Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Journal #1: The Stranger

Salamano:  He is the old neighbor of Meursalt.  He owns a dog that has similar attributes as him, such as age, scabby skin, and personality.  Salamano got his dog after his wife passed away.  Even though he constantly complains and beats the dog, he still cares for it enormously.  He doesn't know what to do with himself when the dog has run off.  The dog may be Salamano's attempt to keep the relationship part of his life the same after his wife died.  This causes him distress similar to his wife's death when he runs away, because he now faces having to adjust to a new way of life.  Camus uses this character to show that we find stability in the lifestyle that we create for ourselves, and we will fall apart if that lifestyle is disrupted.

Boss/Raymond:  Both these characters have very similar actions during the novel.  They both are big planners, mapping out the future in an attempt to achieve pleasure or self advancement.  Although Meursalt is pretty much the exact opposite of this, they still both frequently rely on him for advice.  This may be because they recognize that he is not as affected as them to emotional disturbances, therefore he is more reliable to give a logical and reasonal answer to their questions.  Camus uses these characters to help the reader distinguish Meursalt's unique behavior in contrast to what we may think of as normal behavior.

Marie:  Marie is Meursalt's girlfriend/partner/fiancee.  She is a beautiful women who Meursalt likes to spend time with.  Their thoughts towards love and marriage are complete contrasts however.  Marie feels love and expresses it towards Meursalt by her desire to get married.  Meursalt, on the other hand, is unsure if he feels love and therefore doesn't associate marriage with it.  Camus uses this relationship to contrast Meursalt with society's normal viewpoint towards love, and also uses it to demonstrate that relationships can thrive between two completely different people.

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