Sun
In chapter 6 of The Stranger, the idea that nature has the most profound effect on man's behavior is illustrated with the sun's positive nourishment on Meursault at the beginning of the chapter and it's increasingly oppressive superiority over Meursault toward the end. The sun's dominating influence eventually leads Meursault to kill the Arab out of shear escape. At the beginning of the chapter, the sun has an almost rejuvenating and doting quality. The sun wakes Meursault like a "slap in the face." The proverbial slap suggests innocence and rejuvenation. Upon arrival at the beach Meursault instantly expresses the sun's positive affect on him when he states that "the sun was doing me a lot of good." The sun's positive treatment of Meursault mirrors his contentment at the beach. The sun's warmth and comfort provide Meursault with a sense of well being. Meursault is even goaded by the sun to enjoy the w
The Arab never actually aggresses toward Meursault but the reason that he kills him is that the sun's blinding power attacks the already drained and abused Meursault through the Arab. It is this dominance nature has over Meursault that affects his actions and feelings. " The sun also starts to become oppressive and overbearing as it is "beating down on my (Meursault's) bare head" and is "pressing on my (Meursault's) back. Meursault's vulnerability makes him susceptible to be entranced by the sun's power and its "thick drunkenness (that) it was spilling all over me (Meursault). Meursault's urge to escape the sun's wrath eventually causes him to kill the seemingly unchastely Arab. This juxtaposition is meant to annunciate the anguished torment that eventually leads Meursault to kill the Arab as a means of escape. Meursault experiences pain as a result of his "head ringing from the sun" and his "forehead swelling under the sun. The sun's command over Meursault causes him to at first, enjoy his stay at the beach but later, causes him physical pain, anguish and discomfort. " It is simply out of defense and escape from this pain that Meursault finally shoots the Arab. For example, the "light shot off the steel" of the Arab's knife "slashes" and "cuts" Meursault's forehead and "(stabs) at my (Meursault's) stinging eyes. The sun's reflection of the landscape provides Meursault's surroundings with a "dazzling sea" and "the whitest asphodels set against the already hard blue of the sky. Meursault describes the "glare on the water" as "unbearable. The sun even tempts Meursault to commit violence by highlighting things that surround him. " The sun has a positive influence with his interactions with others in that "She (Marie) lay down right next to me and the combined warmth from her body and from the sun made me doze off. " It is from this pain and discomfort that causes Meursault to mentally succumb to the sun's abuse.
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Acceptance Essays
