Cmex

Commentary on an extract from The Outsider
Due: 3/06/09

The extract from the novel The Outsider is rather unusual. The passage describes Mersault´s encounter with the Arab and how he shot him dead. The piece is unusual as it is written in a very descriptive language which is not often used throughout the story. The opening sentence of the extract “The sun was beginning to burn my cheeks andI felt drops of sweat gathering in my eyebrows” starts describing, in a very detailed way, how Mersault started feeling uncomfortable.
One of the most important themes of the story is choice and commitment. Humanity’s first distinction is the freedom to choose. This theme is very profound in this novel, especially because it belongs to the existentialism. This movement holds that human beingsdo not have a fixed nature but create his own by making choices. In this extract Mersault made the choice of killing the Arab. The sentence “And it was like giving four sharp knocks at the door of unhappiness” reveals how he knew very well the consequences of his actions.
The vocabulary used in this extract is very simple. While narrating, Mersault does not use complex words. He usesmatter-of-fact vocabulary, but at the same time he uses figurative language to describe how he felt upset because of the sun. The sentence “And because I couldn’t stand this burning feeling any longer, I moved forward” is an example of the choice of words Mersault uses in the selected extract. In comparison to the rest of the novel, he uses very emotive language by demonstrating his anger and saying how heused to be happy at the beach.
The rhythm in this extract is completely smooth. Mersault uses the same diction and tone throughout the passage, which gives it a monotonous rhythm. The diction used in the passage is standard and slightly colloquial, Mersault does not use any slang but uses contractions and figurative language. Also, the tone is serious. The tone is the same throughout the novel.It does not change. The sentence “I knew it was stupid and I wouldn’t get out of the sun with one step” demonstrates Mersault’s use of contractions and colloquial language.
The sentence construction in this passage is long and elaborated in comparison to the rest of the sentences throughout the text. The sentences are very varied. The sentence “At the same time all the sweat that had gathered inmy eyebrows suddenly ran down over my eyelids, covering them with a dense layer of warm moisture” is long and descriptive; while the sentence “And this time, without sitting up, the Arab drew his knife and held it out towards me in the sun” is long but not as descriptive. An important pattern is that Mersault refers to the disturbing sun, light or heat in almost every sentence of the passage.The imagery used in the extract appeals to most of our senses: sight, touch and hearing. He refers to sight when he sees the Arab drawing his knife and holding it towards him. Touch, when he feels the sweat in his head. He refers to touch also to let the reader know he was upset. Hearing, when he says “I realized I’d destroyed the balance of the day and the perfect silence of this beach where I’dbeen happy”. The imagery is very vivid in this passage, because it makes the audience feel as if they were there, at the beach under the steaming sun. It is very original, especially because of the way he refers to each of his senses.
The use of figurative language in this extract is very significant. All the figures are related to the sun. The predominant figures are simile and personification.The sentence” It was like a red-hot blade gnawing at my eyelashes and gouging out my stinging eyes” is an example of simile, as it is evident, the sentence compares, in a very detailed way how he felt the effect of the sun in his body. The sentence “The sky seemed to be splitting from end to end and raining down sheets of flame” is an example of the personification used by Mersault with the same...