Camuss The Stranger Essay

Camuss The Stranger Essay Free Online Research Papers In Camus’s The Stranger, Meursault, the protagonist, finds himself sentenced to death in an absurd twist of fate. For no rational reason, Meursault takes the life of an Arab, whom he does not wish to kill, on a hot, sunny afternoon in Algiers. Through the use of imagery, Camus successfully transforms the African sun into a symbol of hostility that ultimately leads Meursault to commit murder. Camus consistently uses the sun as a tool to represent antagonism and aggression. The author does so only in the most significant passages in the novel, such as during his mother’s funeral and the confrontation with the Arabs. This symbolism occurs in both of these scenes due to the physical response that it elicits from Meursault and the relationship between the funeral, the murder, and Meursault’s trial and conviction. One must consider the context of the symbolism in order to grasp how Camus employs the sun as the source of antagonism. For example, the sun is described as â€Å"a hostile presence†¦ symboliz[ing] violence and destruction† (S. John, 113). The author uses both tactile and visual imagery within the text to describe the hostile nature of the sun. By appealing to a reader’s sense of sight, Camus depicts the sun as painful to Meursault’s vision. The young man states that during his walk on the beach, â€Å"the sun was shining almost directly overhead onto the sand, and the glare on the water was unbearable† (Camus, 52). Literary critics too recognize the adverse impact of the sun. For example, S. John comments, â€Å"the incidence of images of light increases as events reach their destructive climax† (S. John, 113). Camus uses tactile imagery for the same effect with diction like â€Å"overpowering† and â€Å"heavy.† Even â€Å"the weight of the sun obstructs his progress† (S. John, 113). The harmful influence of the sun directly leads Meursault to kill the Arab both literally and metaphorically. Before the murder, Meursault notes that â€Å"there was the same dazzling red glare†¦ and I could feel my forehead swelling under the sun†¦ With every blade of light that flashed off the sand†¦ my jaws tightened† (Camus, 57). As a direct result of the sun, Meursault’s body tenses. He unwittingly pulls the trigger, firing off a single shot soon followed by four additional rounds, all striking the Arab. Thus, the sun literally forces Meursault to kill. As S. John observes, the sun metaphorically leads the Frenchman to shoot the Arab as well. The literary critic states, â€Å"the destructive act takes place under the aegis of the sun and seems to be a simple extension of its influence† (S. John). Additionally, S. John illustrates the following: An obvious physical reference to the intense light of the sun on the sand foreshadows, in a figurative sense, the violence that is to follow. The colour of the sand under the sun’s rays suggests the shedding of blood (S. John). By using implicit metaphor, Camus widens the influence of the sun and highlights its principal role in the murder. According to literary critic Philip Thody, â€Å"Meursault, the central figure of The Outsider, is characterized by his complete indifference to everything except immediate physical sensations† (Thody). As a critical thinker, a reader must logically consider both the interpretations of Thody and S. John in his search for pinpointing Camus’s intentional, negative depiction of the sun. In this manner, one may infer that because Meursault is affected only by physical sensation, and the sun is the source of increasingly hostile stimuli, the sun’s influence directly causes Meursault to end the Arab’s life. Research Papers on Camus's The Stranger EssayMind TravelCapital PunishmentArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)The Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsThe Fifth HorsemanEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementHip-Hop is ArtThree Concepts of Psychodynamic

Unified Combatant Command (COCOM) essays

Unified Combatant Command (COCOM) essays 1.A Unified Combatant Command (COCOM) is a joint military command of America, which has forces from at least 2 services, and its organization can be on a regional or functional basis. Of the nine Combatant commands, six have regional duties while four have functional responsibilities, with the latest addition being the regional command AFRICOM for Africa (which was earlier under three combatant commands). The regional combatant commander is a four star general/admiral, who reports to the secretary of defense. The regional commanders exercise direct control over the combat forces. These regional commanders play a very important role in furthering the foreign policy objectives of the US government. Taking the example of the establishment of AFRICOM, the rising strategic importance, and increasing US stake in Africa led it to establish this regional command, and the regional combatant commander, among other responsibilities, is charged with strengthening the ability of the respective go vernments in Africa, and to bring stability to them, which would put on hold the aggressive recruitment of terrorists in this region.1 This illustrates how a regional combatant commander can influence the most important US foreign policy objective. In addition to that, it is also meant to counter China's increasing influence in the region, which again represents a foreign policy objective for the US. Another way this purpose is served by combatant commanders as their respective commands contribute to the enduring US presence around the globe, and laying the groundwork for the establishment of military coalitions and interoperability between states.2 Another important aspect that the commanders have to consider is the expansion of relations with allies through joint military exercises and co-operation. E.g. US Pacific Command took part in over 1700 exercises and other engagement activities with foreign military forces in 2006.3 Various measures are under con...

My Life as a Soldier in World War I Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

My Life as a Soldier in World War I - Essay Example Life in the trenches was extremely horrible for me. The possibilities of enemy attacks and diseases were haunted me and many other American soldiers who were in my battalion. Trench life prevented us from proper sleeping, bathing, and taking foods. The disturbance of rats, lice etc caused more trouble during my trench life. Some of the rats which caused disturbances to us during WW1 were of the size of a cat. Life casualties were more in WW1 and dead bodies of the soldiers were coming to our army camp quiet regularly. It was difficult for us to give a proper funeral to our colleagues who fought bravely for the country. American government was not much interested in giving respect or paying homage to the dead bodies of the soldiers at that time. Many of the dead bodies were burned using petrol since it was difficult for us to give more attention to the normal funeral activities. I was a commander in American army during WW1. So I forced to take many decisions during the war period. In fact it was difficult for me to allocate different missions to different soldiers. Different emotions that were passing through the faces of the soldiers while getting dangerous tasks were horrible experiences for me. It was evident that many of the soldiers who were sending for the dangerous missions may not come back alive. Being a commander, it was impossible for me to consider humanitarian issues during the war period. I remember many occasions in which I forced to compel even diseased soldiers to engage in some kind of works. On many occasions, I forced to advance further leaving the seriously wounded soldiers behind. It should be noted that giving care to wounded soldiers at the time of intense fight may cause more casualties. Relatives of the soldiers who suffered death never got the information about their death in time. In fact, we had received many letters from the wives of the soldiers who were killed many weeks before. It was really a horrible experience to read all the se letters and send any reply to them. I remember one instance in which I received a letter from a killed soldier’s wife. I realised the depth of their love and intimacy from this letter. She was actually pregnant and the real intention of this letter was to convey the good news to her husband. Some tears filled in my eyes, and decided to send a reply to this woman. It should be noted that communication channels were not much developed during WW1 and sending letters was the major communication activity performed by the soldiers and their relatives. In my reply letter, I described her husband as a brave one and informed her about his death. I asked her to be proud of the heroics done by her husband and expressed the gratitude of American army to her for the great services extended by her husband. It was really a touching moment in my life. At the time of wring the reply, I struggled to get suitable words. American society has changed a lot after WW1. Before WW1, many of the Am ericans supported wars. It should be noted that the first time use of sophisticated weapons caused more death casualties than anticipated in WW1. The loss of beloved ones forced American society to revise their views about wars. The huge destruction of properties forced Americans to think about the necessities of avoiding wars in future. â€Å"In the 1920s, people seemed to be less interested in progress and were more interested in hedonism. It is like