Maddie's Nook

One of the questions that came up during our student led discussion time was the inquiry as to whether Meursault is a dangerous person or not. Many people seemed to have differing opinions on this question, bringing up different attributes about Meursault and his actions to support both views. I can see both sides of the argument, so here are a couple of the main points that were brought up during the discussion time.           The first attribute of Meursault that was discussed was his personality portrayed throughout the novel. A defining factor of Meursault’s personality seems to be his lack of emotion and attachment towards the world and others. One specific example is how he does not have much care towards his mother. When she passed away, Meursault doesn’t have any strong emotions towards the occasion, as seen through the passage, “It occurred to me that anyway one more Sunday was over, that Maman was buried now, that I was going back to work, and t...

The closing scene involving Brett and Jake invokes a sense of deja vu, as the scene draws upon many parallels from the first moment of Brett and Jake together. The progression of the novel and the characters add to the culmination of this final scene in comparison to the beginning, exemplifying new developments and differences. One of the first scenes of Brett and Jake depict the two of them together in a car, exchanging signs of affection towards one another. A point of conversation reads,  “You mustn’t. You must know. I can’t stand it, that’s all. Oh darling, please understand!” “Don’t you love me?”      “Love you? I simply turn all to jelly when you touch me” (30). This exchange between Brett and Jake seems to be one of genuinity, as I believe that they do have real feelings for one another. However, a later point in the conversation shows that there are and have been complications with their relationship: “‘And there’s not a damn thing that we could do,’ I ...