Stranger Journal #2

            In chapter six of The Stranger nature affects Meursault. He states that the sun affects him when he says “the sun was doing me a lot of good” (50) and “the sun made me doze off” (51) which give the reader the knowledge that he gets affected, but not a serious affect. Later, maybe after prolonged exposure, instead of feeling good or tired, the sun started to control his actions and body. After seeing the Arabs who were out to get Raymond, “the blazing sand looked red” (53) which could be the first sign of the elements controlling him. Raymond and Meursault get in a physical fight under the “overpowering” (55) sun. The sun causes Meusault to act without control or remorse. They had been in the sun for house, so when he got to the bungalow, “[his] head was ringing from the sun” (57) and he couldn’t convince himself to go up the stairs, instead he went back to where the Arabs were. He knew he “wouldn’t get the sun off [of him] by stepping forward” (59), but he had no control to go inside. The sun caused him to have delirium and no control. Killing the Arab was not his choice; it was nature’s effect on him. He didn’t feel guilt for killing the Arab because the sun seemed to numb his guilt, like it didn’t happen because it wasn’t a conscience choice.