2005 The Chimney Sweepers Outline

Through tone, symbolism, and religious lenses, William Blake successfully distinguishes the similarities and differences between the children's abilities to hope for happiness in the poems called "The Chimney Sweeper".
         
            
         Both poems exhibit examples of color symbolism that distinguish innocence and purity of happy childhood from the darkness of being a young chimney sweep. This contrast is established through the use of white and black. In the first poem, the speaker mentions a child whose white hair was "curl'd like a lambs back" (6) was shaved, causing the boy to weep. The cutting of the white locks symbolizes the child's detachment from innocence, as he is then forced to become a chimney sweep. The dream Tom then has clearly separates their current state of darkness from heavenly purity. The "coffins of black" (12) that encase each of the children represent the soot that constantly dirties their freedoms, as well as the health risks that come with breathing in soot daily. When they are released from them by an Angel, they are released from the blanket of darkness. They become "naked and white" (17), and only then are they able to experience the joy of carefree childhood. This whiteness further contrasts how they "rose in the dark" (21), back in the reality of adult responsibility. A similar contrast of color is explored in the second poem. The first line established the very difference: "A little black thing among the snow" (1). The child sweeps chimneys and is therefore blackened, in contrast with the purity of the snow that surrounds him. Similar to the coffins, the child expresses how he is clothed in "the clothes of death" (7), referring to the dangers of working in the chimneys. The dark clothes also represent the death of childhood, like the in the first poem. This despair contrasts the happiness the child feels when he "smil'd among the winter's snow" (6), before being forced to clean the hearth and the chimney. When he among the whiteness, he experiences youthful joy, but it is dragged down and expired by the dark clothes.
             Though the use of color symbolism is parallel in the two poems, the religious perspectives vary immensely. In the first poem, God and Heaven are looked to as a source of hope and salvation from the hell of chimney sweeping. In the dream, the Angel unlocks their chimney responsibilities and frees them by bringing them to heaven. Tom's told by the Angel that "is he'd be a good boy, / He'd have God for his father & never want joy" (19-20). The promise of heavenly protection from harm and despair causes Tom to awake "happy & warm" (23) despite his unchanging responsibilities. The promise, though given through a dream, is one that gives Tom hope and perseverance to continue with his duties to be rewarded in the end. He gets a taste of paradise, which motivates him to make this decision. Contrastingly, in the second poem, God is condemned by the child for letting him live such a miserable life. The child has feigned happiness, which then makes his parents believe "they have done me no injury" (10). The parents then believe God to be praise-worthy, when really, the child sees any higher power, including God and the Priest and the King, to be responsible for creating "the heaven of our misery" (12). The child is left feeling hopeless from salvation of this state of despair, therefore casting a perspective of negativity on the passiveness of God.
             Through the lenses of color and religion, distinct tones are created in the poems. The first, given the promise of heavenly salvation and the chance to become clean from the dark soot gives the children and the reader a feeling of hope. When they awake, "Tho' the morning was cold, Tom was happy & warm; / So if all do their duty, they need not fear harm" (23-24). The warmth is characterized by this hope, that one day there will be light and joy. The hopeful tone however is only established by the second half of the poem. At the beginning, the tones of both poems seem to match. There is despair in hopelessness is exhibited when the speaker's pitying situation is described: "When my mother dies I was very young, / And my father sold me while yet my tongue / Could scarcely cry '' weep! 'weep! 'weep! 'weep!'" (1-3). At so young, the child is forced to live a life of an adult. The second poem starts the same way, as the child cries the same chimney sweep call. However, the tone of hopelessness never shifts. The child is little and helpless, stuck in his "heaven of our misery" (12). His parents are unable to notice his agony and God seems to ignore his pleas for salvation. Never is he given a sign of hope or change, as he stays in his pitiful curled-up state in the snow, weighed down by his black cloak.
                Both poems identify the feelings of children forced to be chimney sweeps at shockingly young ages, and both muster pity and sorrow for their miserable states. The first appeals more to the innocence of hope without being able to realize the impending and unchanging despair. The second explores a child who has realized the depth and permanence of his blackened childhood, creating a more heart-wrenching mood in the reader.

Pride and Prejudice 10

               The scandal regarding Lydia and Mr. Wickham strongly highlights the priorities and expectations of the time. Upon first reading about their scandalous runaway, I immediately thought the characters were worried for young Lydia's safety from Wickam's scheming ways. However, I came to realize that their worry was nearly entirely stemmed from reputation. Her having not yet married Wickham before their adventurous escape is the prime reason for stress, for if word was to get out of her impropriety and foolishness, Lydia's reputation, and thus her ability to marry later in life, would be entirely terminated. Along with her own, the reputation of the Bennet family would be equally at stake, and they would be looked down upon by society forevermore. Thus, news of the marriage to take place between Lydia and Wickham comes as a great relief. Mrs. Bennet becomes the most exited of them all. Elizabeth notes the disconnect and so sudden transition between dissaproval towards Lydia to rejoicing of her marriage: "'How strange this is! And for this we are to be thankful. That they should marry, small as is their chance of happiness, and wretched as is his character, we are forced to rejoice!'" (258). The clear priority in the Bennet household and in society at the time is to prevent scandal from permanently ruining reputation, even if it means marriage to a man known to have scheming and manipulative tendencies.

Pride and Prejudice 8 & 9

                 As Elizabeth goes on reflecting on Mr. Darcy's revelations in his explanatory letter to her, she begins to perceive the world slightly differently. In a conversation with Mr. Wickham, she takes in the information of his scheming ways and hints of the information she has been given. When asked of Mr. Darcy, she makes note: "'When I said that he improved on acquaintance, I did not mean that either his mind or manners were in a state of improvement, but that from knowing him better, his disposition was better understood'" (200). Her statement illustrates how though he has acted favorably towards her in their latest acquaintances, she does not perceive his behavior as being improved. However she does begin to view him differently. With the explanation of the iniquity of Mr. Wickham, Elizabeth is able to correct one of her false notions of his selfishness. Following her statement, she still resists loving feelings toward Mr. Darcy, even when they manage to make a presence in her mind. For the moment, she likes him enough to trust his word against Wickham's, which is a start to a hopefully full acceptance later.

Pride and Prejudice 1-5

             Pride and Prejudice has a title that adequately fits its content. As the story progresses, it is clear that each of the characters are concerned with status, marriage, and courting. Many focus on appearances, forming quick judgments and basing their feelings off of them. Mrs. Bennet only cares about affluence when it comes to finding husbands for her daughters. She is very superficial in this way--she would rather her daughters be financially stable and high in class than emotionally or romantically content. Much of the conflict in finding partners is the struggle to keep a family's pride and title. Bingley's sisters are very judgmental with Elizabeth, mostly because she receives more attention from Mr. Darcy. The entire storyline is focused on first impressions and maintenance of class, following social expectations and fulfilling gender duties.

          Upon reading Mr. Collins' proposal to Elizabeth, I better understand the tone of it. Throughout his stay, Mr. Collins has shown his overwhelming sense of self-importance and arrogance. He takes the time to perform speeches, and is always unaware of how his surrounding audience get easily annoyed by his words. Since he is inheriting the Bennet property, he seems to show a sense of entitlement to choosing whichever Bennet daughter he finds suitable. In his actual proposal, he never once appeals to Elizabeth personally. He speaks of being a clergyman, wanting to add to his happiness, advice from Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and inheriting Longbourn. He never uses typical courting appeals and he never mentions her happiness. The entire second half of his proposal is solely to do with financial issues and his inheriting the house after Mr. Bennet's death. He believes that by appealing to this dilemma, he will persuade her hand inn marriage. Little does he realize how arrogant and long-winded he sounds.

Poetry Slam Poem 1 (group)

"Dear Cliche High School Bully"

Dear cliche high school bully,
You, the one who redefined the term,
You, who doesn't steal lunch money, but hopes and dreams,
You, who uses logic and cunning instead of fists and wedgies,
You, the painting of innocence, a face without a heart--
You're boring me.
This game you play isn't one I asked to be in,
Much less when it involves trying to make me cry,
Especially when the objective is to break me.
You can't stand that I can stand and smile,
You can't stand how I won't stoop as low as you.
I'm the perfect target, we both know that:
Awkward speech impediments, lack of conventional hobbies,
My childish interests aren't as womanly as your Cosmo and Vogue
And maybe my vocabulary consists of more 'likes' than actual words,
And maybe my Facebook wall isn't cluttered with people I don't know,
And maybe I have no idea what in the world a Twitter is.

But I do know who I am, and I ain't trying to please you.
I'm not sorry your friends abandoned you
When you used and abused them, believing you could subdue them,
Believing you had some kind of power over their will.
Who do you think you are, pulling the trigger of the gun of judgment
When you've got it pointing the wrong way?
I don't know if you've heard, but there's a difference between dignity and pride.
Swallow the latter and up the former, because you can't seem to get over
The delusional idea that you deserve better,
That you deserve more,
That maybe manipulation and backstabbing will make you happier.
I mean, you got what you wanted, right?
All the fame without the glory,
All the praise without the sincerity.
Rid the cloud of denial from your bleary eyes
Because you sure ain't fooling anyone/
I mean Shakespeare summed it up pretty well--
Heaven truly knows that thou art false as hell.

And I just wanted to say "thank you."
Thank you for staring,
For shifting your gaze up and down, side to side,
Silently judging and ridiculing,
Taking the time to spot my flaws and give them value.
Thank you--for wasting the effort.
Behind the curl in your lips and the cold in your eyes
I see your criticisms,
Circling around your head and propelling my way,
Armed with weapons of malicious intent--
I smile.
Your grin fades and your eyebrows raise
As your insults scurry and dance hectically,
Falling to the ground,
One by one,
Shattering soundlessly.

You're the reason my defenses are so strong.

Sincerely,

No longer inferior

Poetry Slam Poem 2 (group)

I'm Not Sorry

Why can't you say my name as it was intended
Before your harsh tongue butchered it with English,
Spitting it back at my face,
Disgracing my culture, belittling who I am,
Erasing my identity because I don't matter
So long as you can stomp on the inkling of hope I manage to hold onto

Does my skin scare you?
Does this complexion constitute as an unspoken crime?
Does my skin tone stand as a denotation for intellectual inferiority?
Does the make-up of my pigment demarcate my verbal capabilities?
You act like my coloration is a handicap,
Like I should be ashamed of this sun-kissed hue.

Is my wild mane too animalistic?
Or should I be rocking a perm or a weave?
Because I'd be looking like Chewbacca otherwise,
Because my hair should be monotone, structured, lifeless.
Is it wrong that I am what I represent, not who I should represent?
Or am I not to be what's withing?
Supporting a cause, destroying my voice,
Leaving me colorless on a blueprint backdrop.

Color me with the brilliance of chaos
Because lacking a color is a burden,
Because being achromatic means being a racist,
Because I can inflict pain, not bear it.
I can't have pride or else I'm oppressice
But I'm not my ancestry,
Don't define me based on history
When we're speaking in the present tense.

Oh, the horrors of the cruelty of man.
Oh, the beauty of the aftermath of a storm
I'm not sorry; I won't apologize for being a palette of majesty,
I won't pretend I am worth nothing more than a puddle of diversity.

I am oppression, I am liberty, I am tragedy, I am independence.

Hamlet 5: Discussion with Mother

               Throughout the entire play, there are instances of King Claudius and Queen Gertrude try to spy on Hamlet in order to determine his state of madness. Each time, Hamlet is too wise to be fooled, discovering the trickery being committed. When the prince storms into his mother's room, he quickly discovers Polonius spying on their conversation. In the scene before, the king and queen send Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to bring Hamlet to England to isolate him from his murderous plans and to then kill him. The deception and trickery always backfires due to Hamlet's quick-witted and skillful role-play. However, in his encounter with the Queen he loses control, letting his emotional fury take over. It is here when his mother thinks him mad, though he is not embodying a prepared role of madness. She feels his hurtful but truthful remarks: "These words are like daggers enter into my ears" (III.iv.108) and "thou has cleft my heart in twain!" (III.iv.177). Hamlet makes the most emotional impact when unleashing his overpowering emotions to his mother. Yet even with the emotional confession and accusation, Gertrude does not seem to take Hamlet's plea to not "spread the compost on the weeds / To make them ranker" (III.iv.172-173). Gertrude does not stop Claudius' wrath from taking control of her, of Hamlet, and of Denmark with corruption and deceitfulness. She does not pursue the King and simply regards Hamlet as being mad beyond recovery.

Poem of CHOICE

The dreams we dream are foggy,
Wispy swirls of longing
That float around our heads.
"Dream big," we're told.
But when a cloud is too big
It can be intoxicating.
The blurriness pollutes
When dreams become distant daydreams.
Distractions invade,
Your head is lost in the clouds.
The danger of glorifying the far future
Lies in losing sight of the present tense,
As the dreamy swirls veil your vision,
Allowing the drive of now fade

 away.

Hamlet #5

              Hamlet's soliloquy found at the end of Act II helps develop his plan to reveal the evil deed of the current King Claudius. He does so by considering the many uncontrollable aspects of true emotion. As he observes one of the players perform a scene from a passionate play, he notices how emotional the actor becomes, weeping uncontrollably. He realizes the strength of excellent acting in portraying emotion: "He would drown the stage with tears / And cleave the general ear with horrid speech, / Make mad the guilty and appall the free, / Confound the ignorant and amaze indeed / The very faculties of eyes and ears" (II.ii.589-593). Everyone is affected and made true. The falseness that Hamlet so despises is washed away with successful acting. He also notes that he has "heard/ That guilty creatures sitting at the play / Been struck so to the soul that presently / They have proclaimed their malefactions" (II.ii.617-621). Hamlet understands that the King is protected physically, but his emotional reactions are not necessarily guarded. He believes the likeness of the play to the deed of the King will reveal to all watching that he stores a dark secret.

Poem Using Patter/Struture

 The Red Dagger

You and whose army?                                                (line derived from Radiohead song of same title)
Sans knives or swords or suits of metal,
Even as I speak calmly,
Your eyes can't seem to settle.

You question my validity,
You seek to destroy the truth of my honor,
You try to see through me,
But all you are is just a goner.

A secrete weapon you say?
I have blades and flames and clubs of steel,
Your fork is made of clay,
So now the time has come to kneel.

Silence steadily grows
And the rose petals softly fall,
And I think of the woes
That cause me and you to bawl.

I might have the sword
And other weapons of man's making,
But your love bored
Deeper into my eternal breaking.

Poem on Mom/College/Leaving

Hopes and fears
Mixed with the thrill of change,
And the sadness of it.
I do not doubt
That she will find a group,
That she will belong and feel belonged,
Be a part of the social scene she has been yearning for for too long.
Good influences,
Mutual friendships.
Experimentation is one way to gain knowledge,
As long as she can stay in control,
Knows her limits,
Keeps to her morals.

I want all of her expectations to be met,
For her abilities to be used to their fullest,
For her to flourish to her closest potential,
(Something I believe has yet to happen).
I want her to find love in every sense,
And while keeping her passion for art,
Exploring and delving into new ones.

I don't expect her to come home too often,
I don't think it would be healthy to,
But to see her genuine smile
Radiating through her as she speaks of her Hampshire experiences--
To the ups and downs of
New people,
New curriculum,
New freedom--
Will be the greatest gift to me as a mother. 

Hamlet 2

          The family circuit of Polonius, Laertes, and Ophelia seem to be an overall healthy and supportive one. Both Polonius and Laertes give wise advice to others in the family in a seemingly genuine manner. Laertes has Ophelia's best interests in mind. He worries she be lost in love for Hamlet, without considering his restricting position as Prince of Denmark: "Perhaps he loves you now, / And now no soil or cautel doth besmirch / The virtue of his will; but you must fear, / His greatness is weighed, his will is not his own" (I.iii. 17-20). His tone is deeply concerned and caring, as a brother should be when giving advice about risky love. Polonius gives similar sincere parental advice to Laertes as he leaves for France. The advice is general but useful, including wise considerations such as, "Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice" (74). Both instances of advice are considerate and given only for the receiver to go about their lives with the most success. This normal portrayal of family love greatly contrasts the relationship between Hamlet, Claudius, and Gertrude. The royal family is anything but natural, and the tension between each member causes great discomfort.

A Poem on Death

Tombstone

Birth presents us all with an empty canvas,
And when you look closely you can see the tiny grooves in the rough material,
White, pure, untouched.
Yours.

Life makes marks.

Once your frame can no longer contain the spirit,
A masterpiece is complete.

Death can be about dirt.
Dirt and wooden boxes,
Flowers and black umbrellas,
And dreams cut short.

But up close
I see a splash of crimson passion,
Drips in dark hues of melancholy,
Bubbly shades of gamboge, 
I see the streaks of bold phthalo greens and blues,
Rippled blotches of violet and vermillion,
Interconnected strands of pure white.

Stepping back, the hues blend,
Your eyes staring back. 

I can see your memories stained on your fingertips,
The Artist has made their life's work.


 

Othello's Act 5 Soliloquy

              Othello reflects on his deteriorated state as he observes Desdemona and ponders the murder he is about to commit. He surrenders to his emotions, ultimately blaming her disloyal. And yet, even as he is overcome with anger, he does not wish to "shed her blood, / Nor scar that whither skin of hers than snow" (3-4). He wishes not to stain her purity which he deems as false. The world must remember her for her beauty and not for her sin. Othello, especially, wants this clean image to be his last--he wants to have the privilege since his growing insecurities have also made him greedy. By taking away her life, he is fully in control of her, but this is only because he has lost all control of his soul and his jealous emotions. It almost seems as though he feigns selflessness when he says, "Yet she must die, else she'll betray more men" (6). Othello seems to fear that other men will undergo the same dreadful transformation to obsession that has destroyed him. But his line could also be interpreted as a way to say he does not want Desdemona to fall in love with other men that possess better qualities than he. He knows his murder will be permanent, as he metaphorically compares his killing her to "putting out thy light" (10) and picking a rose. He extends the sweet metaphor: "I cannot give it vital growth again. / It needs must wither. I'll smell it on the tree. / O balmy breath, that doest almost persuade / Justice to break her sword!" (15-18). Othello is overwhelmed with the sweet image of Desdemona sleeping, and out of the love for her, feels the slightest persuasion to resist his urge to murder her. However, once again, his emotions override his logic. His memory of her love will be as pure as the image of her sleeping before the murder. Othello justifies this by saying, "Be thus when thou art dead, and I will kill thee / And love thee after" (20).

Othello 5 (Act 4 Scene 1)

               Iago's cruel manipulation of Othello has caused such a dramatic fall for the once confident and powerful leader. His reverent ways as poisoned and destroyed by emotional jealousy. In the first scene of Act 4, the transformation is so severe that Othello cannot handle his reactions and loses consciousness. The state he is in is irreversible. Thus, Othello experiences the torment of a confirmation bias when presented with Desdemona. She explains to Lodovico the falling out between Othello and Cassio, adding her side: "I would do much / T' atone them, for the love I bear to Cassio" (IV.i.254-255). Her words are interpreted by Othello as total confirmation for her feelings toward Cassio, highlighting even more his jealous feelings as well as his insecurities. However, no one other than Iago, Othello, and the audience are aware of the ridiculous accusations. Desdemona and Cassio are utterly clueless and blindly placed in an untrue scenario entirely constructed by Iago's imagination and ability to twist actions into meanings. Othello, a man once so gentle an completely infatuated by Desdemona decides to strike her. His inner savage and uncontrollable emotion ultimately lead to his downfall. As such changes occur, there exist more reasons for Desdemona to choose Cassio over Othello. In a way, his actions are the only force pushing her away.

Othello 4? (Act 3, Scenes 3 and 4)

            Iago meets some unexpected turns in his plan, but successfully causes Othello to become insanely jealous and paranoid of Desdemona's unfaithful feelings towards Cassio. Othello for once realizes the many desirable qualities Cassio has that he does not: light skin, charm, intelligence, and Brabantio's approval. Iago highlights him as being, "Of her own clime, complexion, and degree" (III.iii.270). Once Othello becomes fully aware of his disadvantages, and once he is told of some possible proof of Desdemona's infidelity, he is outraged and begins to act on his emotions. His actions greatly contrast his collected and dignified presence in the beginning of the play. With each word he spoke, he sounded eloquent and powerful, despite his race. Othello believes that Desdemona, the main source of his happiness in the middle of the play, has noticed his imperfections and does not approve of them. This insecurity of Othello's is the cause of his verbal downfall.

Excersice: Connecting Sound with Sense

1. The version a) is the better of the two. The syllable count in both lines is 10 and they have a similar flow. They also seem to follow the same meter: iambic pentameter. The repetition in the phrase "your guide by day, your guard by night" creates more unity than "shall point your way by day, and keep you safe at night".

2. b) is the better of the two. The words are more concise and are able to flow well.

3. The first excerpt seems to be the most correct solely for the beautiful assonance used: "crows croak hoarsely over the snow". Option b) does not follow this poetic device.

4. b) seems to follow a more rhythmic route than a). The word "attests" in a)'s first line disrupts the flow and meter, whereas b) successfully does not: "low voice tells how...".

5. Option b) tries to incorporate too many flowery and excessively long words that disrupt the rhythm of the piece. The use of "immemorial" and "innumerable" makes the piece seem choppy and wordy. a) uses both iambic pentameter and general rhythm to successfully embody the beauty of the garden.

6. a) has a more parallel and uniform meter (iambic pentameter) than b), as well as a more pleasant rhythm.

7. Option a) seems too literal and entirely devoid of rhythm, almost as if it were meant to be a sentence instead of in a poem. The list of words in the first line of b) provide a congruent, repetitive rhythm, with some loose consonance with both 'b' and 's': "bastions, batteries, bayonets, bullets".

8. Though a) seems more cluttered with syllables, its word choice is more effective than that of b). The word "incessantly" used in a) is more descriptive than "repetitive". The connotation of incessantly is that the work continues even when there is no resolve--it is done endlessly.

9. Excerpt b) seems to be the more successful of the two. Its lines have a similar count of syllables and meter, whereas some lines in a) extend and seem to not follow any rhythm. For example, as a) says in line three, "The plowing goes wearily plodding his homeward way," which is a mouthful. Then option b) makes the idea more concise and easier to follow: "The plowman homeward plods his weary way". The second line is more musical and pleasant.

10. Option a) has too many cluttered and misplaced syllables. b) has much better rhythm and flow, as well as having both alliteration and assonance at the end: "stinks and stings".

Othello 3

        As Iago continues with his evil plan to become lieutenant continues unfurling, he continues to seem the most honest of men to all his enemies. One piece of his stealthy plan is revealed to the audience: "If I can fasten but one cup upon him / With that which he hath drunk tonight already, / He'll be as full of quarrel and offense / As my young mistress' dog" (II.iii.49-53). After it follows through, his duality is truly exposed when he pretends to soothe Cassio after his being fired as lieutenant. Cassio condemns the alcohol that has caused him to get into a quarrel, and Iago responds with, "Come, come, good wine is a good familiar crea- / ture, if it be well used. Exclaim no more against it" (II.iii.328-329). His statement hold so much irony, as Cassio would never suspect Iago as being one that would set him up for such a loss of reputation and dignity. At the end of the night, Cassio calls his traitor "honest Iago" (II.iii.355), when he is anything but. All the characters are so easily fooled to think best of Iago, especially the wise Othello, when all the while, Iago plays a different role for each of his acquaintances.

Rhythm and Meter

Chapter Twelve: Rhyme and Meter

Rhyme – wavelike recurrence of motion or sound
- Accented and unaccented syllables provide some degree of rhythm
- Designates flow of pronounced sound

Rhetorical stresses – make intentions more clear

Pauses: help structure thought

End-stopped line – when the end of the line corresponds with a natural speech pause

Run-on line – when the sense of the line moves on without pause into the next line

Caesuras – pauses that occur within lines

Prose poetry – uses many poetic elements, including connotation, imagery, and figurative language

Meter – identifying characteristic of rhythmic language where accents are arranged to occur in equal intervals of time
- Can make reader more aware of how the poem should be read
- Certain effects can be analyzed to have meaning
- Patterns that sounds follow when arranged into metrical verse
- Foot – unit of meter that consists of one accented syllable and one or two unaccented syllables
- Stanza – group of lines whose metrical pattern is repeated throughout the poem
- Metrical variations: call attention to some irregular sounds
            substitution: replacing a regular foot with another one
            extrametrical syllables: added to beginnings or endings of lines
            truncation: omission of an unaccepted syllable at either end of a line
- Scansion – process of defining a poem’s metrical form:
            1) Identify prevailing foot
            2) Name number of feet in a line
            3) Describe the stanzaic pattern

Rhythm -
- Expected rhythm – the rhythm our minds construct when reading poetry
- Heard rhythm – actual rhythm of words
- The two are counterpointed

The Stranger Outline

Thesis: The indifference demonstrated by Mersault's narrative, as well as the tendency for others to try to construct meaning of his actions, illustrate Camus' ultimate absurdist message.

1. Physical needs vs emotional needs
   
   • "I explained to him, however, that my nature was such that my physical needs often got in the way of my feelings" (65)
     Mersault tries to tell his lawyer the reasons why he was quite withdrawn and insincere in the most honest fashion. He shows his complete emotional indifference, stating that he felt more tired than sad at the funeral of his mother. The lawyer is not satisfied with his answer, as he knows how ruthless the trial will be. Most of the characters of the book presume his lack of emotion was due to his heartlessness, filling in information that makes sense in the shadow of a murder trial. However, Camus tries to hint at the idea that sometimes everyday life can cause repetitive exhaustion that then leads to questioning the meaning of life. Mersault lives a life where he does not assess his emotions, losing sight of priorities and feeling.
   • "The scorching blade slashed at my eyelashes and stabbed at my stinging eyes. That's when everything began to reel...My being tenses and I squeezed my hand around the revolver. The trigger gave" (59)
     Mersault is faced with severe physical discomfort as he approaches the Arab on the scorching beach. Mersault cannot ignore the amount of strain the sun's glare is putting on his eyes, and the only way to stop the pain is to kill the one producing it: the Arab. Once in trial, Mersault declares that the reason for committing his convicted murder was because of the sun. He does not put meaning to his actions and emotionally detaches himself from the decision he has made. His physical needs in the case of the beach were to stop the glare from reaching his eyes, and they overpowered his ability to bring emotion and reason into his fateful mistake. Mersault does not try to formulate a meaning or motive to his murder in his absurdist ways. The four extra shots fired also lead the reader and the court to construct meaning when really none is explained.
     
2. Relationships with others
   • "Marie came by to see me and asked me if I wanted to marry her. I said it didn't make any difference to me and that we could if she wanted to" (41)
     The way Mersault meets Marie's interest with such indifference shows his lack of priorities and knowledge of the meaning of life. To Mersault, a future of neutrality is satisfying, and that is enough for him. There is no meaning ti assess or brightness to look forward to for him. Meanwhile, Marie constructs meaning from his actions. She perceives them in different perspectives to try to make sense of him but finds it very frustrating to. Mersault is indifferent to her and her feelings that result from his actions.
   • Mersault interacts with two parallel relationships of abuse and reacts to them the same way as he does the rest of life. When he sees Salomano treating his dog roughly, he does not intervene and treats it as a normality. The reader can assess his lack of values for the well-being of domesticated animals, but it can be said that such lack can be common. When Mersault befriends Raymond, he discovers that the man beats his girlfriend due to suspicions of cheating. Mersault treats the severe situation with the same indifference, tellings Raymond on the subject that he "didn't think anything but that it was interesting" (32). The calm detachment leads one to believe that Mersault thinks of the woman and the dog as equally insignificant. With the absurdist belief that life has no meaning, he finds himself staying neutral throughout. He does not adhere to objective values, especially since the dog and the woman do not impact him in any way.

The Stranger #5

              When Mersault discovers his fate with the guillotine, he finally begins to truly experience human emotion. It is only when he realizes his time will be cut short that he begins to care about the way he lives it. He develops priorities: "All I care about right now is escaping the machinery of justice" (108). He imagines freedom, and as he does so, "a wave of poisoned joy rose in my throat" (110). The word 'joy' has never been used in Mersault's life's narrative before this pivotal moment. He is learning to feel and to care, just in time for his execution. For once, he is suffering a consequence for an action that he did not take the time to consider. Had he realized that killing the Arab could most indefinitely end with the death penalty, he might not have followed through. Never before had he truly paid for his indifference towards making decisions. Showing Marie his indifference towards their relationship never caused her to leave him, so therefore he continued with that indifference. He always gets the best of each situation, even without putting any emotional effort into it. Now, he can fully appreciate his mistakes, now that he can never see Marie again or enjoy the freedom of long life.