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 water as the sun's reflection off the sand makes it get "hot underfoot," causing Meursault to cool off in the ocean. The sun also makes the surrounding atmosphere beautiful, an aspect of nature which Meursault greatly values. 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." 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 midway through the chapter that the sun starts to have a more harsh influence on Meursault and his surroundings. This juxtaposition is meant to annunciate the anguished torment that eventually leads Meursault to kill the Arab as a means of escape. The sun's glaring reflection starts to make everything painfully bright. Meursault ...