Monday, March 24, 2008

English Explication




In this passage “From a distance I could see the small dark mass of rock surrounded by a blinding halo of light and sea spray. I was thinking of the cool spray behind the rock I wanted to hear the murmur of the water again. To escape the sun and the strain of the women’s tears and to find shade and rest again at last. But I get closer, I saw that ray mounds man had come back”(pg 57) The author Albert camus shows the reader a different side of Meursalt a side that the reader hasn’t seen before, presenting a contrast between feminine and masculine emotions. Albert camus gives the reader an idea of the true person cast upon Mearsault.
“I was thinking of the cool spray behind the rock I wanted to hear the murmur of its water again, to escape the sun and its strain of the women’s tears, and to find shade and to rest again at last.”(pg57)


Here Meursault is all alone at the beach, Camus contrasts ideas throughout this passage when Meaursault is at the beach typically know as a peaceful calming place, but here Meausault has intentions to kill. The reader is given a sense of irony here because although Meursaults intentions aren’t good Camus portrays Meursault at a calm state of mind and the awareness of his surroundings “I was thinking of the cool spray behind the rock” (pg 57) The cool spray being water or a scene of purification and or baptism. “ I wanted to hear the murmurs of the water again” (pg 57) displaying a scene of longing for something great something beautiful. A murmur being a song. A murmur of the water being the waters song. So far what’s being presented here is the purification of Meausaults soul along with the longing of the waters song. “ To escape the sun and the Women’s tears and to find shade and rest again at last” (pg 57) The reader now gets the conclusion of Meursaults peace his commonplace “to escape the sun” meaning getting away from the heat or pain “ and the women’s tears” Showing Meursaults mother longing for him to make the right decision and spare a life. The struggle between good and bad, right and wrong.
In the passage “He was alone. He was lying on his back with his hands behind his head. His forehead in the shade of the rock, the rest of his body in the sun. his blue overalls seemed to be steaming in the heat. I was a little surprised as far as I was concerned, the whole thing was over and id gone there without even thinking about it” (pg 57-58) the author Albert Camus brings up the ideas of death and dying, unconscious decisions and un witty actions that are personified to a great extent. In this excerpt Meursault finds a body on the ground. “He was alone he was lying on his back with his hands beside his head” (pg 57) this passage gives the reader a slight idea that the “he” is already dead. “His forehead in the shade of the rock the rest of his body in the sun” Light and dark imagery being portrayed here the forehead in the shade of the rock the same rock that Meursault received purification from.


“I was thinking of the cool spray behind the rock” (pg 57) The blue overalls steaming in the heat and the rest of the body in the sun brings the idea of hell the fiery pit. I was a little surprised as far as I was concerned the whole thing was over and id gone there without even thinking about it” (pg 58)

Lastly this concluding passage pokes at the idea of light and dark one more time. Light being the subconscious notation that something is wrong. “ I was a little surprised” (pg 58) The dark being the cautious notation that something is wrong but having no control over the outcome. “The whole thing was over and I’d gone there without even thinking about it.” (pg 58) These two passages connect to one another because they both deal with death and dying and the human choice between right and wrong.


2 comments:

Danielle S. 5 said...
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Danielle S. 5 said...

I choose this essay for my formal portfolio essay because it was the most formal essay we had to write all yaer