The Stranger: Part One, Chapter Six (Part Four)

In the fourth part of chapter six of The Stranger, Mersault reaches the place where they had confronted the Arabs later. The Arabs have returned to the place, but Mersault does not feel worried about further confrontation, and considers the hostility to be over. However, the fight happened a few hours ago and the Arabs may still be angry and resentful about it. Mersault describes how in the blazing sun, the Arabs look like shimmering figures, this dehumanizing statement illustrates Mersault’s notion of humanity’s worth and attempts to justify his later actions. He also states that the light looks the same as it had during his last encounter with the Arabs, conveying the idea that time has stood still since them. Furthermore, he compares the heat he feels to that of the day of his mother’s funeral, which foreshadows the idea that another death will come soon.

As Mersault walks towards the Arabs, one of the men pulls out a knife and the sun reflects off of it and into Mersault’s eyes. Blinded by the knife’s shimmer and confused by the heat, Mersault pulls out the gun that Raymond had given and shoots the Arab. As he is doing so he realizes that now everything will change and that states that that’s where it all started, without clarifying what “it” is referring to. He waits and then shoots the Arab’s motionless body four more times.

The Stranger: Part One, Chapter Six (Part Three)

In the third part of chapter six of The Stranger, Raymond, Masson and Mersault return to the bungalow, but after getting his wounds looked at, Raymond insists on going back to the beach with a gun. Mersault goes back to the beach with Raymond in search for the two Arabs. They find the Arabs calmly lying on the beach. Raymond pulls out the gun, but Mersault stops him from shooting and states that he can only shoot if he is attacked first. This shows the difference between Mersault’s calculating and logical mind, and Raymond’s recklessness and passion. Consequently, Mersault convinces Raymond to give him his gun and fight the Arab with his bare hands. Here, Mersault references Shakespeare’s Hamlet by stating that he realizes that he can “shoot or not shoot,” however, instead of referring to suicide, Mersault is referring to murder. Before the fight even begins, the Arabs back away. This makes Raymond feel better and so they head back to the bungalow. This conveys the idea that Raymond is completely dependent on how others see him and can only feel better when others are defeated. Raymond goes into the bungalow, but the heat makes Mersault feel unable to climb the steps into the bungalow and thus he stays outside and decides to go on a walk instead. Mersault heads back to where the Arabs were, hoping to find shade since the rays of sun felt like blades. Mersault again describes how the sand and its glare seem red, which foreshadows the violence that is to come.

The Stranger: Part One, Chapter Six (Part Two)

In the second part of chapter six of The Stranger, while Mersault, Raymond and Masson are walking on the beach they notice that the group of Arabs that was staring at them at the bus stop is now following them. The heat seems to be unbearable, illustrated by Mersault’s statement that he couldn’t even think because of the sun beating on his head. Raymond devices a plan in which he’ll handle his ex girlfriend’s brother and Masson and Mersault are to handle the other men if a confrontation were to occur, but Mersault is not paying attention and instead focuses on how the sand looks red. This foreshadows the violence that is to come and will taint the sand with blood. When the Arabs catch up to them, Raymond approaches one of the men and says something to him that Mersault cannot make out but seems offensive. Raymond punches the man, and Masson’s punches the other one. Masson’s guy lays unconscious on the ground, but Raymond’s man pulls out a knife and manages to stab him in the arm. After this, the Arabs stand up, holding the knife before them, and run away. This scene illustrates how, although Raymond has been trying to convince the other men that he is the victim, it is apparent that he is the one who started the confrontation by saying the first words and hitting first. Moreover, this conveys the idea that the Arab stabbed Raymond in self-defense.

The Stranger: Part One, Chapter Six (Part One)

In the first part of chapter six of The Stranger, Raymond invites Mersault and Marie to a beach house. On the way to the bus stop, Mersault notices that there was a group of Arabs staring at them from across the street, one of which is Raymond’s ex-girlfriend’s brother. Raymond is convinced that the Arabs are following him. However, the way Mersault describes the events convey the idea that the Arabs may not be following them, and that Raymond’s worry is unnecessary. They arrive at Mason’s beach bungalow, where he and his wife great them. Mersault describes how Marie and Mason’s wife are bonding and laughing together and states that he is, for the first time, considering actually marrying her. However, Camus coveys the idea that it is not because of love but rather because of their physical attraction and that marriage seems to be a logical next step. Later, Masson, Mersault and Marie go swimming. After Masson leaves, Mersault and Marie have sex in the ocean, and Mersault describes how they have never felt closer or happier. Nonetheless, it is apparent that Mersault and Marie’s bond is a physical one rather than an emotional one, and rather than strengthening their love through conversation, they always do so by having sex.

The Stranger: Part One, Chapter Five (Part 2)

In the second part of chapter five of The Stranger, Mersault asks Marie to leave so that he can eat alone at Celeste’s. While eating at Celeste’s, a woman approaches Mersault and asks if she can eat with him, and Mersault accepts. She makes her order in a precise and ordered manner, and calculates the cost of the meal in advance, then she spends the meal checking items off a list. Through this character, her control and her meticulous actions, Camus demonstrates an attitude opposite to Mersault’s passive indifference towards life. The woman seems intriguing to Mersault, and as she leaves he follows her outside, but she walks away quickly and he soon forgets about her and returns home.

When Mersault arrives home, Salamano tells him that his dog is definitely lost or dead since it was not at the pound. Mersault invites Salamano into his house to talk, and Salamano goes on to tell Mersault his life’s story and how after being widowed he got the dog as a companion, revealing that he did love him. Mersault expresses his sympathy over the dog, and in turn Salamano expresses his sympathy over Mersault’s mother. Salamano admits that while other neighbors considered Mersault to be cruel for sending his mother to the home, he agreed with Mersault’s actions and considered these to be an expression of his love. Mersault is surprised by what the other neighbors said, which exemplifies his ignorance of social conventions.

The Stranger: Part One, Chapter Five (Part 1)

In chapter five of The Stranger, Raymond invites Mersault to his friend’s beach house, and when Mersault says he already has plans with Marie Raymond invites her as well. Raymond goes on to describe how his ex-girlfriend’s brother and a group of Arabs have been following him all day. Through this, Camus raises the question of whether Raymond invited Mersault because he enjoys his company or because he wants to be protected from the Arabs. The constant favors that Raymond demands illustrate the burdens that come along with maintaining human relations.

Later, Mersault has a conversation with his boss in which he is offered a transfer to Paris. When Mersault appears indifferent to this prospect, his boss questions his lack of excitement and ambition. Mersault’s view on life, where one life is as good as any other since nothing really matters, contradicts his boss’s, and society’s, expectations of pursuing one’s dreams in hopes of career advancement. After this conversation, Mersault describes how he used to have ambition but lost it after college when he realized the absurd.

When Mersault gets home, Marie asks him if he wants to marry her, to which he responds that he is indifferent but that they can marry if she wants to; and later goes on to state that he would marry any other woman with whom he had a similar relationship. When Marie asks again if he loves her, Mersault replies, as before, that he doesn’t think “love” matters but that he probably does not. While Mersault continues to illustrate his emotional detachment, Marie is not discouraged by his remarks.

The Stranger: Part One, Chapter Four

In chapter four of The Stranger, Marie spends the weekend at Mersault’s place, and throughout the chapter Camus describes Mersault’s desire and physical attraction to Marie. During one of their conversations, she asks him if he loves her, to which he responds that he didn’t believe “love” meant anything, but that maybe he did. Marie is sad for a moment but then laughs. A similar moment is described later in Book One when Marie asks Mersault to marry her.

While they are having this conversation, they hear a woman screaming upstairs in Raymond’s floor. Marie asks Mersault to get a policeman, but he refuses, saying that he does not like the police. Although the reader may assume he does not call the policeman because he is protecting Raymond, Camus’s characterization of Mersault may also suggest that his refusal to defend the woman was motivated by his disinterest in the situation. Nonetheless, another neighbor calls the police, who helps the woman exit the apartment and beats Raymond. Thus, Raymond’s intentions to shame his ex-girlfriend fail when the policeman shames him instead.

Later, Raymond asks Mersault if he lived up to his expectations of the revenge, which proves he is anxious about his public image, contrary to Mersault. Mersault describes the nice moment he shared with Raymond, highlighting the fact that his feelings for his friend are unaffected by this evidence of his cruelty.

Annotated: Critical Essay 2

Annotated bibliography: Critical Essay 2

Blomme, R.J. (2013) ‘Absurdism as a fundamental value: Camusian thoughts on moral development in organisations’, Int. J. Management Concepts and Philosophy, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp.116–127.

In this excerpt of the essay, Blomme gives a background of Albert Camus’s life and philosophy. The beginning biographical note lets the reader understand why Camus developed the theory of the absurd and how this development was influenced by events in his early life, such as his illness. Blomme, also describes some of the key points of absurdism and its development, citing Camus’s work as evidence. In the essay, absurdism is characterised as the condition resulting from the irrationality of the world and the futility of human desire to understand it. Furthermore, the realisation of this condition leads to living life to its fullest. Blomme also highlights how religion and suicide are not answers to the absurd question.

This essay comes from a legitimate and well-informed source. The writer, Doctor Robert Blomme, is an Associate Professor of Management and Organization at Nyenrode Business Universiteit, Director of the Centre for Leadership and Management Development, and holds the Chair in HRM at the University for Hospitality The Hague. His main area of teaching is organisational behaviour and emergent change using psychological and sociological perspectives. In another excerpt of this essay he relates Camus’s philosophy to organisational behaviour.