Weighing the Scales

             Self defense is a defense of one's own person, property, or reputation. Premeditated is considered or planned before hand. Did Meursault, in the story The Stranger, by Camus, have a right to kill the Arab? Were Meursault's actions in the wrong? Was it his battle, or should he have walked away?
             Sundays for Meursault, are usually stagnant days, no routine, no fun, no importune outings. This Sunday, however, was the climax of the novel's action, leading us to Meursault's philosophical insight and conversion, and then to his decapitation. "It was one of those mornings when I should have stayed in bed." Certainly this is true in Meursault's case. This day, as we will discover is Meursault's last day of physical freedom, his last day to enjoy swimming and sunning and being with the girl he loves, and Camus has already prepared us for this most unusual and fateful day by blackening Meursault's waking mood and accentuating it with the brightness of Marie's gaiety.
             It's extraordinary that Meursault feels particularly bad, most unusual for someone who was eagerly anticipating this bit of a holiday. The day was looked forward to providing Meursault a chance to get away to the beach with his friends. Moments later, Meursault describes himself as not only feeling rather ill, physically, but as if he were stroke down gleaned by the morning sun. Therefore that kind of puts Meursault in a bad mood basically.
             Raymond Sintes is one of Meursault's dearest friends. He lives on the same floor as Meursault, and is a pimp. To take things back to square one of the situation, everything happens because of Raymond. The main Arab that they got into it with, was the brother of one of the young lady's he was pimping. The Arab had problems with Raymond because he beat his sister. Therefore he was coming for revenge.
             Despite Meursault's weariness, one cannot say now that Meursault ...

More Essays:

APA     MLA     Chicago
Weighing the Scales. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 17:50, May 01, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/34067.html