sensory disability such as deafness, blindness, and mental retardation others were wounded and maimed. About 3.5 million managed to escape and became a refugee in Pakistan.

Hypothetical Southern White Reaction to the Distribution...

This source was published just after, and is referring to, the arrest of Rosa May Parks on December 1st, 1955. Parks was arrested for refusing to move from her bus seat for a white passenger when asked to by the racist bus driver, James Blake. The two had met before in 1943 when Parks had boarded Blake?s bus from the front door, which was for whites only. Blake told Parks to exit the bus and re-enter from the rear door where she was supposed to but as Parks got off of the bus, Blake drove off leaving her to walk home. This defiance by Parks had created a major turning point in civil rights by sparking the start of the civil rights movement. This source shows us what life was like for the black community, specifically black women, in the†¦show more content†¦The NAACP?s aim of the boycott was to show its members and black people nationwide what was achievable if they acted together as a whole. Many black people took this message on board and started to act as a community. At an early stage in the ?Montgomery Bus Boycott? Martin Luther King Jr. was asked, by the NAACP, to step in and lead the movement, to which he accepted. The ?Montgomery Bus Boycott? was King?s start in the civil rights movement to which he later became a role model. He was found leading the boycott by the police and was then arrested, as boycotts of any sort at that time were illegal. Many blacks and northern anti-segregation whites donated to the NAACP, which paid for King?s release. The NAACP also helped pay for legal fees for black people who were accused of crimes that they didn?t commit. There were many pro segregation communities and groups during the boycott. Most southern whites were members of The Ku Klux Klan or the white councils. During the boycott the membership of the white councils doubled so that over a two month period the membership increased from six to twelve thousand members! Not all American communities were pro segregation though. President Truman, along with most northern whites and The American churches, both black and white, believed in anti-segregation. President Truman, who was a deeply racist man himself, knew that racism

Macbeth and Macduff free essay sample

Macbeth explains that Lady Macbeth hates her weak self. â€Å"Make thick me blood. † (1:5:44). Lady Macbeth wants to feel no emotion; she wants to stop being a woman and become a more dominant factor. In this case she wants to become a man. Shakespeare supports his explanation by asking Lady Macbeth ask the spirits to change her, â€Å"Come to my woman’s breast/ and take y milk for gall. (1:5:48-49), she doesn’t want what she has because it is of no longer use to her â€Å"gall†. The author’s purpose it to inform that Lady Macbeth is the true killer and is using Macbeth as a puppet. The author writes in a dominant tone to show Lady Macbeth’s feeling toward change. First, Shakespeare portrays an ominous image in Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy, â€Å"The raven himself is hoarse. †(1:5:37-38). She talks of the future death of the king. The Raven being the messenger who announces death. We will write a custom essay sample on Macbeth and Macduff or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The cacophonous word â€Å"hoarse† portrays the raven’s speech and harsh tone of voice. Then, there is a tip in the balance of the hegemonic structure in the play. â€Å"That my keen knife see not the wound it makes. †(1:5:51). Lady Macbeth knows hat she is not supposed to have a â€Å"keen knife†, perhaps not a knife at all. A woman, in her right place, should not be keen. She must submit and let her husband have all the control. Where as Lady Macbeth wants to be the one with all the power. The cacophonous diction that Shakespeare uses for the Lady Macbeth. That tend on mortal Ruiz2 thoughts† (1:5:40). Lady Macbeths uses the harsh â€Å"t† expresses her self loathing toward her self and her weakness. â€Å"Nor keep peace between† (1:5:45). There is an eerie â€Å"e† sound portrayed in this line. Shakespeare’s Macbeth portrays the dominance women have. The dominance and the plan that Lady Macbeth has over her own husband. She uses this power to her advantage. Throughout the play Shakespeare reveals through more images of Lady Macbeth’s dominant power.

The Mechanicals are clumsy Essay Example

The Mechanicals are clumsy Paper What Do the Mechanicals add To the Audiences Understanding and Enjoyment of the Play? â€Å"A Midsummer’s Night Dream† Is a play written by William Shakespeare in 1600. It is a play full of love, magic and dreams. With fascinating characters which range from supernatural fairies to noble humans. But how do the mechanicals add understanding and enjoyment to the play? In the play there are two worlds. The first world is the court; the second is the mysterious world of fairies. The Mechanicals are used in the play to add to the audiences understanding of the play by exploring the central theme of love and its transforming power. Shakespeare shows through bottom that something ugly can turn beautiful through love. The mechanicals are also used to add to the audiences enjoyment of the play by adding humour to the play. Shakespeare uses a comic effect of names especially Bottom, as later he turns into an â€Å"ass† which is a donkey. The mechanicals also are always mixing up their words through oxymoron, malapropisms and nonsense words. The Mechanicals are the audience’s way into the play as they appeal to all people: educated, uneducated, rich and poor in the Elizabethan time. The theatre was very different in the 1600’s compared to now. We will write a custom essay sample on The Mechanicals are clumsy specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Mechanicals are clumsy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Mechanicals are clumsy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer During the Elizabethan time, theatres were usually outdoors and the stage was very bare. It had little scenery so the acting companies had to rely on the imaginations of their audiences. The setting had to be created through the words of the play. The words of the play had to establish what time of day it was. Also men had to play women parts as it was judged to be inappropriate for a woman to undertake such a role so men for that reason were hired to act in the female roles. Consequently, in â€Å"A Midsummer’s Night Dream† Thisbe who is a woman would have to be played as a man, which would bring humour to the audience. In the time of William Shakespeare there was a strong belief in the existence of the supernatural. The Elizabethan Period and the academic era of the Renaissance introduced English persecution of Elizabethan Witches and Witchcraft. Ironically, this period of great learning brought with it a renewed belief in the supernatural including a belief in the powers of witchcraft, witches and witch hunts. In â€Å"A Midsummer’s Night Dream† the supernatural is a recurring part in the play. The Mechanicals add understanding to the play by bringing the two worlds of the play together. In â€Å"A Midsummer’s Night Dream† there are four main plots: The lovers, the fairies, the Mechanicals and the Duke and Duchess. The Mechanicals bring together the palace and the woods as they use both settings. They use the palace to perform their play and the woods to practise there. The mechanicals fit perfectly into the structure of the play. The higher class which are the nobles, the lower class, which are the mechanicals and the supernatural world, which are the fairies. The Mechanicals bring together the world of law, order and reason by being unsystematic. They do this by contrasting themselves to the nobles. In these quotations they show the nobles law, order and reason. My Gracious Lord[Theseus] Shows the characters’ respect for Theseus, also shows that Theseus has power and embodies Athens and the law. Theseus also shows that Athens is a land of law and order. Either to die the death or abjure forever the society of me. This line shows the rigidity of the Athenian law. Because Hermia’s father does not approve of her love, she must listen to him to not marry him, or to face the consequences. On the other hand the Mechanicals are not as educated as the aristocratic characters. In this quotation it shows a clear contrast between the nobles and the Mechanicals. What is Pyramus? A lover or a tyrant [Bottom] I. i. 17 This quotation shows the lack of education and shows typical characters for a male lead in the theatre. It shows the lack of education, as this play would have been read in schools, at that time if they were educated. The mechanicals also make the audience understand some of their characteristics I am to entreat you, request, you and desire you to con them by tomorrow night [Quince] L. i. 78-80 This quotation tells the audience that the Mechanicals are a little bit unreliable.