Letranger Essays - Absurdist Fiction, The Stranger, Meursault Wine

L'etranger The murder of the Arab is clearly the central event of the novel. Camus placed it in fact right in the middle of the book. It is the last incident recounted in part 1, so its importance is underscored by a structural break in the story. It is related in one of the longer chapters, which records in fine detail the events of the day, even when their relevance is not obvious - for example, several paragraphs are devoted to describing how Marie and Meursault frolic in the sea. The murder marks an obvious change in Meursault's life, from free man to prisoner, and some more subtle associated changes, such as his increasing introspection and concern with memory. Meursault himself describes the shooting in terms that emphasise both the destruction of a past and the start of something new: "and there, in that noise, sharp and deafening at the same time, is where - 'it all started' - I shook off the sweat and the sun. I knew that I had shattered the harmony of the day, the exceptional silence of a beach where I'd been happy". This violent crime also interrupts the routine flow of the story. Until the murder, nothing very dramatic has happened and nothing dramatic seems likely to happen. Partly, of course, this air of normality results from the way Meursault tells the story. His mother's death could have been a momentous event, but he begins the novel with the statement: 'Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday, I don't know'. The matter-of-fact tone and the uncertainty combine to make us feel that this is not a significant event. In many stories the first moments of love seem portentous. Of his first night with Marie Meursault says, 'Toward the end of the show, I gave her a kiss, but not a good one. She came back to my place. When I woke up, Marie had gone'. One could hardly be farther from romantic rapture. A few days later Meursault agrees to marry Marie, and that too could have been presented as a turning point in his life; but he relates their engagement as if it were a routine decision: 'That evening Marie came by to see me and asked me if I wanted to marry her. I said it didn't make much difference to me and that we could if she wanted to'. In narrating the murder itself, Meursault expresses very much the same attitude as he has previously; his actions have no conscious motives. The stage is set as if by accident, and that impression is reinforced by the accumulation of details. Meursault tells this day almost moment by moment. He tells of his headache and a bitter taste in his mouth, of Marie's white dress and Raymond's blue trousers, of their decision to take a bus rather than walk. Some of the details have symbolic functions. Marie remarks that he has a 'funeral face', alluding both to the funeral and to the impending murder. They bang on the Raymond's door to summon him, foreshadowing the gunshot raps 'on the door of unhappiness' at the time of the murder. The impression that this is just another day dominates the first part of this chapter, right up to the first confrontation with the Arabs. Meursault's role in this initial fracas is very passive. He accepts the task assigned to him by Raymond, to stand by to help 'if another one shows up'. He tries to shout a warning to Raymond, but too late. In the aftermath the three men return to the bungalow, and Masson then takes Raymond to a doctor, leaving Meursault, as he puts it, 'to explain to the women what had happened. I didn't like having to explain to them, so I just shut up, smoked a cigarette, and looked at the sea'. As usual, he gives no clue as to the content of his thoughts, and nothing is reported of his conversation with the two women. Masson and Raymond return from the doctor at one thirty, two hours after the walk first began. Raymond is in a surly mood and eventually announces that he is 'going down to the beach . . . to get some air'. Masson and Meursault both propose to go with him, but he tells them to mind their own business. Masson complies, but not Meursault: 'I followed him anyway'. This is Meursault's first rejection of authority, almost his first wilful act of the novel. The two men come upon the two Arabs

Free Essays on Japanese Internment Camps

Japanese Internment In 1912, Japanese Americans owned 12,726 acres of farmland in all of California. In 1913 California’s Alien Land Law was passed the law prohibited all Asian immigrants from owning land or property, but permitted a three year leases and all such aliens were ineligible for U.S. citizenship. California’s Alien Land Law prohibited leasing land to Asian Americans towards the end of 1920. By 1925, it was also prohibited in most of the western half of the United States the states included; Washington, Arizona, Oregon, Idaho, Nebraska, Texas, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, Minnesota, and Missouri. During World War II, Utah, Wyoming, and Arkansas also joined. 1922, Several Law suits were placed against the government but all were won by our government in the Supreme Court, the court reaffirmed the law and agreed that no alien citizen should own land. On February 28, 1933 one day after the Reichstag fire in Germany, Adolf Hitler persuaded German President Hindenburg to sign Article 48, an "emergency" mandate authorizing Hitler to suspend civil rights, arrest, imprison, and execute suspicious persons such as; communists, socialists, and labor union leaders, and outlaw non-Nazi press. By March 20 Dachau, the first Nazi concentration camp, opened and in April of that same year all Jewish citizens of Germany were barred from German civil service. In July 1933, Hitler obtained the right to revoke German citizenship for persons considered a threat or "undesirable" to the government. June of1935 the United States Congress passed an act making aliens citizens otherwise ineligible to citizenship eligible if they had served in the U.S. armed forces between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918, and been honorably discharged, and they were permanent residents of the United States. September 15, 1935 Nuremberg Laws ended German citizenship for Jews. From this time on the Jews in Germany were limited severely to n... Free Essays on Japanese Internment Camps Free Essays on Japanese Internment Camps Japanese Internment In 1912, Japanese Americans owned 12,726 acres of farmland in all of California. In 1913 California’s Alien Land Law was passed the law prohibited all Asian immigrants from owning land or property, but permitted a three year leases and all such aliens were ineligible for U.S. citizenship. California’s Alien Land Law prohibited leasing land to Asian Americans towards the end of 1920. By 1925, it was also prohibited in most of the western half of the United States the states included; Washington, Arizona, Oregon, Idaho, Nebraska, Texas, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, Minnesota, and Missouri. During World War II, Utah, Wyoming, and Arkansas also joined. 1922, Several Law suits were placed against the government but all were won by our government in the Supreme Court, the court reaffirmed the law and agreed that no alien citizen should own land. On February 28, 1933 one day after the Reichstag fire in Germany, Adolf Hitler persuaded German President Hindenburg to sign Article 48, an "emergency" mandate authorizing Hitler to suspend civil rights, arrest, imprison, and execute suspicious persons such as; communists, socialists, and labor union leaders, and outlaw non-Nazi press. By March 20 Dachau, the first Nazi concentration camp, opened and in April of that same year all Jewish citizens of Germany were barred from German civil service. In July 1933, Hitler obtained the right to revoke German citizenship for persons considered a threat or "undesirable" to the government. June of1935 the United States Congress passed an act making aliens citizens otherwise ineligible to citizenship eligible if they had served in the U.S. armed forces between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918, and been honorably discharged, and they were permanent residents of the United States. September 15, 1935 Nuremberg Laws ended German citizenship for Jews. From this time on the Jews in Germany were limited severely to n...

Persuasive Speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Persuasive Speech - Essay Example Even though you may already know a great deal about your topic, read recent articles in order to find the most current data and/or talk to local experts in order to discover local information. You must cite at least 3 sources during your speech. There must be variety in your sources and in the types of supporting materials you use. You must use reliable sources. The collegiate world of sports is a dynamic realm that continues to perplex and fascinate fans all around the world. The world of college is filled with suspense, drama and â€Å"Cinderella-type† stories in which the underdogs prevail while the dominant teams continue to falter. In essence, athletes in college are motivated to excel because of pride and culture. According to the Gallup poll, 85% of college football fans support modifying the bowl game system into a playoff system. Therefore, it is logical that the NCAA should implement a playoff system in the collegiate level because it would resemble the NFL, implement a fair system of picking a winner, and finally would bring millions of revenue that would satisfy colleges. The primary reason why college basketball should implement a playoff system method is because of the fact that both NFL and the NBA have playoffs. In essence, playoffs truly change the storyline of the traditional rankings. Many teams tend to outperform their rivals because of the extra motivation that they achieve by making the playoffs. This example can be brilliantly depicted as the Green Bay Packers won the wild card in the NFC North. After inching to get into the playoffs, the Packers with their 10-6 record prevailed against the Bears and went on to win the Super Bowl. It is evident that the Packers would have never achieved this nominal feat without entering the playoff system that is embedded in the playoffs. Moreover, the playoffs challenge athletes to persevere in times of adversities. The talented individuals that are played in