Posted by sarah bird on November 17, 19103 at 12:11:13:
In Reply to: Re: the stranger posted by Kari Miller on September 22, 19102 at 14:45:51:
: : : Do any of you have any thoughts on the symbolism of the sun in The Stranger? Does the sun symbolize God,pion,or anything at all?
: : i think that the sun symbolizes society. Society "looks down" on his indifference. It also contrasts his fixation on the physical impulses. When you look into the light, you are supposed to see something......and he doesn't. Let me know if you have any other thoughts.
: Notice the sun's affect on him. It seems as he comes closer to awareness throughout part one, its heat becomes more intense. Perhaps this shows his journey to being able to understand and feel emotions. As he comes closer to being able to perceive such abstract feelings, the intensity of the sun shows his resistance and growing friction.
Do you think that he ever feels emotion? Isnt this the point? that meursault values only complete certainty and therefore never expresses what he does not feel. it seems to me that he becomes more and more aware of his indiffference, but more and more proud that he is living with complete honesty.
if it helps, camus wrote about the stranger years later and described meursault as a man "enamored of a sun which casts no shadow". sun is certain truth.