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The Outsider: Meursault - Online Term Paper

The Outsider: Meursault

“Heroic but hardly admirable”, how accurate is this assessment of Meursault
in “The Outsider”
When Meursault is described to us in the early stages of the novel we see
that he does not obey society's codes therefore is it fair for us to assess
him using societies interpretation of “heroic”?

If we are to judge him by them then we are given ample examples throughout
the novel of his having no compassion or even of his thinking of the
consequences of his actions, hardly heroic, but the converse is also
demonstrated in many places. An example of the former is when Raymond asks
Meursault to “draft” a letter to an Arab prostitute. Meursault knows what
will result from his actions but seems ...

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An additional illustration of his
detached attitude is after his mothers funeral when he goes to see a
humorous "Fernandel" film with Marie, his girlfriend, and then he takes her
home and sleeps with her just hours after his Mothers funeral. This
indicates that aswell as having a detached viewpoint that he has no
perception of morality. A section of the novel that reinforces this occurs
that after the murder when he is in jail; he never mentions the Arab at
all; it is as if he does not care about the Arab's life; just about what he
is going to do for the rest of the day. This is hardly admirable nor
heroic and does not give the reader a pleasant view of Meursault and his
character.

His unconventional train of thought and attitude is reflected not only in
Meursaults unorthodox observations but also in the way the novel is
composed. All of the sentences in the novel are short and in staccato
rhythm. There are no connective conjunctions in any of Meursault's
speeches, ...

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the first move, but when the trigger “gave”
he “shook off the sweat and the sun”, realised what he had started and then
fired “four more shots” into a “lifeless body”. In my opinion Meursaults
self restraint despite the coercion to shoot and the ‘terrorism' of his
surroundings made his grip on the gun tighten and because of this "the
trigger gave". After this I believe that Meursault realised he had hit the
Arab and in his minds eye saw the "long flashing sword" and so "fired four
more times" until he acknowledged the Arab's “lifeless” body. This,
combined with our earlier concept of Meursaults psyche, makes me believe
that Meursault felt he was threatened by the sun and the Arab and ...

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The Outsider: Meursault. (2008, January 29). Retrieved December 23, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Outsider-Meursault/78219

"The Outsider: Meursault." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 29 Jan. 2008. Web. 23 Dec. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Outsider-Meursault/78219>

"The Outsider: Meursault." Essayworld.com. January 29, 2008. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Outsider-Meursault/78219.

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 1/29/2008 04:03:09 PM
Category: Book Reports
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 1539
Pages: 6

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