A Few Definitions

Here are some brief definitions of a few terms from J. A. Cuddon’s A Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory.  Do any of these apply to The Stranger?  What about other books we have read this year?

Existentialism (“Pertaining to Existence”):  “An important feature of atheistic existentialism is the argument that existence precedes essence […] for it is held that man fashions his own existence and only exists by so doing, and, in that process, and by the choice of what he does or does not do, gives essence to that existence.”

Nihilism:  “…denotes a radical or extreme radical attitude which denies all traditional values, and, not infrequently, moral values as well.”

Theatre of the Absurd: “Mathematically, a surd¹ is that which cannot be expressed in finite terms of ordinary numbers of quantities.  Hence irrational rather than ridiculous.  It is in the mathematical sense that the ‘philosophy’ of the absurd has been mostly expressed.  But it is a pervasive attitude rather than a system of thought.”

^1: technically, a root that is irrational

_The Stranger_ Sample Essays

Here are three essays from previous AP exams.  Consider how you would apply The Stranger to each one.

2009:   Edward Said has written that “Exile is strangely compelling to think about but terrible to experience. It is the unhealable rift forced between a human being and a native place, between the self and its true home: its essential sadness can never be surmounted.” Yet Said has also said that exile can become “a potent, even enriching” experience.

Select a novel, play, or epic in which a character experiences such a rift and becomes cut off from “home,” whether that home is the character’s birthplace, family, homeland, or other special place. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the character’s experience with exile is both alienating and enriching, and how this experience illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole. You may choose a work from the list below or one of comparable literary merit. Do not merely summarize the plot.

2004. Critic Roland Barthes has said, "Literature is the question minus the answer." Choose a novel, or play, and, considering Barthes' observation, write an essay in which you analyze a central question the work raises and the extent to which it offers answers. Explain how the author's treatment of this question affects your understanding of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.

2003, Form B. Novels and plays often depict characters caught between colliding cultures -- national, regional, ethnic, religious, institutional. Such collisions can call a character's sense of identity into question. Select a novel or play in which a character responds to such a cultural collision. Then write a well-organized essay in which you describe the character's response and explain its relevance to the work as a whole.

Also, here are the discussion questions from the other day:

1. How is Meursault affected by his mother's death?
2. What is the purpose of Salamano and his dog?
3. How is Meursault an "outside?" What about his other associates?
4. Why does Meursault shot the Arab?
5. How does the murder affect Meursault?
6. How does imprisonment affect Meursault?

The Stranger-- Symbols and Motifs

Today we will discuss motifs and symbols in The Stranger.  Please continue reading the novel; today you will read chapter four and read an additional chapter per day.

Two Translations of The Stranger

Today we are looking at two different translations of The Stranger.  If you are absent, please make sure to get the materials from me.

Also, since we lost one day, we will move the reading schedule for the novel accordingly.  Therefore, you should read the first chapter of Part II over the weekend.

Call for Submissions

Student Creative Expression Exhibit. This is an annual event that is connected to GLSEN and Hudson Valley No Name Calling Week. It is open to ALL students, any grade.

This year’s theme is CELEBRATE KINDNESS and  the exhibit will be held at the Henry A. Wallace Center at The FDR Presidential Library from Feb 22-27th.

Here is the link.