Rationale
My task is related to Part III: Literature-Texts and Contexts section of this course. My written task is a series of diary entries in the point of view of Meursault which express his feelings and actions based on explicit and implied events from the novel, The Stranger, by Albert Camus. In writing the journal entries, I wanted to show the character development of Meursault prior to him leaving school (first journal entry), then just after Maman’s death (second entry), and finally before his execution (final entry). I did this to reinforce common motifs, and themes, such as the idea of Absurdity: life has no inherent meaning but the one an individual assigns to it, and an individual is free to make their own decisions, but must face the consequences of their actions. When writing the journal entries, which I intended to be more personal and insightful into Meursault’s character than the novel. I wanted to demonstrate how the actions from the past, such as having to quit school, affected him and turned him into the character readers see in the novel by taking away his meaning to life, getting an education. I did this by creating a shift in Meursault’s speech. In the first journal entry, Meursault is introspective focusing more on his dreams and ambitions. When having to quit school, Meursault’s speech becomes more like in the novel, monotone, simplistic, and focusing on the world around him and how he feels at the present. This is meant to mirror Camus