Absurd Isn't It?

Taking into account the last chapters, I would say that my main observation was irony and how it was present in almost every page. I would say that these last few chapters demonstrate absurdity more than anything else.

“In this country they kill Spaniards, and in Madrid they send them to Heaven.” (Pg. 62) This quotation caught my eye since it represents the catholic mentality of the past. Voltaire shows Spain as the gateway to Heaven.

“How happy our dear Pangloss would be if he had not been hanged!” (Pg. 64) I’m sorry but there are absurd things to say and then there’s this. I think this is a very weird thing to say in that sort of mood. If I were to remember my dead master I would certainly use his memory to express grief instead of joy.

As I read on, I encountered a scene worthy of absurdity. “They found that the cries came from two naked girls who were tripping along the edge of the meadow, while two monkeys followed them nibbling their buttocks.” (Pg. 69) After this, Candide shoots the two monkeys believing he had saved the ladies. Ironically, the two girls denounced them to their tribe and had returned to eat them.

After saving themselves, Candide and Cacambo go through an underground river and reach the hidden country of El Dorado. I would have to confess that if the notes at the beginning of the chapter didn’t specify that it was El Dorado, I would have never noticed.

I’m finally enjoying Candide and have managed to understand the subtle jokes along the way.

*I read chapters 14 through 17. The assignment was 19 through 24. I assumed you made a mistake so I’ll blog what I’ve read up to now…

Bewildering Irony

Chapters X through XIII were very entertaining. Initially, we learn that Cunégonde has no respect for her peers whatsoever. “Cunégonde started to titter with laughter, for it was amusing of the good woman to pretend to be more unfortunate than she. “ (Pg. 48) I think a regular person would never make that kind of assumption. If I were to encounter an old, beat up, poor woman I would never laugh at her.

The next chapter shows a very funny critique that Voltaire does to the Church. “I am the daughter of Pope Urban X and the Princess of Palestrina” (Pg. 48) This quotation alone is enough to see what Voltaire is trying to say. He’s showing that there is living proof that not even the Pope is celibate. “Our soldiers defended themselves like the Pope’s guard: they fell to their knees and threw away their arms, begging the pirates for absolution at the point of death. “ (Pg. 50) This quotation shows an ironic event, demonstrating a whole crew of guards as cowards that don’t serve their purpose.

After narrating a very gruesome tale about her life, the old woman then adds “… such experiences are so common that they are not worth the trouble of describing.” (Pg. 51) This quotation made me rethink the whole irony aspect of the story. This takes irony to a whole new level. It’s not every day that the princess daughter of a pope gets gang raped.

Nearing the end of the old woman’s list of misfortunes, we see yet another evidently ironic quotation. “’I was touched by his kindness, and tears started to my eyes as I thanked him. Instead of taking me to Italy, however, he brought me to Algiers and sold me to the Governor of that province.” (Pg. 54) How can someone praise another’s kindness if they are later betrayed and sold as slaves?

Up to now I think Voltaire’s humor is a bit harsh. He seems to enjoy talking about misfortunes and laughing at them. So far, I have managed to pick up little jokes that amuse me. I think this characteristic is what keeps me interested.

Philosophy on Crack

These chapters of Voltaire’s Candide state the history of the characters. Since we’re already a couple of chapters in, I think it’s indispensable to comment on the first chapters to get a better foundation for this particular blog post. In the beginning, we understand that Candide is the bastard son of a high class, high powered Baron. As a member of the upper class, he is taught by the “best” teacher in the whole world. Pangloss is a very weird metaphysico-theologo-cosmolo-nigologist since his philosophy is “everything happens for a reason” (ON CRACK!). In a certain occasion, I observed that Pangloss explains to Candide that he shouldn’t save an Anabaptist from drowning because the port was made for him to drown.

Other than this, I didn’t find the plot to be that interesting. Still, I have found myself enjoying the satire. I’ve laughed in numerous occasions.

As for the chapters that this blog consists of, we see that Candide encounters several bittersweet moments. He is told that the love of his life, Cunegonde, had her entrails ripped out. After this, we see the he encounters her in his journey and learns about her real ware bouts. Due to the fact that I haven’t understood the novel, I can’t make good observations about what is being read. Still, this was a short section so there isn’t much to hang on to.

Seeing Through Touch

Cathedral

This has been one of the most entertaining short stories I’ve ever read. In the beginning I thought that this would be plain Carver story just talking about a blind man. I soon realized that this one would differ from the others.

The characters in the story were very interesting. The wife for example was married to an officer and once tried to commit suicide. “She went in and swallowed all the pills and capsules in the medicine chest and washed them down with a bottle of gin.” (Pg. 211) As for the blind guy, he married a black woman, but then she died from cancer. Like the narrator, I wondered how it would be like to marry a blind person, and found myself agreeing with what he said. “Imagine a woman who could never see herself as she was seen in the eyes of her loved one.” (Pg. 213) I would say that facial expressions and body language overall can say more than talking. Finally, the narrator doesn’t explain his past, but we get a good idea of his personality. “’ Maybe I could take him bowling…’” (Pg. 212) I thought this remark was very funny although kind of harsh. Other than this, he’s a pothead. “Then I asked him if he wanted to smoke some dope with me. I said I’d just rolled a number. I hadn’t, but I planned to do so in two shakes.” (Pg. 219), “Every night I smoked dope and stayed up as long as I could before I fell asleep.” (Pg. 222) I thought that it would be very irresponsible to give a blind guy some weed. What if he freaks out? He might hurt himself pretty badly!

As read the story I reflected upon how it would be to be blind. Everything would be very strange since you never know where you are (exactly) or not knowing how beautiful a sunset is. Furthermore, I wondered whether it would be better to be born blind or to lose your vision halfway through life. In one hand, you wouldn’t know what seeing is like and therefore not miss it. On the other hand, if you lose your sight you would miss seeing, but you would know what colors are like and be able to treasure those vision filled memories. I finally found myself praying and hoping I never lose my sight, ever.

Desperate Apartmentcomplexwives

The Birdle

I would say that this story incarnates what would be the apartment complex version of Desperate Housewives. The whole story is about a hairstylist that watches her neighbors and goes to their houses. I thought the whole thing was boring, although I can point out some of the things I found a little bit interesting (for the sake of writing a good blog).

Initially, I thought that the main character is a very social person and enjoys company. “We went, but we didn’t care for the company.” (Pg. 195) This disproves my assumption. The hairstylist and her husband go to a party and just sit and sulk in the corner.

Regarding the tone of the story I would say that the narrator is completely disinterested in what she is saying. She just tells the story as a list of occurrences. She did this… He did that… The narrator doesn’t include any reflection whatsoever.

Finally, I managed to infer that the people living here had some money of their own. “This particular racehorse, he bought it…” (Pg. 199) Race horses are very expensive; some of them can range from six hundred thousand to a million dollars.

As for the two stories I haven’t read, I hope they’re better than The Birdle.

Fever Made Me Sick

Fever

Just when I was beginning to appreciate Carver, I read this story and my appreciation went down the drain. I didn’t get the point of the apparent negativity that the main character had. His wife had left him months ago and it was time for him to move on. “’I never want to see your face again. I’ll never forgive you for this, you crazy bitch.’ Then, a minute later, ‘Come back, sweetheart, please. I love you and I need you. ‘” (Pg. 162) This was the most entertaining part of the story, the rest was completely boring. The fact that his wife had some kind of psychic powers or that the baby sitter was a good person made the whole story a blur of boring material. I thought it was ridiculous how nothing changes. The tone of the narrator is indifferent making the story much less appealing. It was like if Meursault (from The Stranger) was narrating the story.

I thought I was making progress with this kind of writing, but having read FEVER made me a little sick.

An Acquired Taste

A Small, Good Thing

I think that if I were to sum up this story into one word I would say it would be suspense. The story starts out with an ordinary mom ordering a cake for her son’s birthday. My first impression was that this would be another boring story like Feathers. I soon found out I was wrong. The story quickly escalates into a very tense mood when the child is hit by a car. I was constantly wondering whether the child would perish or wake up. To be honest, I thought the kid would wake up. “He’s out of any real danger, I’d say that for certain…” (Pg. 66) I think Carver used the dressed up doctor as figure of truth so he could mislead the reader into thinking the child is going to survive. In my case, I would say that he succeeded.

“… as if suddenly remembering and feeling guilty.” (Pg. 69) I thought it was very weird that Scotty’s parents felt guilty about leaving their son in the hospital. I think that to feel guilty you have to do something bad previously. Neither Howard nor Ann did something wrong, why were they feeling so guilty? As the story went on, I noticed that Ann would act weird because of her guilt. In page 74, she explains her son’s situation to a family of strangers instead of just asking for the location of the elevator. Why was this necessary?

During the scene of the black family I noticed that Carver gives us foreshadowing. “…these people who were in the same kind of waiting she was in.” Then, in page 78, the nurses tell Ann that the black kid had died. At this time we still didn’t know what was going to happen with Scotty, but these clues gave me a little bit of information to work with.

Yet again, Carver uses repetition to give a scene a certain mood. In page 75, almost every sentence begins with the word “She”. I concluded that Carver wanted to stress that she was completely alone when she arrived to her house.

Towards the end, I thought the story changed course completely. First there was this tense and suspenseful mood, but the couple goes to the baker, the mood changes into this mushy heartbroken scene that ruins the whole story.

Even though I didn’t appreciate the end, I enjoyed the story as a whole. Carver’s writing has grown on me.

Vitamins Won't Get You In A Good Mood

Vitamins

This has been the most interesting of the short stories I’ve read up to now. It includes very attractive subjects such as adultery, alcoholism, drug abuse, and loose morals. “It was a nothing job… (He) went drinking with the nurses.” (Pg. 91) From these fragments I was able to infer that the main character is some kind of a doctor or a nurse. Having this kind of job would require being a responsible person and not going out drinking as soon he got off work. Regarding alcoholism, I observed that there are various scenes where the main character gets off work and stops at the bar to have a drink before getting home. “I fixed us another one.” (Pg. 97) This is the way the narrator would say that he fixed himself a drink. This phrase also appears several times in the story.

Something I found very interesting was how the most important scene or the climax of the story wasn’t the one that caught my attention. While the part where they’re (Donna and the protagonist) in the bar was very tense and action filled, I think Donna’s epiphany was a lot more important. A drunken veteran makes her realize that she should become a prostitute. “’It’s true,’ she said. ‘I could have used the money’” (Pg. 108) Meanwhile the main character doesn’t care about this at all.

Finally, we observe drug abuse when the main character gets to house and swallows a whole bunch of pills. “I knocked some stuff out of the medicine chest.” (Pg. 109) This quotation may also mean that he just knocked some bottles of pills to the floor. Still, I think this could be a way of saying that he was looking for pills to get hopped up on.

If I were to relate this story to my life, I think the only aspect ii would find would be the selling of the vitamins part. My mother has sold Herbalife for nine years now. That would be it, the rest of the story is pretty hardcore and I can’t manage to find any other relation.

As for some of the literary devices we see in this story, we see a great amount repetition. For example, in page 92, the word “girls” appears about twenty times. Maybe the narrator wanted to exaggerate how the work his wife was doing was only for the opposite sex.

A Higher Degree Of Understanding

The Compartment

Having read my sixth Raymond Carver short story, I finally begin to realize that these stories are really interesting. It’s either that or The Compartment is the best story in the whole compilation.

The story starts out with a man traveling through France to go meet his kid in college. I observed that this was a slight change since this first scene doesn’t seem as interesting as the other beginning parts of the other short stories. Immediately after this, Carver describes a scene where Myers (the protagonist) beats up his son after a fight he has with his wife. “He slammed him into the wall and threatened to kill him. He meant it. ‘I gave you life… and I can take it back!’” (Pg. 48) Relating this scene with reality, I would say that Myers family should appear on a Jerry Springer show. I can’t imagine a father threatening his son like this and meaning it. After a few pages, we learn that the boy contacted his father through a letter. “But inexplicably, the boy had closed the letter with the word Love, and Myers had pondered this for a long while.” (Pg. 51) As I father I would have valued this letter in enormous amounts. Still, he was the one that should have taken the first step towards reconciliation. Even though Myers took a trip and was willing to see his son after all those years, I felt that he lacked motivation. He acted as if he was obligated to take this trip instead of being driven by the love for his son. He didn’t even announce it. “…there was really no one, besides his secretary and a few business associates, that he felt it was necessary to tell he was going away.” (Pg. 51)

As for his trip, we see Myers as the typical lazy tourist. He goes to cities of great historical value and just lies in his hotel room watching TV. Eventually, he took a train ride to the town where his son was. During his train ride, someone stole a watch he was going to give his son as a gift. “What was missing was the gift he’d bought the boy – an expensive Japanese wrist watch purchased at a shop in Rome.” (Pg. 52) From then on, Myers hated everything in his trip. “He felt dazed with anger… he looked out the window at this hateful place.” (Pg. 54)In the end Myers decides not to meet his son and keep on going. This made me arrive to a fairly logical conclusion. Myers is a "cheapo". He let his frustration for having lost the watch take the best of him and forces him to decide not to see his son.

With Carver, I’ve tried to learn how to interpret his writing in a positive and constructive manner. So far, it has been hard, but I think I’m getting there. Initially, I thought Carver was like those modern artists that scribble a weird shape on a canvas and call it art. Now, I understand the deeper meaning he wants to express in his stories.

Thoughts Of Disappointment

The Train

This story, although very interesting, really disappointed me. Yet again, Carver starts his story with a very good sentence that manages to get your attention. “T H E woman was called Miss Dent, and earlier that evening she’d held a gun on a man. (Pg. 145) Using the title and this sentence I predicted that the story would be about some badass granny that would go on a shooting rampage on a train… just kidding. Seriously, I thought that Miss Dent would be an interesting character, but Carver doesn’t mention anything about her. Instead, he describes a conversation an older couple is having in a train station.

Initially, I thought that this couple would be very interesting since Carver shows them as the center of attention. Still, I thought the conversation wasn’t that interesting. I think Miss Dent, a woman with a seemingly dark past, was paying attention to the conversation only because it was the best form of entertainment she could find. It was either this or looking out the window at a lamp post in the middle of a vacant parking lot.

Something I found really interesting was how the three initially important characters ceased to be relevant in the last three paragraphs. The narrator suddenly starts to describe them all over again as if we didn’t know anything about them. Why did this happen? I can’t manage to obtain a good answer. Although I don’t know its purpose, this sudden change gives the story an interesting spin right at the end.

Active Reading, One Point "O"

Where I’m Calling From

When I first read this story, I thought it was very boring and unappealing. It seemed to me that the characters, besides being recovering alcoholics, didn’t have any interesting qualities. Looking back upon my original thoughts, I discovered that I was a little bit mistaken. The little hints that Carver gives us are really the basic description of each character. “J.P has a case of the shakes.” (Pg. 136) This quotation refers to an involuntary reaction an alcoholic has when he has been drinking. We see that J.P suffers from these shakes in various occasions, showing that he’s having a tough time getting over his addiction.

As for the main character, he too suffers from an addiction to alcohol. Apparently he doesn’t recognize his problem. “But I didn’t know if they could help me or not. Part of me wanted help. But there was another part.” (Pg. 138) We observe that he is in denial and doesn’t look like he wants help.

Still, this isn’t what I found interesting about this particular part of the story. “M Y wife bought me up here the first time… This time around, it was my girlfriend who drove me here.” (Pg. 138) The fact that his wife took him to rehab first and that his girlfriend took him the next time, made me think that his addiction caused the dissolution of his marriage. Maybe he didn’t get divorced, his girlfriend could have been his mistress.

Regarding all the little hints Carver gives us, I think that his writing isn’t based upon first impressions. One has to be very attentive to these clues in order to appreciate this form of writing. Frankly, I think that it’s confusing and tiring. I’d like to be better at active reading where I will value this kind of story. So far, it has been somewhat of an annoying process.

A Shakespeare Parody

I used to watch the show Animaniacs when I was a little kid. Considering my knowledge back then, it’s obvious I would have never discovered a connection between history and the cartoons. I found it quite amusing how the cartoons make fun of Shakespeare by translating what Hamlet says into simple words. Also, the fact that the cartoon in the back is digging up all kinds of things from the hole he is making is sort of funny. I found it especially funny right at the end. The cartoons boldly state that Cher will eventually end up looking like a corpse regardless of the number of plastic surgeries she gets.

I would say that this video seems a little childish and maybe not so appropriate for our age. Still, it’s related to Hamlet and it gives the subject a good start, even before we open the book.

Broken Refrigerator, Broken Relationship

Preservation

I’m beginning to see the different messages that Carver wants to transmit in his short stories. This short story in particular has caught my attention more than the others. I’ve been in a similar situation.

Carver explains how this couple´s refrigerator broke, but without actually saying it. He just explains the different sensations Sandy felt when she opened the refrigerator. “But when she opened the door, warm, boxed-in air came out at her… ice cream from the freezer had melted and run down into the left over fish sticks and cole slaw… An awful smell puffed out at her that made her want to gag.” (Pg. 39) I found it very interesting that I could imagine this scene perfectly. This brought back memories of the time my grandmother’s refrigerator had broken. I could almost smell the rotten meat when I was reading this.

Another aspect of this short story that caught my eye was the description of Sandy’s husband lying in the sofa for months. This image brought back another set of memories concerning the time I got really sick during summer vacations. I was bed ridden for about two weeks and all that time I was thinking about all the things I was missing out. I wondered how this guy could stay inside his house for a month without wanting to shoot himself. Even Sandy has the same kind of thoughts. “My God, a person couldn’t live the whole rest of his life in bed, or else on the sofa.” (Pg. 38)

Regarding the last few paragraphs of the story, I didn’t understand the meaning of the puddles of water on that table and on the floor. “She knew she’d never again in her life see anything so unusual.” (Pg. 46) Why was this so unusual? It’s not like they were in some kind of drought and lived in the Sahara.

The Plot Has Flat-Lined!!!

Chef's House

This story seems to start out on a better position than the one about the peacock. “THAT summer Wes rented a furnished house north of Eureka from a recovered alcoholic named Chef.” (Pg. 27) This first sentence caught my attention since an alcoholic can be a very interesting character in short story. Still, this is the most interesting part of the whole story. The rest is just a woman talking about her and her husband’s very boring stay at Chef’s house.

The only thing I found a tiny bit interesting was that the narrator was a woman. “At night Wes would take me in his arms and ask me if I was still his girl.” (Pg. 29)

I wish I could elaborate a little bit more, but I simply didn’t see anything worth mentioning. This story doesn’t even feel like it were to have some kind of hidden message. The plot line doesn’t even show a slight fluctuation.

Zzz Zzz Zzz...

Feathers
This short story is pretty much the most boring piece of literature I have ever encountered. I would say that the lack of plot is the main reason behind my interpretation. The text just explains any random day in the lives of a married couple. Regarding the few things I found interesting, I would say that the text contains some kind of hidden messages I don’t quite understand.

“Goddamn it,” I said. I sat there with my hands on the wheel and stared at the thing.” (Pg. 7) This quotation refers to the scene where the main character and his wife see a peacock at their friend’s house. I found this to be a very peculiar behavior since a peacock is a bird. It’s not like it were to attack them. Yet again the main character might suffer from ornithophobia, the fear of birds. Another behavior I found very weird as well was his disgust towards the baby. “Bar none, it was the ugliest baby I’d ever seen.” (Pg. 20) The main character rambles on about the ugliness of the baby in a very rude manner. Still, it was just his thoughts and he didn’t express his feelings in any way.

A very interesting aspect of the story was product placement. Certain products are mentioned by their brands. For example, instead of writing “a big chair,” Carver mentions a “La-Z-Boy” on page thirteen.

Finally I noticed a great deal of sensory language. “Corn rose on both sides of the drive. Corn stood higher than the car. I could hear gravel crunching under the tires. As we got close to the house, we could see a garden with green things the size of baseballs hanging from the vines.” (Pg. 7) This quality makes the text a little bit fun to read since we get a good mental image of the surroundings. Still, I maintain that this was e very boring short story.

A Philosopher's Bible

These last few sections of Epictetus’s Handbook mention two interesting arguments. In section 44, Epictetus explains how people think they’re superior just because they’re more eloquent or have more money. He then demonstrates that everyone is equal and skills are what create differences. The other argument is section 47. Epictetus tells us that we shouldn’t brag because we have endured hard times, “Instead, when you are terribly thirsty, take cold water into your mouth, and spit it out, and do not tell anyone about it.” (Pg. 27) This shows that self discipline is only measured by us, and that no one else is responsible for noticing it.

Something I found very ironic was that Epictetus mentions “the first and most necessary aspect of philosophy” in the second to last section. Still, I don’t think that each section leads in to the next. Maybe Epictetus wanted to save the best for last.

A friend of mine told me that Epictetus had been a cripple and a slave. This is a valuable piece of information concerning the way Epictetus wrote The Handbook. Epictetus demonstrates, in several occasions, that the body is unimportant and that the mind is a lot more powerful. These would obviously be the thoughts of a cripple. I wouldn’t say he is against people who are healthy, but one of the side-effects of his condition could be his way of thinking.

I still maintain that The Handbook is the guide to being a philosopher. It doesn’t show us how to live our lives based upon the ideas of good or bad. He just gives us pieces of advice so we can be thought of as intelligent persons.

The Handbook (Being a Philosopher for Dummies)

I would say that I still don’t understand the Handbook all too well. In spite of this, I’ve managed to relate the text to my daily living. It gives us advice regarding the impression people have about us and the ways that we can improve said impression. “If you happen to be stranded among strangers, do not talk.” (Pg. 22) This quotation shows that we shouldn’t subject ourselves to any criticism especially to that which comes from strangers.

Two sentences after the quotation I mentioned, Epictetus tells us not to swear any oaths unless the circumstances allow it. This made me recall a scene in the sitcom 2 and a ½ Men, where an irresponsible older man tells a young boy never to make promises, that way he will never go against his word. Apparently, these words have a lot more value than what I initially thought, maybe I shouldn’t make promises.

In an earlier blog, I mentioned that there was the possibility that this text was influenced by Socrates. As it turns out, I was right, Epictetus mentions Socrates in the thirty-third section.

As for the purpose of The Handbook, I think I have discovered why Epictetus wrote it. It explains the basic rules for being a philosopher. According to Guillermo Mina, a philosopher is the person that asks himself extraordinary questions about the extraordinary, but it could be the person that follows these rules.

Mise on Scene, a Tool for Symbolism?

Battle for Algiers seems like a very valuable piece of cinematography. In certain scenes, we see symbolism either showing the French as powerful oppressors or the Arabs as dangerous rebels. For example, when the French commander arrives to Algiers, we see him as a powerful and scary figure since most of the shots show him from a low angle.

As I was watching the movie, I couldn’t help to find certain elements of the French New Wave. Long tracking shots, a low budget feel, the use of people who weren’t actors, etc. these are all qualities that made part of the French New Wave.

Regarding The Stranger, I couldn’t find any similarities. In The Stranger, we see Algiers as a regular society with the occasional murder. Battle for Algiers shows a nation in pain and suffering because of the French. It doesn’t look like the Arabs had any privileges, not even have the freedom to go to the beach. I think Camus chose to show Algiers as a peaceful society so he could show Meursault as the real society.

As for Epictetus’s Handbook, I don’t think it has any relationship with Battle for Algiers. (Unless the movie turns into a philosophy lesson, or in later chapters, The Handbook talks about how to blow up a French restaurant.

Scratching The Surface

My understanding of Epictetus’s Handbook is still pretty basic. I think he’s trying to gives a guide for living without remorse or sadness. What confuses me is the humorous and ambiguous tone that the text has. Still, I was able to pick up certain things that I found quite interesting.

Number 17 is one of the easier points to understand and has a very important meaning concerning our way of life. Epictetus is saying that we are the ones that design our lives and we are responsible for the way we are. “If he wants to play a beggar, play even this part skillfully…” (Pg. 16) We have to give our all, no matter what the circumstances are. That’s the message I’m getting from this text, DO YOUR BEST AT ALL TIMES.

Other than this, I observed that this text shows that those who claim themselves to be philosophers really aren’t. I related this to Socrates since he claimed that he was the wisest man just because he recognized that he didn’t know anything. Maybe Epictetus was influenced by Socrates when writing The Handbook, maybe it’s my impression since I’m currently taking a philosophy class.

If I were to take the text as a whole I wouldn’t be able to specify what the main idea is. I would say that it’s a guide to life, but it also has a sarcastic feel which shows an odd resemblance to Mark Twain’s Advice to Youth.

Don't Wish For More Than What You Can Get

I have just finished reading what I think was an antiquated version of a graduation speech. I don’t really understand what the general point of this handbook. As for the way it’s written I managed to observe that it has an uncanny resemblance to a tongue twister or a brain twister for that matter. “Our bodies are not up to us, nor are our possessions, our reputations, or our public offices, or, that is, whatever is not our own doing.” (Pg. 11) Quotes like this confuse me and they’re the ruling majority in this text.

As for some of the ideas I managed to pick up, I saw that Epictetus is trying to warn us about the future. He says we should change our ways in order to further understand the things that we own or not own.

“Do not seek to have events happen as you want them to, but instead want them to happen as they do happen, and your life will go well.” (Pg. 13)I would say that this quote refers to being fine with anything that happens, good or bad. We shouldn’t expect more than what we’re going to get, that way we will never be disappointed. According to my understanding of the text, I would say that it’s an ode to mediocrity. (I could be wrong, I didn’t understand the text all too well).

Thoughts of Life Before Death

A death sentence can be a very hard thing to deal with. I observed that Meursault felt the same way. He shows a lot of mental battles in the end of his life. At first, he describes his wishes to escape his fate, “All I care about right now is escaping the machinery of justice, seeing if there’s any way out of the inevitable.” (Pg. 108) but then he goes into a series of subjects with a rather profound meaning.

“At times like this I remembered a story Maman used to tell me about my father.” (Pg. 110) This is the very first time Meursault mentions his father. The thought of death being so close to him might have triggered a completely new set of memories. The context in which Meursault refers to his father is strange since it deals with the occasion in which his father went to witness an execution and how it deeply shocked him. I think it’s very interesting that this is the only memory Meursault has about his father. If I had never met my dad, I think I would be interested to find out all a can about him or even look him up; consequently, this shows that Meursault really isn’t a normal person. This might be the reason for his indifference, he’s not mentally sane.

Another set of thoughts that Meursault explains is his view upon death. “Since we’re all going to die, it’s obvious that when and how doesn’t matter.” (Pg. 114) He manages to incorporate his ever present indifference into his ideas. I would say that this way of thinking is completely irrational. He’s saying that it’s the same thing if you have 10 or 70 years of life experience. Why does he bother worrying about his imminent death if he doesn’t care about his life?

“I told him I didn’t know what a sin was.” (Pg. 118) According to the church, you can only sin if you’re completely certain that your actions will go against God’s will. If Meursault didn’t know what a sin was, how could he tell that what he did was right or wrong? This made me arrive to a conclusion I found quite interesting. Maybe it’s not that he’s indifferent, but it could be that he doesn’t know right from wrong (according to society).

The Stranger made me think about big questions concerning society. I believe that Meursault’s way of thinking is so rare and so radical, that it makes him escape from society. Since people can’t comprehend his thoughts, they instantly see him as a threat and will do anything to eliminate him. As for the complexity of the protagonist, I would say that there are many different ways of interpreting his thoughts and actions. I would say that my point of view, concerning the novel as a whole, would change if I had a different life.

Bogus Trial

Right off the start, I believe this chapter was completely pointless. Instead of showing Meursault as a key part of the plot, he was portrayed as an observer in a situation he couldn’t control. “In a way, they seemed to be arguing the case as if it had nothing to do with me. “(Pg. 98) The whole chapter explains the different points the lawyers had; each one of them using very weak arguments to express their point of view. Most of page 99 showed the prosecutor’s way of thinking, but we don’t obtain information concerning Meursault’s reaction, he just says that he doesn’t care. In this instance I thought about my predictions regarding Meursault being forced to change making him a dynamic character. I would say that he didn’t suffer any kind of change; all we see is this guy that is indifferent to everything and everyone.

“But my heart felt nothing, and I couldn’t even return her smile.” (Pg.105) This quote was rather interesting since it shows a contradiction in Meursault’s thoughts. When he was in prison he fantasized about women and occasionally thought about Marie. Now, the least he could do was to show some kind of affection, but he just sits there.

I would say that my hopes for seeing change in Meursault are really low. I can only hope for some kind of event to happen where Meursault’s indifference is compromised. Still, using the rest of the novel as evidence, I think that that event will never come…

Corrections

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Guilty or Not Guilty? That Is The Question

Although this was a long chapter, length-wise, I observed that there wasn’t almost any information that helps in character or plot development. As I read, I found myself debating for and against Meursault.

As for the information that the prosecution used to try Meursault, I believe that it didn’t have almost any relevance with the case. They tried to approach the murder as an act made in cold blood. They attempted to use Maman’s death as evidence for showing that Meursault was a bad person with some kind of dark nature. “… a stranger may offer a cup of coffee, but that beside the body of the one who brought him into the world, a son should have refused it.’” (Pg. 91) I think that basing an argument upon a person’s mood for coffee is rather a feeble effort.

Considering the arguments I believed defended Meursault, I could see that he wasn’t a bad guy at all. The people he knew were good to him and I could see that even though he was always distant they managed to find him nice and approachable. When Céleste was called to give his testimony I found it interesting to see that Céleste really cared for him. Up until now, this character was vaguely mentioned or described. “He was asked if I was a costumer of his and he said, ‘Yes, but he was also a friend’…” (Pg. 92) Céleste also poses the argument that the murder was an eventuality. “The way I see it, it’s bad luck. Everybody knows what bad luck is. It leaves you defenseless. And there it is! The way I see it it’s bad luck.” (Pg. 92). Other than the testimonies given by the people who had had contact with Meursault, I went back and saw that Meursault could have committed murder in self-defense; the Arab was the one that drew his weapon first.

Regarding the few aspects concerning character development, I observed that Meursault shows weakness, something that isn’t part of his regular behavior. “..for a the first time in years I had this stupid urge to cry, because I could feel how much all these people hated me. “(Pgs. 89-90)

Heat appears again in the court scene. Yet again, we get the image of a suffocating environment very similar to the one when Meursault kills the Arab. I’m not sure whether heat is a motif or not, maybe if something interesting happens I the next chapter.

My Only Thoughts Were Those of a Prisoner

Life in prison, for Meursault, doesn’t seem to affect him all that much. It’s interesting to see that he lives in prison the same as he lives out of it since the way he acts shows the same indifference and carelessness he had before. I’m annoyed by the fact that prison has not changed him in any way. For example, he doesn’t appreciate Marie going to visit him; the only thing that concerns him in this instance was that the voices of the people around him were making him sick. “I was feeling a little sick and I’d have liked to leave. The noise was getting painful.” (Pg. 75) He still acts upon his immediate urges without caring about the people around him. In this particular scene, I noticed how he describes a man beside him who stares at an old lady in front of him without saying anything. It seems weird, since a regular prisoner would ask a lot of questions and be worried about how life is on the outside. It got even stranger when they say goodbye, “‘Goodbye, Maman,’ and she reached between two bars to give him a long, slow little wave.” (Pg. 76). I don’t really understand the meaning of this, but there has to be a connection between this old lady and Meursaults mother.

During this chapter I noticed how Camus emphasized on Meursault’s thoughts. “…the hardest thing was that my thoughts were still those of a free man.” (Pg. 76) It was interesting to see how Meursault, using his mind, could escape the prison and imagine himself being inside his room and seeing every little detail. Meursault used this ability to kill time, since that was his only problem. “Once again the main problem was killing time.” (Pg. 78) Reflecting about how he can wander off into his thoughts he comes to a rather astonishing conclusion. “I realized then that a man who had lived only one day could easily live for a hundred years in prison. “ (Pg. 79) With this quote we see that amount of information that one can get from one experience could outlast a lifetime.

In the last couple of pages we obtain a very disturbing comment made by Meursault. After finishing the story about the Czechoslovakian, he adds: “… it was perfectly natural. Anyway, I thought the traveler pretty much deserved what he got and that you should never play games.”(Pg. 80) I totally disagree; no one deserves death for trying to surprise his/her family. That’s a messed up way of thinking.

Feb 19 Homework

Part 2 Chapter 1

This chapter reveals us the true criminality of Meursault. Again we see a character that doesn’t care in any way about his reality. Before this, Meursault had started to show us a more sensitive side of his personality, but having read about the investigation of his murder, I could see that Meursault had not changed his way of thinking. In previous blogs, I expressed a certain relief when I observed that Meursault could show emotion, but with the following quote, apparently, I was proved wrong. “…he asked if I loved Maman. I said, ‘Yes the same as anyone’” (Pg. 67) In this case I thought that Meursault would admit that he really does love his mother, but he just discards the question as if it had no importance to himself or to his case. I believe that it will be his indifference that will condemn him I the end. Meursault’s indifference apparently bothers the people that are trying to help him with the case.

An occurrence that puzzles me was when the magistrate suddenly takes out a crucifix and starts using God as a way of convincing Meursault that he should feel bad. “…he told me that he believed in God, that it was his conviction that no man was so guilty that God would not forgive him, but in order for that to happen a man must repent and in so doing become like a child whose heart is open and ready to embrace all. “ (Pg. 68)I was able to understand a very interesting matter concerning Meursault’s criminality; Meursault clearly shows that he doesn’t care about what he did, giving him the image of the cold blooded murderer; in this case Meursault is evidently a criminal. Even Meursault admits that he is, in fact, a criminal. “But then I realized that I was one too. It was an idea I couldn’t get used to.” (Pg.70)

Reading the last couple of pages, I observed that Camus wants to show us something very interesting: we, as humans are afraid of what we don’t understand. “’I have never seen a soul as hardened as yours. The criminals who have come before me always wept at the sight of this image of suffering.’” (Pg. 69) This quote demonstrates how the magistrate acknowledges that he doesn’t understand Meursault’s indifference. Taking this a step further, people start despising Meursault because of their fear of the unknown “’That’s all for today, Monsieur Antichrist’” (Pg. 71)

Feb 18 Homework

Part 1 Chapter 6

This chapter has been the most eventful chapter by far. In previous chapters we have seen Meursault live his life like any other human being, but now the novel has gotten a lot more interesting. At the beginning of this chapter, we see that Meursault, Raymond and Marie are going to a beach house, to spend a day in the ocean and relax. Everything is going fine, when the Arabs (the brother of Raymond’s ex-mistress and his friend) start approaching them. Meursault, Raymond, and Masson (Raymond’s friend) go to meet them and end up fighting them. Raymond gets hurt, but it’s just flesh wounds. They decide to encounter the Arabs again, only this time they don’t fight, finally when Raymond, Masson, and the girls go, Meursault decides to stay in the scorching sun. Eventually, he encounters the Arab again, and is threatened by him. Meursault ends up shooting the Arab five times. With this sequence of events we manage to see that the novel has taken a sharp turn. Now Meursault finds himself in the middle of a catastrophic situation. I’m pleased to find that my prediction was accurate.

As I was reading this chapter I managed to see that Meursault was starting to feel more emotions towards Marie or to his general situation. “Together again, Marie and I swam out a ways, and we felt a closeness as we moved in unison and were happy.” (Pg. 50) This closeness that he mentions might be the beginning of love, or some kind of affection. We also see that this has affected what people think of him. “…then out of the blue he [Masson] announced to his wife that he liked me.” (Pg. 51) In another situation, I managed to see that Meursault is starting to show emotion. “Then I fired four more times at the motionless body where the bullets lodged without leaving a trace. And it was like knocking four quick times on the door of unhappiness.” (Pg. 59)

In this chapter we see that Camus has put a great amount of detail to the whole situation. For example: While Meursault walks through the beach, before he kills the Arab, we see repetition. Camus mentions “the sun” several times (Pgs. 57-58). We obtain an image of incredible heat and discomfort. With this description that Camus gives us we can also see foreshadowing “The blazing sand looked red to me now.” (Pg. 53) This quote describes the incredible heat that characterizes this scene, but also the red can stand for the blood of the Arab.

Feb 15 Homework

Part 1 Chapter 5

In this chapter, I think we are getting foreshadowing right off the start. “He’d been followed all day by a group of Arabs, one of whom was the brother of his former mistress. ‘if you see him hanging around the building when you get home this evening, let me know’” (Pg. 40) This quote made me think that the Arabs that are mentioned will have something to do with Meursault; and maybe Raymond or himself will face the Arabs in some kind of situation. Another quote that demonstrates foreshadowing is the following. “I said that people never change their lives, that I any case one life was as good as another and that I wasn’t dissatisfied mine here at all.” (Pg. 41) I would say that this satisfaction Meursault speaks of will be broken since he, as a character, has to undergo through some kind of change. We learn that he accepts his reality and doesn’t want it to change, but I think that something will happen that will force him into changing his personality.

In these six pages we also learn about the relationship Salamano had with his dog and how losing it has affected him. Meursault listens to him and, in a way, tries to help his neighbor showing a slight sense of understanding. During this conversation I managed to pick up a very interesting quote, “…he knew me and he knew I loved her very much.” (Pg. 45) This quote serves as evidence of Meursault’s love towards his mother. Before this I thought that Meursault couldn’t care less about his mother, but with this quote, he admits that he truly loved her.

As for the things to come, I hope that Meursault will suffer some kind of change, making him a more dynamic character. Other than this, the novel progresses in a fluent and enjoyable manner.

Feb 14 Homework

Part 1 Chapter 4

In this chapter we obtain more information concerning character development. Meursault’s relationship with Marie has gotten more serious and demands more of his input, emotionally. In one instance, we see him craving her body, “I wanted her so bad when I saw her in that pretty red-and-white striped dress and leather sandals” (Pg. 34), in other occasions, she asks him if he loves her, and he avoids the question saying that it didn’t mean anything; as shown by the following quote: “A minute later she asked me if I loved her. I told her it didn’t mean anything but that I didn’t think so.” (Pg.35)

Another aspect of Meursault’s personality that is new to us was his position concerning Raymond’s violence towards the Arab girl. “I told him it seemed to me that she’d gotten her punishment now and he ought to be happy.” (Pg. 37) Being that it is a rather harsh point of view towards domestic violence, we see that the protagonist begins to show his opinion on matters that shouldn’t concern him. This behavior is also displayed when Salamano comes to him for advice on how to find his lost dog. Instead of blowing Salamano off, he provides places where the dog could be.

An interesting part of this chapter has to do with a very small fragment where Meursault says that he dislikes cops, “… and besides I didn’t like cops.” (Pg. 37) This quote made me raise some questions concerning Meursault’s past life. Has he done something illegal? Did he do time in prison? This behavior is only related to criminals.

Homework Feb 12 2008

Part 1 Chapter 3

With this chapter, I could understand the general image that Meursault has concerning his neighbors and people around him. The monotony that is his life is also seen in other characters like Salamano. “It’s the same thing everyday…This has been going on for eight years.” (pg. 27) This quote explains that the relationship between Salamano and his dog has been the same for the past eight years. Meursault’s life seems to contain the same monotony since he has been there to witness the relationship his neighbor has with the dog.

In this chapter I also learned a trait that Meursault has, he listens. “But he often talks to me and sometimes stops by my place for a minute, because I listen.” (pg. 28) In this particular event where Meursault meets with Raymond, another neighbor, we see that they have a rather deep conversation. Raymond tells Meursault about the time he beat a girlfriend of his because he suspected she was cheating on him. They agreed that Raymond had done well. In this case I would say that Meursault didn’t want to show an opposing and ethical point of view since he simply doesn’t care. I would say that Raymond should just talk to a wall. I believe that Meursault is a very boring and unresponsive person who couldn’t give a good piece of advice.

As for what will happen in the next chapters, I would say that a shocking event will happen where Meursault will be forced to change his indifferent ways and start to “feel” what living should feel like.

Homework Feb 11 2008

Part 1 Chapter 1

The Stranger by Albert Camus starts out with a seemingly tragic occurrence, the death of the main character’s mother. “Maman died today.” (pg. 3) Based upon the general feeling of the main character towards this event, I understood that Monsieur Mersault (the main character) doesn’t care much about his mother. He portrays a sense of indifference towards this event and everything around it. The rest of this chapter explains the funeral as well as some aspects of Mersault’s life.

Part 1 Chapter 2

In this chapter, Mersault’s indifference is emphasized by the lack of emotion that he manages to express. While reading this “fragment” it seemed as if a little kid was telling me a story; I didn’t seem to connect in any way with Mersault since the story he tells doesn’t appear to have a meaning. As for what the chapter is about, it begins with Monsieur Mersault wanting to go for a swim. He bumps into a girl he used to work with and spends the rest of the day with her. Some of the events included going to the movies and sleeping together. The next day Mersault spends the day looking out of his window to the street below. The chapter ends with him going to sleep alone.

I would say that a really important quote for character development appears in this chapter. “It occurred to me that anyway one more Sunday was over, that Maman was buried now, that I was going back to work, and that, really nothing had changed.” (pg. 24) This quote manages to show the extent of Mersault ‘s indifference. I would say that this behavior is not normal, the lack of feeling or emotion puzzles me; it’s not a characteristic that you can find in other characters of other works.