Meursault's True Character

In Camus' The Stranger, the main character Meursault is a French Algerian who is condemned to death as punishment for his murder of an Arab man. At face value, this scenario makes perfect sense: Meursault must be some sort of insane psychopath, whose resulting death sentence is completely reasonable. However, as we read through the novel, we get to learn about Meursault's true character, and we see that his actual mentality is starkly different from the mentality that the murder sets him up to have. The series of events that take place, leading up to and after the murder scene, essentially present us with two different views that we can take on the situation. The first is that Meursault is indeed a psychopath, and that he shouldn't be trusted in society. The second is that Meursault is a genuine, honest man, and as a result the court's actions are too oppressive towards him. If we take into account Meursault's basic demeanor and actions throughout the first part of tho book, the second option seems to prevail. Increasingly, we can observe that Meursault is not this cold-hearted, delinquent criminal who has no sense of boundaries, but that he is instead very much a fundamentally good and honest man.

Meursault's natural character and appeal are apparent in various instances throughout the first part of the book and the trial. Meursault seems like one of the least likely people to commit something as severe as a murder, so when he does, it's only natural that the first thought that comes to mind is that there must something psychologically wrong with Meursault. Initially, this is the general reaction to the entire situation, as readers read "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" (59), and think that there is no way that someone who thinks and acts like this can be sane. However, after a taking a closer look at Meursault in the early chapters of the novel, we can see how this initial reaction is false. Our first hint that this notion doesn't properly describe Meursault is in his actions, and perhaps more importantly, reactions, to the words of the judge and the prosecutor. In a scene where a life-changing judgement is being made, Meursault never once lies about the events that occurred or his reasoning when he was enacting these events. For example, when Meursault's lawyer pushes on the caretaker for accepting a cigarette from Meursault, Meursault simply affirms the statement, even if it puts him in a vulnerable position: "The old man looked embarrassed and said, "I know I was wrong to do it" [...] "I was asked if I had anything to add. "Nothing," I said, "except that the witness is right" (90). We can see from this how Meursault's outlook on life works, he isn't concerned with fooling everyone that he is innocent or throwing fluff to divert the argument, he simply stays honest and states things how they happened. This implies that Meursault is genuinely a good man who isn't willing to lie for self-benefit, and detracts from the idea that Meursault's nature is one that is psychotic. If Meursault was a psychopath, his attitude and rationale would be vastly different in this scene.

Camus seems to place a lot of emphasis on Meursault's human qualities in the first half of the book, and as a result Meursault appears more "normal," that is, more like a regular human being. Essentially, analysis of Meursault in this section furthers the ideas that emerged from the trial, (sort of working backwards from the trial to determine what kind of character Meursault truly is). When Meursault sits on the balcony for the entirety of the Sunday, he exhibits his calm, non-psychotic, usual nature: "I turned my chair around and set it down like the tobacconist's because I found it more comfortable that way. I smoked a couple of cigarettes, went inside to get a piece of chocolate, and went back to the window to eat it" (22). Here, Meursault shows his true nature in the activities of his everyday life. We can see how Meursault exhibits several characteristics that are common of "normal" people. He adjusts the position of his chair and smokes multiple cigarettes to increase his feeling of peace and comfort in these lines, a completely rational and sane thing to do. It is important to note that Meursault doesn't express any psychotic or insane thoughts in this scene, one of the most peaceful ones in the book. This again supports the point that Meursault is fundamentally a good person, and that a man like Meursault shouldn't be condemned to a punishment as severe as death due simply to his type of character. If Meursault were sentenced based solely on his actions and the end result, it would make perfect sense to punish him to the extent deemed necessary. However, once it gets to the point where Meursault's character enters the discussion, the case is no longer valid, especially when we can almost only see the positive side of Meursault's true character, before he learns that he is to be executed.

Grete's Metamorphosis

At first glance, it is seemingly obvious that the title of Kafka's The Metamorphosis refers to the main character of the book, Gregor Samsa. The book starts out by immediately throwing us into this world of "Gregor the insect" with its first sentence, "When Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a monstrous insect" (64). From this, the logical conclusion follows that the title of the book is referring to Gregor's transformation, or metamorphosis, into a giant bug. However, reading through the book we can slowly observe significant behavioral changes in not only Gregor but in the members of his family as well. While Gregor does in fact seem to change as the book progresses, as can be observed by his increasingly insect-like thoughts and reactions towards various situations, it seems as though his family undergoes even more drastic changes (setting physical appearance aside, of course), in particular Gregor's sister, Grete.

In the beginning of the book, Grete takes on a very passive, compassionate role, in contrast to Gregor's mother and father. We can observe this contrast in the first scene. Gregor has just woken up and discovered that he is a huge insect. His father, realizing that it is uncharacteristic of Gregor to not to get up for work, starts to question Gregor about whats going on: "'Gregor, Gregor,' he called, 'what's up?' And after a little while he repeated his admonishment in a deeper voice: 'Gregor! Gregor!'" (66). Here we can see the father's impatience and insensitivity to the situation at hand. Although he doesn't yet know Gregor's circumstances, the father still reacts in a frantic and anxious way. He gets angry immediately, as he repeatedly calls Gregor's name in an almost reprimanding tone. In addition, the father doesn't really show any sympathy towards Gregor during this scene. By abruptly assaulting Gregor with his tone and voice, the father doesn't seem to consider or really even care about what is troubling Gregor himself; he simply wants to know why Gregor isn't at work, bringing in money. The sister, however, shows a great deal of sympathy and care towards Gregor in this scene: "Meanwhile from the other side-door came the soft, plaintive voice of his sister: 'Gregor? Aren't you well? Is there anything you want?'" (66). Even with all the hustle and bustle of the scene, what with each member of Gregor's family knocking on a door to his room, Grete shows her compassion and concern for Gregor here. As opposed to the father, who is simply shouting Gregor's name over and over again, Grete inquires about Gregor's health and well-being in a soft, melancholy voice, implying that she truly cares about the state that her brother is in at the moment, and isn't simply irritated that he is late for his work.

Grete's compassion for her brother Gregor does not last as we progress through the book, however. We can see a gradual change in Grete's attitude towards Gregor from sympathy to disdain in the later parts of the book. At first, Gregor's sister is the sole caretaker of Gregor, as the rest of the family is too disgusted to even glance into Gregor's room. We can see Grete's growth here, as she is becoming more independent and taking charge in the family. For example, the text states that Grete provides Gregor with a multitude of food choices at one point, indicating her importance as the sole provider of food for Gregor. The fact that she is actively trying to work with Gregor to determine what he likes and doesn't like to eat perpetuates this idea of her consideration for Gregor and his needs. This positive vibe doesn't last for long, however, as the increasingly large burden that Gregor has been placing on the family is starting to take its toll. When this happens, Grete is by far the one in the family that changes most drastically. In the last section of the book, Gregor comes out of his room for the final time, and Grete responds: "'Dear parents,' said his sister, slapping her hand on the table by way of introduction, things can't go on like this. [...] I refuse to utter my brother's name in the presence of this monster, and so all I say is" we must try to get rid of it" (104). After everything the family has been through, in the end it is Grete who proclaims that Gregor must go. We can see a stark contrast between the Grete at the beginning of the book at the Grete here. The fact that Grete, the compassionate, sympathetic caretaker of Gregor, has now taken such a scornful view of him indicates her transformation of attitude towards Gregor and transformation in general. She no longer even considers the giant insect to be Gregor anymore. Now that she believes her brother is essentially gone, Grete has no qualms about complaining and attempting to remove the creature, while persuading her parents to think the same. At the end of the book, Grete has severed all emotional ties with this insect that has taken the place of Gregor. As she once treated him with care and compassion, she has now metamorphosed and "blossomed into a pretty and shapely girl" (110). Grete is not the same little sister she was to Gregor at the beginning of the book. Thus, her attitude and feelings towards Gregor have shifted accordingly.

Jake's Progression of Attitudes

In the last chapter of Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, we get to observe one of the rare instances in the novel during which Jake seems to relax and be at peace with himself: the scene in which Jake goes swimming while alone in San Sebastian. Constantly throughout the novel we are exposed to the problems in Jake's life regarding his issues with his friends and their tumultuous relationships with each other, so this scene where Jake goes swimming provides us with a refreshing change of pace in the novel (in addition to the scene when Jake goes fishing with his good friend Bill). Using this scene, we can observe how Jake's attitude towards life, (and the struggles that are associated with it), differs from his attitude in earlier stages of the book. Jake seems to be more at peace when alone, swimming in the waters of San Sebastian, and it is this notion that Jake is at peace with himself at this point in the novel that causes him to take a more positive outlook towards aspects of life that he once used to treat with frustration and disdain.

As opposed to in the beginning of the novel, Jake seems to express prowess in his ability to relax and not let his problems get out of hand while he stays in San Sebastian. Rather than anxiously worrying about his war injury and his relationship with Brett, Jake solely focuses on the activity at hand: swimming. He narrates, "Floating I saw only the sky, and felt the drop and lift of the swells" (241). Jake's use of the word "only" in this line indicate that he has nothing else on his mind during this time and is providing his undivided attention towards swimming. It seems as though the majority of Jake's stress and problems come from the actions of Cohn and primarily from his convoluted relationship with Brett. Thus, while he is part taking in such solitary activities as swimming in San Sebastian, Jake is able to really relax and be at peace with himself. With Brett and Cohn out of the picture during this time, Jake expresses, "It felt as though you could never sink" (241), adding to this notion that he can achieve this state of tranquility when alone. Through he never directly refers to his life's problems in this scene, we get a sense that Jake feels like everything is going to be alright in the end; he is never going to "sink" in his problems. Jake knows this because his time in San Sebastian provides him with a means to enjoy quality relaxation spent not thinking about Brett. It is actually the fact that Jake never mentions Brett in this scene that confirms the idea that Jake has progressed away from his original mindset through mental repose.

This concept that Jake has the ability to be at peace with himself towards the end of the novel enables Jake to take a different approach altogether towards life. Before, Jake would tend to act very bitter towards those that exhibited either a weakness or simply something that was impossible for him. For example, Jake significantly expresses his issues with the group of homosexuals in the bar: "I was very angry, Somehow they always made me angry," (28). Jake's dissatisfaction with his inability to sustain a stable relationship with Brett (due to his injury) arises here, and helps to explain why he expresses so much disdain towards the gay group of men. In contrast, these few, but crucial, instances of relaxation aid Jake in altering his perspective of life's stresses and overall help him cope with his lingering, unsatisfying relationship with Brett. During the swimming scene in San Sebastian, Jake undresses to change his clothes several times, but fails to bring up anything about his war wound at all in doing so. This is in stark contrast to the beginning of the book, where undressing would constantly remind Jake of his impossible relationship with Brett. Instead, we observe Jake progressing past his problems; he is no longer continuously troubled by the wound and it's implications with respect to Brett, but instead accepts the fact and moves on, because  he has undergone this transformation of attitude through seeking peace for himself. We see another instance of this in Jake's observances while swimming: "I swam out to the raft [...] A boy and a girl were at the other end. [...] The boy lay face downward on the raft and talked to her. She laughed at the things he said," (239). Jake shows his ability to simply acknowledge this interaction between the boy and the girl and move on. Normally, this would spur frustrating thoughts in Jake, as he would be reminded of his impossible relationship with Brett. The fact that this instance brings to Jake's mind neither his war wound nor Brett emphasizes how Jake's views have changed; he is no longer bothered by situations like this, as relaxation time has allowed him to alter his mindset and approach towards coping with his problems, in a positive way.