Julia Hrenchuk January 4, 2012 Period 2 Brighter Than The Sun An existentialist is a person who is self-determining and responsible

for deciding where his or her choices come from. An existentialist believes that they create what a meaningful life is for themselves. The term existentialist has often been misconstrued in society for being someone who does not appreciate life, or someone who has no emotions towards anything. In the novel The Stranger, by Albert Camus, the character Mersault (viewed as an existentialist) responds to sunlight and his natural surroundings in a way that offers insight into his character, and proves that he is not emotionless. Throughout the novel Mersault approaches situations in his life without going into any great deal of emotion. This does not, however, mean that he does not have any emotions. Mersault explains, I was thinking of the cool spring behind the rock. I wanted to heard the murmur of its water again, to escape the sun and the strain and to find shade and rest again at last. (1.6.11) Although Mersault is brutally honest about his emotions throughout the novel, this quote demonstrates him admitting an emotion he feels deeper inside. Mersault is admitting that the sun is an annoyance to him and that he wishes he could just get away; go back to a time where he felt alright. The fact that he repeats the word again represents his nostalgia towards the things he once cherished. So, this quote aids in proving Mersault is not emotionless because the sunlight reminds him of a time he once felt calm and shows he too yearns to go back to a time where he felt joy. Another emotion Mersault shows subconsciously is stress. Even though Mersault is an existentialist and appears to have a care-free mind set, his inner emotions say otherwise.

Mersault says, The sun was shining almost directly overhead onto the sand, and the glare on the water was unbearable. It was hard to breathe in the rocky heat rising from the ground. (1.6.11) Here, the sunlight and the heat again illustrate Mersaults character and give perspective that he is feeling another emotion: stress. If the sun and heat are metaphors for Mersaults inner emotion, then the way that the sun and heat are coming at him represent stressors in his life. There is so much happening in this scene between the sun, the heat, the glare, and Mersault admits it was hard to breathe. All of these natural surroundings rushing at him portray all the different things in his life rushing at him at once that may be stressful. It is stressful to him because he says it was hard to breathe and that is a sign of being stressed. Although Mersault experiences emotions like nostalgia, yearning, and stress he does not have a guilty conscience. Mersault describes his physical surroundings again by saying, There wasnt a shadow anywhere in front of me, and every object, every angle and curve stood out so sharply it made my eyes hurt. (1.1.15) The shadows in this quote resemble someone who has a guilty conscience. Because Mersault does not have any shadows it is connoted that he does not have a guilty conscience. Not only does sunlight (or lack of) prove that Mersault experiences emotions, it also proves that Mersault is an existentialist. He does not have a guilty conscience because he takes full responsibility for his choices and he does not feel as if he has made bad ones. To an average person sunlight and heat come across as everyday aspects of life that do not dictate any further response. To an existentialist, such as Mersault in the novel The Stranger, by Albert Camus, sunlight and natural surroundings dictate him or her in such a way that reveals their inner emotions and thoughts. It can be concluded that no matter who a person is, or what they believe in, everyone experiences some kind of emotion.