Nature's Effect on Meursault

Summary:  A stylistic analysis of an exerpt in Albert Camus' The Stranger. The analysis presents nature's antagonistic power to make Meursault think and act irrationally.

In Albert Camus' The Stranger, the sun acts as an antagonist during Meursault's journey across the beach to the spring. His gradual degradation due to the sun is firstly expressed with diction suggesting it's suffocating powers. Meursault claims that, "the sea gasped for air with each shallow, stifled little wave that broke on the sand" (57). The sun's suffocating power casts "drunkenness" (57) over Meursault. The word drunkenness implies unruly behavior and not being of one's own mind. In portraying the sun as an intoxicating agent, it's role in the climactic murder is assured. In fact, as alcohol can be attributed to irrational behavior, the sun can be attributed to the murder, at least in part. It is even presented as a real person walking with Meursault, making him move. Indeed, the sun is personified many times when Camus describes it's heat as "hot breath"(57) against Meursault's face. Interestingly, Camus presents a paradox in the sun's role in mobility. Meursault says that, " For two hours the day had stood still; for two hours it had been anchored in a sea of molten lead"(58). However he also claims that "this burning... made me [him] move forward" (59). Camus seems to be begging the question what force can counter the sun's and make Meursault move?

Meursault's intense desire for shade and the spring is the driving force resisting the sun's powers. In the image created when he says, "the whole beach, throbbing in the sun, was pressing on my back. I took a few steps toward the spring" (58) we see this desire in action. Also, he makes this goal clear when he states that he wants "to find shade and rest again at last" (57). The intensity is emphasized by the words "at last." Finality and longing are both feelings elicited by those words. Combating the sun, he makes his way towards the spring. Meursault has two conditions thrust upon him. The first is his obvious discomfort with the heat and the light and the second is his intense desire to get away from it. Through imagery, we can see that both of these things create a sense of aggression in him. Meursault describes his aggression when he tells us that, "With every blade of light that flashed off the sand, from a bleached shell or a piece of broken glass, my jaws tightened" (57). The major instance of his aggression occurs when the Arab pulls out his knife. Meursault says, "The scorching blade slashed at my eyelashes and stabbed at my stinging eyes" (59). At this point, Meursault shoots him. Such imagery, immersed with terms such as "scorching blade" portrays negative and unbearable circumstances which elicit the same negative and unbearable connotations. The distress and discomfort which Meursault feels drive him to shoot the Arab thereby portraying aggression. However, he is quick to take responsibility for his actions since it is he who "squeezed my [his] hand around the revolver" (59) and it is he who will be "knocking four quick times on the door of unhappiness" (59). Obviously, the feeling of guilt has set into his mind.

Throughout Part one of the book, Meursault has been giving short, usually emotionless descriptions of his feelings and actions. For example, at the beginning of chapter four, Meursault says, "I worked hard all week. Raymond stopped by and told me he'd sent the letter. I went to the movies twice with Emmanuel, who doesn't always understand what's going on on the screen. So you have to explain things to him. Yesterday was Saturday, and Marie came over..." (34). Now, the sun is so strong and the heat is so intense that his very emotions are impacted. As already stated, he turned into an aggressive being, acting as if the sun was immersing him in "drunkenness." This contrast shows that through discomfort he can portray emotion. Perhaps this implies that Meursault is an emotional person and just keeps his emotions to himself until a force such as nature facilitates expression.