Responses to the Questions

1. Word Choice: Camus makes Mersault use no emotional words to help create the character he is; a very blank person. The effects of Mersault's emotionless state helps develop the existentialist idea and helps create a unique story.

2. Sentence: Camus has Mersault use short sentences and others use long sentences to create a contrast between Mersault and everyone else. This also creates the effect that Mersault is detached, alone, and unique to the story.

3. Images: Only the sun and sea affect Mersault because they are both impersonal like himself. Mersault is affected by these things because he can relate to them, and they both seem detached from everyday activity much like himself.

4. Symbol: The sun is used to create a negative effect on Mersault, the sun is constantly interacting with him and this bothers him. It bothers Mersault because it is acting the polar opposite of himself.

5. Figures of Speech: Camus is trying to compare Mersault to the other characters in the book. Mersault and the others differ greatly because of Mersaults detached state of mind, this helps build on the existentialist idea.

6. Rhetorical Devices: Short statements are used at the beginning of every chapter to create a general understanding and connection between the last chapter and the new chapter. It also creates a sense of continuity and gives some insight on what will happen.

7. Patterns: Camus spends so much time on his prison life to illustrate how it was like for Mersault. Since Mersault doesn't care about his life so much he doesn't seem to mind the cell and this builds into the existentialist idea.

8. Narrators: Mersault isn't affected by the magistrate because Mersault is indifferent about people in his mind. Mersault doesn't hold anyone above anyone else unless he mentions their physical appearance.

9. Structure: Camus made the pace of The Stranger varied to reflect Mersault's life and how he doesn't really care about the days. Mersault does what ever he wants whenever he wants.

The Stranger Journal 6 (categories of analysis)

Word Choice: The words Camus uses are not very powerful when explaining certain events. There also seems to be a lack of dialect in Mersault. Most words seem to take a literal interpretation and Camus makes Mersault show no emotion when he speaks and thinks.

Why does Camus use simple words with little meaning when he describes Mersault?

Sentences: The sentences Camus uses are very short and concise when he writes about Mersault. Camus occasionally writes a long sentence.

Why does Camus use short sentences for Mersault and long sentences for other characters?

Images: In the book only a few images are ever mentioned more than once; a few being the ocean, the cigarettes, the sun, and Marie.

Why does Camus show how little Mersault is affected by the images around him except a select few? (the sun and ocean)

Symbols: The story uses some obvious symbols in the story such as the sky, the sun, and the ocean.

What is Camus trying to tell us with the constant use of the sun through out the story?

Figures of Speech: The sun seems to influence Mersault in a very unique and strong way through out the story.

Why does Camus make the sun's affect unique to Mersault?

Rhetorical Devices: Mersault is very dry and unemotional compared to the other characters in the book.

Why does Camus show this difference in emotion between Mersault and the other characters?

Patterns: Mersault is always going out to swim. He also constantly mentions the sun as a negative thing.

What is Camus trying to tell us with the negative effect of the sun on Mersault?

Narrators: The narrator of the book is the main character Mersault. (first person)

Why does Camus choose Mersault as the narrator of the book?

Structure: The book seems to jump from place to place, talking about the focal points in Mersault's life.

What is Camus trying to tell us with the unusual pace of the book?

The Stranger Journal 5 (applying your philosophy)

My personal philosophy affects how I view my life and definitely alters my views on a book opposed to someone Else's ideas. What I may consider acceptable someone may think the polar opposite of. My philosophy may setup certain expectations I have for a book and how I will understand the book; ultimately whether I like or dislike the book. My philosophy will also affect the way I view the author and how I will analyze the book. If a character in the book follows parts of my philosophy I may like them more, that is not to say I will dislike someone who doesn't follow my ideals. I guess how I read the book reflects my own thoughts and ideas on the subject at hand.

The Stranger Journal 4 (tracking a certain word)

The sun and the sky is what I will be following through out The Stranger.

The sun seems to be viewed as a negative thing in Mersault's life. It seems to affect Mersault more when their is more tension in the book.

"[...] the truck was bumping around on the uneven cobblestones of the quay in a cloud of dust and sun" (26). Camus is connecting the dust and the sun together.

"She lay down right next to me and the combined warmth from her body and from the sun made me doze off" (51). The sun doesn't make Mersault think clearly. His girlfriend seems to have the same affect on him.

"The sun was shining almost directly overhead onto the sand, and the glare on the water was unbearable" (52). Mersault can't stand the sunlight anymore.

"But the whole beach, throbbing in the sun, was pressing on my back" (58). The sun seems to disorient Mersault and it causes him to act differently.

"Despite the blinds, the sun filtered through in places and the air was already stifling" (83). The sun is creating this acrid situation for Mersualt.

Meanwhile, the sun was getting low outside and it wasn't as hot anymore" (105). The sun going down represents the cooling down of Mersault's life.

The sky seems to play a less active role in the story compared to the sun. The sky just seems to reflect what is happening in the story.

"Above the rooftops the sky had taken on a reddish glow, and with evening coming on the streets came to life" (23). The red sky is being related to the activity on the streets below.

"Soon after that, the sky grew dark and I thought we were in for a summer storm" (22). This sentence could foreshadow a storm. The storm could be Mersault killing a man.

"She didn't say anything so I left it there. I had the whole sky in my eyes and it was blue and gold" (20). Mersault seems to be content when he is with Marie and the blue and gold sky reflect this idea.

"It seemed to me as if the sky split open from one end to the other to rain down fire" (59). The sky here is being described very violently and this mirrors what Mersault just did.

"I was assailed by memories of a life that wasn't mine anymore, but one in which I'd found the simplest and most lasting joys: the smells of summer, the part of town I loved, a certain evening sky, Marie's dresses and the way she laughed" (104). Camus describes how Mersault misses all these things while he is in prison.

The Stranger Journal 3 (personal philosophy)

Hoboism

1. Material possessions do not define a person. A person's actions and reactions define them as a human being. I noticed this through observation.
2. People are not born into a certain life. They must experience things to figure out how to label themselves. I observed this when I saw people change their lifestyle to fit their own needs.
3. Happiness is not permanent. A person always tries to find a new way to recieve happiness. People in general are never satisfied forever.
4. Happiness and self-fullfillment must be generated from within the person. People are not born happy. I find that people who find happiness experience life more.
5. Life should not be rushed. To fully understand hoboism one should enjoy life experiences at a leisurely pace.
6. Reasoning is key to developing ones life. If you do not view things in life with reason you will never fully grasp any idea. A general idea that, you need to view life with a more logical outlook.
7. One must find change within before finding help from others. A person must realize change in themselves before others can assist. I noticed that you can't change if you don't start with yourself.

The Stranger Journal 2 (Meursault)

In chapter one Meursault goes to visit the retirement home where his mother died. While there he attends her funeral. Once he returns he goes to the beach where he starts a relationship he has left off on. He takes Marie to his house where she spends the night with him. The next day he sits outside for the whole day and describes all the people that pass by. It seems pretty strange how Meursault is going about his life. It doesn't seem like he has any goals; he just does what he wants when the opportunity comes along the way. This creates a very unique character. Camus may have created a character like this so to help setup the story and develop a character for something later to happen in the book. This character also feeds the existentialism idea because Meursault doesn't seem to have an objective, he just aimlessly wanders around in his life.

The Stranger Journal 1 (comparing the intro)

There are many differences between the two versions of The Stranger starting on the first page. One version seems more personable because the character uses the word "Maman" instead of "Mother". This could indicate a setting or dialect in the story. One version uses kilometers and the other version uses miles, this could just be for the place the book was being translated. If you were to read kilometers in America the book may seem more foreign to you though. One version the character says "boss" instead of "employer"; one version is less formal than the other. Another difference is the use of the word "sir". One version leaves it out, this might setup the tone as less formal and more casual than the other.

Structure of Their Eyes Were Watching God

Zora Neale Hurston's writing style seems to be very circular. When she mentions something in the book she usually comes back to that idea and completes it. In the beginning of Their Eyes Were Watching God Janie is talking with Pheoby and at the end of the book she is talking with Pheoby. This circular writing style can tie up a lot of loose ends in the story and shows how the characters have grown through out the book. In the beginning of the book Janie seems like a very dependent person and now that she has experienced love at the end of the book she seems a lot more independent and wise. Coming back to past ideas also creates a stronger conclusion since the reader is already informed about past occurrences.

Significance of the Title

Their Eyes Were Watching God is one of the many ways Zora Neale Hurston illustrates the ways the people perceive God in the book. The characters in the story believe that God is a almighty force that can control the fate of anyone, but they do not pay much attention to him unless there is a serious situation. When the line "Their Eyes Were Watching God" is mentioned Janie, Tea Cake, and Motor Boat are in their house listening to the storm. It seems that Janie's life has been a path of uncertainty and that she watches God to find out what to do next.

Mrs. Turner's Relationship

Mrs. Turner is a very unique character; she believes that she is superior to the black workers and this creates a conflict with her husband, and his unwillingness to help her. Her husband is described as being a worn-down man with no unique features. When Tea Cake confronts him he feels sorry for him because he does not think he has any power in the relationship. Since her husband has very little control Mrs. Turner becomes a very independent and free thinking women, and as Mr. Turner put it "strong headed". The Turners differ greatly from Janie and Tea Cake's relationship. The Turners are polar opposites, with the control being mostly in Mrs. Turner's hands. The Turners also lack the love and compassion seen in Janie and Tea Cake. The relationships can be used as a foil; The Turner's dysfunctional relationship helps show how strong Janie and Tea Cake relationship is.

Three Literary Techniques

Page 122.
"When the fellow began to pick the box the people begin to come from east, west, north and Australia."
Hyperbole.
This is an exaggeration of what literally happened in the book, the person playing the guitar is so good that people from all over the world would come and listen to him, the part where Hurston added Australia helps make this a hyperbole since Australia is very far away from Florida. In reality people would not travel this far but travelling that far highlights his playing ability.

Page 116
"Hurry up and come because he was about to turn into pure sugar thinking about her."
Metaphor.
Tea Cake and Sugar do not have much in common but Hurston ties them togeather in the idea that they are both sweet. They are sweet in different ways (sugar tastes sweet and Tea Cake behaves sweetly towards Janie) but Hurston's word play can be spotted in this cleverly written sentence.

Page 136
"A little seed of fear was growing into a tree."
Symbol.
This sentence comes right after the part where Janie feels jealousy since another woman is constantly around Tea Cake. This symbol is perfect for this part of the book because Janie's fear started out very small and now it is growing into a large tree, this shows how Janie's fear for losing Tea Cake to another woman is constantly expanding into something larger.

What Motivates Janie And How Has She Changed.

Janie is motivated by a lot of things. Now that she is free from her controlling husband she is open to try new things. She is now able to find true love because she has no control issues with other people in her life (Jody/Nanny). She is also able to try new things; she goes and does a lot of new activities with Tea Cake. Janie has a new sense of self and with this she is able to try new things and this motivates her to form her own life without having anyone else interfere.

Janie has also changed greatly since her husband had died. She mentions that she now changes her hair style daily, this is a big difference from the way Jody used to control her and how he always made her wear her hair up. She also exercises her new found freedom now that she has no one looking over her. She no longer pays much attention to how other people view her as a person, this is demonstrated by the fact that she does not care what people say about her and Tea Cake. She also seems to view people with much more detail. When she first met Jody she thought he was perfect but was later disappointed. With Tea Cake she is much more cautious and not willing to risk her freedom and love with someone as easily as with Jody.

Zora Neale Hurston Writing Style

So Jebediah started to tussle with the idea of Rage. Rage, that awkward stranger with a fiery demeanor whose tyrannical actions lay just beneath the surface of concious thought. The wicked one who dwelled in the back of the mind who occasionally reared his head to watch. What steps could be taken to restrain such a hideous site? He sits hunched, hungry for havoc and hellfire to break loose as he waits in his eternal abyss. He waits and watches silently through out the day, his long teeth and claws waiting to strike at a moments notice. His presence unknown his reasons forlorn and his form unknown to the social norm. He was vulnerable to the monster now. He was frightened and powerless. Poor Jebediah! He was alone now, the demons dancing around him. People who tried to reason were sent away. Experts were dumbstruck and holy men were lost, they had never witnessed a site such as this. He would be fine once time had cooled the mind. He would be back to his former self. That was what he thought. But they all knew the ugly truth. And if there was doubt, the next day would erase all confusion, people gathered around the depressing gray building. People who dared not move closer slowly moved in. They waited silently around the building. Denial, the vast hand, had grasped everyone.

5 Literary Techniques

Page 26
Simile
"Mah fust wife never bothered me 'bout choppin' no wood no how. She'd grab dat ax and sling chips lak uh man."
The author used this simile to compare Janie with Logan's first wife. Janie is seen as not hard working and the author is expressing this by contrasting Janie's unwillingness to work with Logan's former wife who did a lot of work.

Page 26
Figurative Language
"Long before the year was up, Janie noticed that her husband had stopped talking in rhymes to her. He had ceased to wonder at her long black ha ir and finger it"
The author does not really mean that Logan talked to her in rhymes. The author is trying to portray the idea that the love was gone in their relationship already. This style is effective because it highlights Janies attitude toward the marrige.

Page 27
Foil
"It was a cityfied, stylish dressed man with his hat set at an angle that didn't belong in these partys. His coat was over his arm, but he didn't need it to represent his clothes."
Hurston describes this man as the exact opposite of Logan. Joe is a well dressed and well spoken person compared to Logan. This style of writing demonstrates the total difference between the two men and Janie's thoughts towards them.

Page 29
Metaphor
"You behind a plow! You ain't got no mo' business wid uh plow than uh hog is got wid uh holiday!" The author uses this metaphor to compare Janie's work with a plow with a pig having a holiday. Hurston uses this literary term to convey the idea that Joe thinks she should not be using a plow because she is still a young girl.

Page 32
Epiphany
"What was she losing so much time for? A feeling of sudden newness and change came over her." The author could be using this sentence to forshadow change in Janie's life. This works well because she is unhappy with her current marrige and she just met a new man. This sentence could also be the start of a new plot in the book.

Journal 1 and 2

Journal 1.

The narration differs greatly from the dialect used in the book. The narrator speaks eloquently through out the book, utilizing similes and metaphors to often convey complex ideas. The dialect in the book was not as well spoken as the narrator but the reoccurring slang terms help portray an image of what the education was like for Southern African Americans after the Civil War. The characters often made references to religion and current events (from the timeline of the book) to help convey their ideas and emotions; while the narrator seemed more detached from the story giving a more descriptive view of what was happening. There are multiples effects created by this contrast of writing styles. The book can be viewed from different perspectives since there are multiple writing styles at use. Each writing style has something unique to offer to the developement of the story; one a general understanding (narration), and the other an emotional understanding (character dialogue).

Journal 2.

The setting in this book is key to the text. Since the story takes place in the South the characters speak with a Southern dialect. Since the African-American Civil Rights Movement has not yet arrived the African Americans in the South are uneducated and discriminated against. The characters are shaped out of their setting. Nanny who was a former slave constantly worries about Janie's safety and wants her to get married so she can be protected, this is probably because her own daughter was sexually assaulted around the same age as Janie. Janie's lack of a father and mother may be the root cause of her loneliness and her reason for getting married. The atmosphere seems to be one of despair since Janie is unhappy with her marrige, her grandmother has just died, and she she is discriminated against for being a African American woman.

First Entry

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