Existentialism

Here is a link to the slideshow about Existentialism I shared in class today

The Stranger - Final discussion and questions

To finish out our work with The Stranger I handed out this set of questions for discussion and possible use for your essay.

Remember you are able to write your choice of essay, regardless of what you wrote last time: single-text analytic, intertextual, or a personal hybrid.

The Stranger - Day 7 - The Trial, Part 2

Here is a link to a copy of this handout - it might be easier for you to copy and type into it.

(My apologies for not being there today - I’m pretty sick and needed to stay home. I hope this look at the trial will prove to be interesting and give you the chance to explore some of the challenging issues in the book.)

Yesterday you read chapter 3 of part 2 - the start of Meursault’s trial. In reviewing the different characters who appear in the courtroom, both as witnesses and conductors of the trial, as well as the views of Meursault himself, you started to explore the ways in which he is being portrayed to the court, and the impact it is having on him.

Today you’ll focus on chapter 4. Take some time to read it now, if you need.  

You’ll be working with your group today. Please create a new Google Doc and share it with the members of your group, and with me.

Here is a brief summary of the chapter:

The chapter starts and ends in court. Meursault talks about the prosecutor talking about him and we get the thrust of the case against him. After the prosecutor's speech Meursault is given the opportunity to speak but he doesn't make himself understood and some people laugh at him. The session adjourns for lunch. When they get back Meursault's lawyer delivers a long speech. Meursault is distracted and doesn't listen to most of it. As evening approaches, Meursault is taken out while the jury deliberated upon the case. His lawyer seems confident and predicts that Meursault might get away with a few years in prison or hard labour. Meursault asks about the possibility of getting the sentence quashed if it's unfavorable. They wait for almost three quarters of an hour before being summoned back. Meursault is told he will be decapitated in a public square in the name of the French people.

With your group, answer these questions in the Google Doc - feel free to divide up the work however you’d like:

1. Boredom. Meursault gets bored at his own trial. Is Meursault's boredom a sign of his emotional detachment or a description of what it's like to be on trial? Would most people find themselves drifting in and out of concentration?
2. The speeches of the prosecutor and the defense - how much of a difference is there between them? What are they each asking for?
3. Silence. Meursault is told to keep silent. Why? If you were Meursault's lawyer, would you want him on the stand?
4. Silence #2. What might Meursault actually say, if he had the chance? Why do you think so? What does he actually end up saying? What is the impact?
5. The death penalty. Look closely at the prosecutor’s argument. How is he portraying Meursault? Why is he saying Meursault needs to be put to death?
6. The lawyer's defense. What point is he trying to make about Meursault, and his soul? What do you think of the way he crafts his defense?
7. Physical needs. What are the ways in which Meursault’s physical needs play a role in the trial? Think about sleep, sounds, images of Marie, the heat, and other details.
8. The sentence. What type of sentence is Meursault and his lawyer expecting? Why?
9. The sentence #2. What sentence does Meursault receive? What is the impact of it on the different people in the scene?

To prepare for our look at the end of the novel, please make sure to read chapter 5 tonight. You can get started on it at the end of class if you finish the questions above.

The Stranger - Day 6 - The Trial

Today you spent the first part of class reading chapter 3 of part 2 - the start of Meursault's trial. I gave you this handout to guide your reading and the short discussion you had afterwards with your group.

For the last 15 minutes of class you wrote individual responses to the start of the trial, based on the questions at the bottom of the page.

The Stranger - Day 5 - The law and religion

We started Monday with a look at a murder - Meursault's killing of the Arab on the last page of part 1 (p. 59). In our conversation we noticed the language was filled with words about the light, the heat, and the glare of the sun off the knife, and the ways in which they impacted Meursault's thinking. At the end of the scene he not only kills the Arab, but then shoots 4 more times at the lifeless body - "like knocking four quick times on the door of unhappiness."

Why?  That is what the investigators want to know at the start of part 2, as Meursault is now in the hands of the law. In discussing this scene we looked at ways Meursault describes himself - physical needs getting in the way of emotions, among others - and how the magistrate and lawyer see him. They ask about his feelings for Maman, and then move to the issue of religion. At one point while waving a crucifix above Meursault's head, the magistrate screams that he can't understand why Meursault doesn't believe in God.

Why does it matter what another person believes? Why are they so interested in his beliefs and values?

At the start of class I played a song for you - The Cure's "Killing an Arab" - here is a link to the lyrics. Why is it that Meursault believes "whatever I choose it amounts to the same / absolutely nothing"?

The Stranger - Day 4 - Philosophy

What do we believe? Why? How do we know what others believe? What are the sources of belief?

Today we'll start by examining chapter 5, specifically Meursault's interactions with his boss and Marie.  Based on those sections, how would you complete these sentences:

• Meursault believes ______________
• Merusault does not believe _____________

Then we'll turn our attention to his observations of the "robot woman" at the cafe. In what ways in she similar to / different from Meursault? Why is he so fascinated by her?

Lastly, what can we learn about Meursault from this chapter - and how does it expand / complicate our understanding of him?