"Dover Beach"

Mariana Goncalves

Mr. George

AP Lit

12 February 2014

                                                  “Dover Beach” Response

The complex tone is conveyed by the speaker’s abstract metaphors to describe a concrete idea relating to life; the tone begins as melancholic and pensive, then shifts to realistic and pleading.

        Each stanza of the poem contains a phrase or metaphor alluding to the impernanence of life. The speaker is reflective and melancholic as the setting is described: “With tremulous cadence slow, and bring The eternal note of sadness in” (13-14). The phrase “tremulous cadence” presents a depressing and morbid setting. Sadness is a cadence, a sequence that cannot be changed. The speaker appears to view sadness and suffering as inevitable. The melancholic feelings of the speaker are exaggerated as he says. “Sophocles long ago Heard it on the Aegean, and it brought into his mind the turbid ebb and flow of human misery” (15-18). Misery and sadness are like currents in the ocean; the currents cannot be stopped or diverged. Similarly, the speaker refers to human misery as a cloudy ebb which flows whether it is wanted or not.

        The speaker initiates the last stanza by begging for peace; this shift in tone clarifies what the message of the poem is. The speaker describes the impermanence of life as he says, “for the world, which seems to lie before us like a land of dreams, So various, so beautiful, so new, Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light…” (30-34). The pleading tone shows that the speaker is aching and disappointed at the reality of the world. Although the examples given in the previous stanzas are unclear, the speaker calls attention to the issue in the last stanza: “Where ignorant armies clash by night” (37). The speaker is disappointed that the world has come to the point where fighting is the only solution.  

The Stranger #4

The opening lines of any novel is an essential element which initiates the text. The mood, tone, style of diction and first impression of the antagonist can all be represented in the opening. Unlike typical novels, The Stranger by Albert Camus begins with a dry, emotionless and simple sentence: "Maman died today" (3). The first paragraph of the novel functions as a synecdoche for the text as whole. The diction is very robotic and emotionless. Although it is very simply worded, the simplicity and indifference noted in the tone carries a significant meaning in regards to the events of the novel. Meursault, the protagonist, has a disinterested attitude towards everything, even his mother's death. Rather than contemplating why and how she passed away, he is curious about when: "Or yesterday maybe, I don't know. [...] That doesn't mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday" (3). His disinterest towards his mother's death reflects his attitude toward death in general. Death is inevitable, and in Meursault's perspective, his actions will not affect anything after his death.

The Stranger #3

The conclusion of The Stranger by Albert Camus, is an ultimate representation of existentialism. Meursault lives his entire life believing that humanity must live in a world that will always he hostile and indifferent towards it. The atheist view towards religion is that people create stories, gods and idols which in their mind transcend reality. Meursault is an amoral character. He has no fear of consequences and does not base his actions on what others will think or on what the consequences will be. He believes that those who dedicate their lives to limitations because of religion and personal beliefs are already dead: "'Have you no hope at all? And do you really live with the thought that when you die, you die, and nothing remains?' 'Yes,' I said" (117). Meursault's indifference toward religion frustrates the chaplain. The main theme displayed through these final scenes are significant to understand Meursault as a character. Every action has a consequence, and everyone acts as an individual to decide on their actions and take responsibility for them. Each person determines their own meaning to life, regardless of whether others project meaning onto your behavior. As the chaplain tells Meursault to turn to God before his execution he says, "Every man I have known in your position has turned to Him" (116-117). The chaplain is accustomed to the same routine of repentance before death. Meursault's ignorance toward the chaplain's claims are absurd to him. The juxtaposition of a religious extremist and an atheist represents the mindset of people on both sides of the spectrum.  

The Stranger #2

The motives of the protagonist in a novel are a fundamental part to fully understand the character. Meursault, in Albert Camus' The Stranger, does not have obvious motives for his actions. He shoots and man without any understandable reason. When he is being questioned, he takes it as game because of the books he has read about police interrogations. Meursault's detachment from morality is shown as he says, "On my way out I was even going to shake his hand, but just in time, I remembered that I had killed a man" (Camus 64). It is incredible and miraculous how Meursault is able to separate his emotions from his actions. Although Meursault's attitude towards everyone he interacts with may seem cold and detached, he uncovers some profound truths about human nature. He is an honest narrator: "At one time or another all normal people have wished their loved ones were dead" (Camus 65). A possible interpretation of this statement is that there is no use in pretending to feel a certain way. Society has established certain norms and rules for everyone to follow. If someone dies, one must mourn. If someone is proposed to, they must reciprocate the love and be joyful. Meursault challenges all of these norms and expectations not because he wants to make a difference, but because he does not care.

The Stranger #1

The narrative presented in The Stranger by Albert Camus is distinct through the syntax, tone and style. The opening of the novel automatically sets the tone as morbid and disinterested: "Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don't know" (Camus 3). There is no emotion or reaction from Meursault in respect to his mother's death, this is unnatural and surprising. Meursault's tone is detached throughout the entire first part of the novel. He has a lack of empathy towards others. His passionless actions and thoughts make him a mysterious character. The reader is constantly trying to piece together what Meursault's motives are because he does not justify them through his narration.