Camuss The Stranger Essay

Camuss The Stranger Essay Free Online Research Papers In Camus’s The Stranger, Meursault, the protagonist, finds himself sentenced to death in an absurd twist of fate. For no rational reason, Meursault takes the life of an Arab, whom he does not wish to kill, on a hot, sunny afternoon in Algiers. Through the use of imagery, Camus successfully transforms the African sun into a symbol of hostility that ultimately leads Meursault to commit murder. Camus consistently uses the sun as a tool to represent antagonism and aggression. The author does so only in the most significant passages in the novel, such as during his mother’s funeral and the confrontation with the Arabs. This symbolism occurs in both of these scenes due to the physical response that it elicits from Meursault and the relationship between the funeral, the murder, and Meursault’s trial and conviction. One must consider the context of the symbolism in order to grasp how Camus employs the sun as the source of antagonism. For example, the sun is described as â€Å"a hostile presence†¦ symboliz[ing] violence and destruction† (S. John, 113). The author uses both tactile and visual imagery within the text to describe the hostile nature of the sun. By appealing to a reader’s sense of sight, Camus depicts the sun as painful to Meursault’s vision. The young man states that during his walk on the beach, â€Å"the sun was shining almost directly overhead onto the sand, and the glare on the water was unbearable† (Camus, 52). Literary critics too recognize the adverse impact of the sun. For example, S. John comments, â€Å"the incidence of images of light increases as events reach their destructive climax† (S. John, 113). Camus uses tactile imagery for the same effect with diction like â€Å"overpowering† and â€Å"heavy.† Even â€Å"the weight of the sun obstructs his progress† (S. John, 113). The harmful influence of the sun directly leads Meursault to kill the Arab both literally and metaphorically. Before the murder, Meursault notes that â€Å"there was the same dazzling red glare†¦ and I could feel my forehead swelling under the sun†¦ With every blade of light that flashed off the sand†¦ my jaws tightened† (Camus, 57). As a direct result of the sun, Meursault’s body tenses. He unwittingly pulls the trigger, firing off a single shot soon followed by four additional rounds, all striking the Arab. Thus, the sun literally forces Meursault to kill. As S. John observes, the sun metaphorically leads the Frenchman to shoot the Arab as well. The literary critic states, â€Å"the destructive act takes place under the aegis of the sun and seems to be a simple extension of its influence† (S. John). Additionally, S. John illustrates the following: An obvious physical reference to the intense light of the sun on the sand foreshadows, in a figurative sense, the violence that is to follow. The colour of the sand under the sun’s rays suggests the shedding of blood (S. John). By using implicit metaphor, Camus widens the influence of the sun and highlights its principal role in the murder. According to literary critic Philip Thody, â€Å"Meursault, the central figure of The Outsider, is characterized by his complete indifference to everything except immediate physical sensations† (Thody). As a critical thinker, a reader must logically consider both the interpretations of Thody and S. John in his search for pinpointing Camus’s intentional, negative depiction of the sun. In this manner, one may infer that because Meursault is affected only by physical sensation, and the sun is the source of increasingly hostile stimuli, the sun’s influence directly causes Meursault to end the Arab’s life. Research Papers on Camus's The Stranger EssayMind TravelCapital PunishmentArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)The Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsThe Fifth HorsemanEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementHip-Hop is ArtThree Concepts of Psychodynamic

A Guide to Buying Firewood at Reasonable Prices

A Guide to Buying Firewood at Reasonable Prices When it comes to fueling your fireplace or wood-burning stove, you can either purchase a rack or two of wood a time, cut it yourself, or buy it by the truckload. The problem with buying it a rack at a time is that its not cost-effective. The other option, cutting it yourself, is less expensive, but it takes a lot of time and effort. Which is why so many people who use fireplaces and wood-burning stoves as their primary source of heat choose to buy pre-cut wood in a large volume. By learning just a little bit about how to make the right purchase, you can save yourself money, time, and muscle pain- and stay cozy all winter. What the Law States Many states have enacted firewood transaction laws to ensure that consumers are getting the correct amount of wood for their money. Its important to understand how a seller might measure wood compared to the state standards of measurement before trying to evaluate how much the wood should cost per unit of measurement. Cords and fractions of a cord are the only two legal units of measurement accepted in most states. Any other unit term- pile, rick, rank, pickup load, etc.- is more of a regional or local preference and therefore can be prone to price-gouging. Understanding Measurements of Wood On average, a cord of wood as defined by most states is equal to the amount of cut and tightly stacked roundwood that can fit inside a container that measures four feet by four feet by eight feet or 128 cubic feet. Be aware that wood received in different lengths can mean you get a different amount of wood. For instance, a cord of wood split and tightly stacked in 16-foot lengths contains considerably more energy (less air space) than a cord of wood stacked and racked in eight-foot lengths. If the firewood is cut to fit a stove or fireplace and is split and tightly stacked, there is less room for air and more room for wood. If the wood is haphazardly piled, on the other hand, the air-to-wood volume ratio is increased and you have less energy per cord. You should, of course, insist on neat and tight stacking, but remember that every processing step adds to the cost of the wood. Also know that a truckload, while not a legal definition, is often the one most used by sellers. In these instances, a truckload can mean anything from a loaded light-weight short-bed pickup (which usually holds about a fifth of a cord) to a large pulpwood truck (which usually holds four cords). Tips for Getting Firewood at the Right Price There are a number of ways to mitigate price gouging and ensure that youre paying the right amount of money for the right amount of energy per unit of wood: Try to avoid buying firewood that is not sold in cords or fractions of a cord, since, again, these other measurements arent standardized and make it almost impossible to compare prices to the market value.In order to avoid wasted space, insist that the  wood is cut to burning length, split, and uniformly stacked in a pile. Although this may increase the cost of the wood for handling, it will ensure a better volume of energy estimation and will make stacking for storage that much easier.Because truckload measurements can vary so greatly, always determine the hauling capacity in cubic feet of any truck used to hold the wood youve ordered and ensure that the stacking is relatively tight and orderly. You can, and should, measure your or the sellers transport bed to determine its volume, which will then determine the cord or fraction-of-a-cord price you can expect to pay.You can determine this price by multiplying the bed length by the bed width by the bed height. Then divide that gross cubic feet volume by 128. Take that number, which will probably be a fraction, and then multiply it by the price per cord to get your woods value. For instance, say you plan to go to a wood lot and stack and haul your own truckload. Your truck bed measures two by four by eight feet. Multiply those numbers together and you get 64. Divide by 128 and you get .5, or the capacity to hold half a cord of wood. If the seller advertises $200 per cord, you should expect to pay $100 to stack and haul your truckload yourself. What Youll Pay Firewood costs are driven by location and availability, so prices for a cord of mixed hardwood can range from $50 to more than $100 a cord, depending on location. If you want to have the seller stack and deliver, know that the cost of transporting that wood to your front door will add more money to that price. Again, depending on the region, you can pay anywhere from $100 to $150 more for processing, transport, and handling.