Chapters 3-6 (pgs. 25-59)

In these few chapters Meursault has a lot of activity and ends the first part with an assasination. First we get a feeling on where he lives and who are his neighbors who don't really seem to hate this man. Some, like Raymond actually like him because he just follows along and he does not like it when people contradict him. Salamano, the old man with the dog is a great character because he represents this sort of antique. He always wanted to act but ended building railroads, which is most typicall in a time where you had to do something "productive" with your life and you had to study something like bussiness or engeneering. Maybe his family was not very wealthy so he ended in the family bussiness or in a man's job. He is a man who denies and lies to himself constantly because he talks and treats his dog as if it had to stay with him forever. When the dog goes missing the man starts crying and you do sympathize for the old man, but just because he has to learn a lesson. It was the same thing with his wife and once she was gone, he saw himself in the obligation to buy the dog to keep some company. I think Meursault is going to end like this old man, with Marie dead or just gone far away, with nobody around him, just his cigarettes and maybe a tv.
Raymond on the other hand is this emotional, striking character. Although he is a bastard who hits women, by the end fo part 1 you can relate to him more than you can relate to Meursault. When Raymond comes in asking for advice, Meursault does not say anything defined. I am starting to wonder if he is gay, because not defending a woman is kind of twisted. Maybe he just doesn't care if a woman gets beaten. I believe Raymond could have gotten his seeked revenge by doing something else and maintaining his honour untouched. By hitting her, he just stoops down to the mistress' level and becomes the same thing she is. This is classic in many many films and books, this passionate love story where the woman gets beat up by her man. Fortunately he didn't kill her like O.J. did, because the story fo the book would have been twisted another undesired way. A good characteristic Meursault does develop in these chapters is friendship because Raymond can trust the fact that he will be there to defend him from getting beat up. I would not trust my life to this man, but Raymond probably doesn't know him as well as we do.
Another weird episode is with Marie because she proposes to him and even though it is not really serious or I didn't take it very seriously, it shows us that Meursault will just go with the flow. He loves Marie but he will marry any other woman who he "loves" as much as Marie. He does it just because. He does not show any emotion, neither with his boss who plans on sending him to live to Paris! His boss is mad for his lack of emotion and so am I. You have to think something about being sent to work to another city.
The last episode is shocking because after an amazing day at the beach, quality time with some friends and with Marie, Meursault ends killing a person. Not any person, the arab, brother of Raymond's mistress. In this case he was looking for it but it all happens so fast. Meursault is overwhelmed by the sun and approaching the shadow, this guy launches to attack him but Meursault had (very smart move) the gun in his hand already. Although quite shocking, I am more interested in reading more and finding out if something as big as this event will wake Meursault up. A marriage proposal, nor a job offer shook him of his feet, let's just wait to see if some time in prison or some kind of punishment will do it.

Chapter 1-2 (pg. 3-24)

Monsieur Meursault, the main character in this book, is a young man who I believe is deeply troubled. He bahaves like no other human being and just shocks me with everything he does, or actually everything he doesn't do. I have come to a conclusion which is that he is not overwhelmed or sad about Maman's death not only because he saw it coming, but because maybe she troubled his mind and turned into this almost sick person he has become. I think that may be a reason not to cry or to show any emotion for his own mother's death! Maybe the bastard is happy he doesn't have to sustain her anymore and pay for the home's services. I know they tried to live together but it didn't work and Maman was happy where she was, but he didn't visit her often. This is a terrific character because nobody in this world can imagine someone to be as heartless and dead as this Meursault. I would affirm and put my foot down that there is more emotion in a dead fish, but he is indeed a human, an animal of instincts. He wants a cigarette, he smokes one, he wants a nap...he gets one. If he's hungry, he goes to Celeste's and eats or just byes some meat or potatoes and eats.
When he meets this Marie Cardona, a girl whom he'd dated a long time ago, he just goes to the beach with her for a while and sleeps with her, as casually as he decides to smoke a cigarette. Maybe it's the culture or what the culture is demonly turning into; sexual cassualties with no ties, no strings attached. This really makes me mad (being a religious man) because it is what we are turning into and I do not like it. Sex is a very special thing and a man in mourning, I believe does not have a sexual urge, but this Meursault does. It just proves him a man with few values and a low self-esteem. I believe it is very important to get your mind thinking about something else besides death, but this is most certainly not cassual sex. Fortunately it is with someone he knows and not a prostitute, and although he does not like these women or shows involving them, there is not much difference from a woman who charges for it than a woman who gives it away for some nice words.
I don't know what to expect from this man in the next few chapters. What new ways of outstanding me and lowering what I think of him will he come up with. Nothing has changed for this man, but this is just his opinion after the first weekend after his mother's death. I hope and I am going to give him a chance to redeem himself and start acting like a person who's blood is still in motion.

The Stranger - Chapter 1

The Stranger, up till now is an easy book to read although not as easy to comprehend. I can't really figure out the time period; the only clue I have towards knowing this is when the book was published and this was in the 1940's. It is great that the book could easily be happening today and nothing about it would change. The main character reminds me of two little guys; one is Kartman from the show South Park and the other is Jake Harper from Two and a Half men. This is because they are just there doing nothing, not caring for what is going to happen.

Literature Blog

Fellow Net users, welcome to my blog. My name is Henry Serna and you are about to experience an adventure whislt reading the entries. The trip embarked by your person at this moment will last until the commencing of the year of our Lord 2008. If you have any inconviniences with my colombian style blog, call me an we'll talk.