The Stranger Part 1 Question

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In the first five chapters, the sun has a calming effect on Meursault. On the bus ride to his mom’s funeral, when one would most likely be grieving, Meursault is relaxed by the sun’s glare. Generally when he goes in to a room, he notices the amount of light in it, showing his level of detail with the sun. However, when it is night, Meursault becomes irritated. The weather is described vividly, and when he is happy, the sun is depicted as helping Meur-sault. During the funeral, the sun’s heat becomes inhuman and oppressive, showing how Meursault’s mood resonates with the weather. The weather provides a distraction for him and possibly a scapegoat to blame his other problems on. On the sunny beach, Meursault flirts with Marie and enjoys himself. After spending the night with Marie, Meursault relaxes by watching the clouds. In the dark, he meets his old and cynical neighbor Salamano. Meur-sault doesn’t like Paris because it has dark courtyards. In chapter six, the sun blinds him and is like a slap in the face, a reality check for him. At the beach with Masson, the pleasant, idyllic conditions used to describe the beach are a contrast to what actually happens. When Meursault, Raymond, and Masson take a walk on the beach, the sun’s glare blinds Meur-sault. The sun becomes more oppressive the second time Meursault and Raymond visit the Arabs. The sun’s glares and other signs of heat foreshadow Meursault’s killing of the Arab. On the third visit to the Arabs, the sun’s effects on the beach are described the most vividly in the novel, with many metaphors and personification. “Blinding halo of light” depicts the Arab as an angel. When the Arab pulls out his knife, the light that is reflected off of it is as much as a stab to Meursault as it was to Raymond. The light moved down Meursault’s fore-head to his eyes, and since the eyes are the main sense of perception, it causes him to react. At this time, the weather is described angrily. Meursault’s relationship with the sun is similar to the sun’s path in the day. The sun goes in a circle and rises and sets every day, just like Meursault’s day. When it is day, Meursault is happy, but when it is night, Meursault is not. Changes in this pattern contrast the expected reaction to the time, such as when Meursault kills the Arab in the day or when Meursault is with Marie at night. Because the sun rises every day but changes throughout the day, it represents existentialism. When the sun slaps Meursault in the face, it references Raymond slapping his mistress and the police officer slapping Raymond. Both are vicious acts, but the officer’s slapping is considered right. This dualistic view on slapping is similar to the sun on Meursault.