The Stranger Journal #2

Meursault lets himself get overpowered by nature. The Sun is really a big factor when you see how his actions reflect this. In the beginning Meursault is in a happy and good mood with Marie, "..., the day, already bright with sun, hit me like a slap in the face. Marie was jumping with joy and kept on saying what a beautiful day it was. I felt a little better..." (47). Right after Meursault notices how nice it is oustide, he immediately starts feeling better. When Meursault is lying down on the sand with his friends he dozes off because of the sun, the fact that the sun was present and shining down on his face shows that Meursault is controlled. "...warmth from her body and from the sun made me doze off," (51). As it gets closer to the end of Part 1, Meursault seems to be getting more and more irritated by the shining of the sun, "The sun was shining almost directly overhead onto the sand, and the glare on the water was unbearable," (52). Meursault doesn't seem to be consciously thinking when he is in control of the sun, "I wasn't thinking about anything, because I was half asleep from the sun beating down on my bare head," (53). Right before Meursault shoots the Arab, he describes how hot the sun is and compares it to how hot it was on the day of his Maman's burial, "The sun was the same as it had been the day I'd buried Maman, and like then, my forehead was especially hurting me , all the veins in it was throbbing under the skin. It was this burning, which I couldn't stand anymore, that made me move forward," (59). This quote that shows Meursault directly stating that he moved forward and shot him was that the sun was overpowering and Meursault's actions depend and reflect on nature, more specifically the sun.