The Stranger By Albert Camus Essays - Absurdist Fiction,

The Stranger by Albert Camus In The Stranger, Albert Camus portrays Meursault, the book's narrator and main character, as aloof, detached, and unemotional. He does not think much about events or their consequences, nor does he express much feeling in relationships or during emotional times. He displays an impassiveness throughout the book in his reactions to the people and events described in the book. After his mother's death he sheds no tears; seems to show no emotions. He displays limited feelings for his girlfriend, Marie Cardona, and shows no remorse at all for killing an Arab. His reactions to life and to people distances him from his emotions, positive or negative, and from intimate relationships with others, thus he is called by the book's title, "the stranger". While this behavior can be seen as a negative trait, there is a young woman who seems to want to have a relationship with Meursault and a neighbor who wants friendship. He seems content to be indifferent, possibly protected from pain by his indif ference. Meursault rarely shows any feeling when in situations which would, for most people, elicit strong emotions. Throughout the vigil, watching over his mother's dead body, and at her funeral, he never cries. He is, further, depicted enjoying a cup of coffee with milk during the vigil, and having a smoke with a caretaker at the nursing home in which his mother died. The following day, after his mother's funeral, he goes to the beach and meets a former colleague named Marie Cardona. They swim, go to a movie, and then spend the night together. Later in their relationship, Marie asks Meursault if he wants to marry her. He responds that it doesn't matter to him, and if she wants to get married, he would agree. She then asks him if he loves her. To that question he responds that he probably doesn't, and explains that marriage really isn't such a serious thing and doesn't require love. This reaction is fairly typical of Meursault as portrayed in the book. He appears to be casual and i ndifferent about life events. Nothing seems to be very significant to him. Later on in the book, after he kills an Arab, not once does he show any remorse or guilt for what he did. Did he really feel nothing? Camus seems to indicate that Meursault is almost oblivious and totally unruffled and untouched by events and people around him. He is unwilling to lie, during his trial, about killing the Arab. His reluctance to get involved in defending himself results in a verdict of death by guillotine. Had Meursault been engaged in his defense, explaining his actions, he might have been set free. Meursault's unresponsive behavior, distant from any apparent emotions, is probably reinforced by the despair which he sees open and feeling individuals experience. He observes, for example, Raymond cheated on and hurt by a girlfriend, and sees his other neighbor, Salamano, very depressed when he loses a dear companion, his dog. Meursault's responses are very different, he doesn't get depressed at d eath nor does he get emotionally involved. He appears to be totally apathetic. Thus, he seems to feel no pain and is protected from life's disappointments. Sometimes a person like Meursault can be appealing to others because he is so non-judgmental and uncritical, probably a result of indifference rather than sympathetic feelings. His limited involvement might attract some people because an end result of his distance is a sort of acceptance of others, thus he is not a threat to their egos. Raymond Sintes, a neighbor who is a pimp, seems to feel comfortable with Meursault. Sintes does not have to justify himself because Meursault doesn't comment on how Sintes makes money or how he chooses to live his life. Even though Meursault shows no strong emotions or deep affection, Marie, his girlfriend, is still attracted and interested in him. She is aware of, possibly even fascinated by, his indifference. Despite the seemingly negative qu

How to Write a Handy Argumentative Essay Sample

How to Write a Handy Argumentative Essay SampleYou're having a hard time thinking of an argumentative essay sample to work from. Your professor may not have anything for you. Maybe he or she has a terrible idea for a topic or you can't think of anything, or something. Here's a suggestion, and we'll discuss the topic in detail in another article.Sit down in your professor's office and ask him or her what he or she wants for you to write about. There's a good chance that they will give you exactly what you need. When you do this, try not to be offended. After all, this is a process where you'll be taking your advice and using it. If your professor finds it useful, you'll learn.Sometimes someone doesn't want to choose topics that are controversial. The idea is that we live in a free country. We're allowed to say and do what we want. People who really hold a passion for something may choose topics that they feel will make them stand out.Euthanasia and assisted suicide are examples of top ics that some people are passionate about. Some people would want to end their lives if their doctors told them that it's the best thing for them to do. Some people believe that death is something we should be willing to try, however. They believe that they're giving themselves a better chance at living.In other words, some people believe that euthanasia and assisted suicide are cases where what you do matters. If you choose a topic that doesn't involve issues like these, you might get a very poor grade on your thesis. Some people argue that euthanasia and assisted suicide are cases where there should be no problem. There is a real debate about this topic. When you'choosing your topic, do yourself a favor and make sure that it doesn't have anything to do with euthanasia or assisted suicide.Remember that your topic should be relevant. To do this, you need to find a topic that will talk about important issues. It's OK to use research as a jumping off point. But don't do this just to u se research as a way to start your argumentative essay sample. You need a topic that will speak to a group of people that you know.When you're selecting a topic, choose a topic that you can relate to a person. A good example is 'My colleague insists that: A.' When you research the topic of euthanasia and assisted suicide, you can't be sure of what 'A' means.Another example of a topic that can relate to a person is 'Some people believe that: B.' As you research, you'll begin to see which topics can be used to help you write a good argumentative essay sample. When you get ready to select a topic, consider if it's important to you and whether or not it can be used to speak to a person. With each topic that you choose, consider what you want to say in your argumentative essay sample. Then, choose the topic that you feel works best for you.