The sun as an irrational cause in The Outsider
The Outsider, by Albert Camus, focuses on the narrator and main character Meursault when he kills an Arab on the beach. One of the major symbols used in the novel is the sun. The sun is commonly represented in most songs, poetry and art as the happiness and warmth in life, however Camus uses the sun to depict death and destruction in the novel. The sun can directly influence the actions and emotions of Meursault, and the majority of the emotions that Meursault feels is directed by the sun. Meursault is attentive to his surroundings and uses very expressive language when describing the environment, in contrast the language he would use when describing human interactions is very dull. In his court …show more content…
In some cases he would also enjoy the warmth of the sun’s rays to a certain extent. ‘with every blade of light that leapt up of the sand, from a white shell or a piece of broken glass, my jaws tightened’ (p. 58), which expresses his annoyance at the blinding light of the sun. This shows how the sun can have a significant impact on the action and emotions of Meursault. As this is one of the reasons why the court finds him guilty of murder, this means that the sun is an irrational cause of the …show more content…
This is shown through the sun’s influence on Meursault’s actions and emotions, as it can control him depending on the level of brightness and heat intensity which drove him to commit the murder. The sun is also used as a symbol and is connected to other literary techniques. As Meursault pays a lot of attentions to his natural surroundings, he notices the red colour that the sun gives off and this foreshadows the event of death. He would also describe the destructive power of the sun using figurative language. The sun is symbolic of death and destruction and Meursault notices the pressure of the sun on the day of his mother’s funeral and on the day he committed the murder on the beach. Through this connection with death, the sun is seen as an indirect factor to the murder. This is how the sun is seen as an irrational cause to the murder that Meursault commits.
Word Count: 1220
Works Cited:
SHMOOP University. 2015. THE SUN, HEAT, AND WEATHER. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.shmoop.com/the-stranger/sun-heat-weather-symbol.html. [Accessed 01 October 15].
Bloom, H 2003, Bloom’s Biocritiques, Chelsea House, United States of America.
John, S. Beynon 1955, Image and Symbol in the Work of Albert Camus, in Bloom’s Biocritiques, Chelsea House, United States of America, pp.
The Outsider, by Albert Camus, focuses on the narrator and main character Meursault when he kills an Arab on the beach. One of the major symbols used in the novel is the sun. The sun is commonly represented in most songs, poetry and art as the happiness and warmth in life, however Camus uses the sun to depict death and destruction in the novel. The sun can directly influence the actions and emotions of Meursault, and the majority of the emotions that Meursault feels is directed by the sun. Meursault is attentive to his surroundings and uses very expressive language when describing the environment, in contrast the language he would use when describing human interactions is very dull. In his court …show more content…
In some cases he would also enjoy the warmth of the sun’s rays to a certain extent. ‘with every blade of light that leapt up of the sand, from a white shell or a piece of broken glass, my jaws tightened’ (p. 58), which expresses his annoyance at the blinding light of the sun. This shows how the sun can have a significant impact on the action and emotions of Meursault. As this is one of the reasons why the court finds him guilty of murder, this means that the sun is an irrational cause of the …show more content…
This is shown through the sun’s influence on Meursault’s actions and emotions, as it can control him depending on the level of brightness and heat intensity which drove him to commit the murder. The sun is also used as a symbol and is connected to other literary techniques. As Meursault pays a lot of attentions to his natural surroundings, he notices the red colour that the sun gives off and this foreshadows the event of death. He would also describe the destructive power of the sun using figurative language. The sun is symbolic of death and destruction and Meursault notices the pressure of the sun on the day of his mother’s funeral and on the day he committed the murder on the beach. Through this connection with death, the sun is seen as an indirect factor to the murder. This is how the sun is seen as an irrational cause to the murder that Meursault commits.
Word Count: 1220
Works Cited:
SHMOOP University. 2015. THE SUN, HEAT, AND WEATHER. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.shmoop.com/the-stranger/sun-heat-weather-symbol.html. [Accessed 01 October 15].
Bloom, H 2003, Bloom’s Biocritiques, Chelsea House, United States of America.
John, S. Beynon 1955, Image and Symbol in the Work of Albert Camus, in Bloom’s Biocritiques, Chelsea House, United States of America, pp.