The Stranger: Journal Entry # 7

Topic: Power v Powerless

Thesis A: Camus uses external conflict to demonstrate the power struggle between characters to portray a sense of inferiorty and dominance.

Thesis B: Camus uses internal conflict to demonstrate the power struggle of Meursault physical desires and societies rules to portray Meursault as an inferior being.

1. "Nevertheless I answered that I had pretty much lost the habit of analyzing myself and that it was hard for me to tell him what he wanted to know" (Camus 65)
2. "He left, looking angry. I wished I could have made him stay to explain that I wanted things to be good, not so that he defend me but, if I can put it this way, good in a natural way" (Camus 65-66).
3. "As always whenever I want to get rid of someone I'm not really listening to, I made it appear as if I agreed. To my surprise, he acted Triumphant. "You see, you see!" he said. "You do believe don't you and you're going to place your trust in Him, aren't you?" Obviously I again said no" (Camus 69).
4. "But he wasn't too happy about it. I even said, "It's not my fault." He didn't say anything then I thought I shouldn't have said that"(Camus 3).
5. "...some of them weren't any older than he was. But of course it wasn't the same. He was the caretaker, and to a certain extent he had authority over them" (Camus 8).
6. "I wished I didn't have to listen to her any more. But I didn't dare say anything" (Camus 10).
7. "She said, "If you go slowly, you risk getting sunstroke. But if you go to fast, you work up a sweat and then catch a chill inside the church." She was right. There was no way out" (Camus 17).
8. "in the first place it isn't my fault if they buried Maman yesterday instead of today and second, I would have had Saturday and Sunday off anyway obviously, that still doesn't keep me from understanding my bosses point of view" (Camus 19).
9. "Then he beats the dog and swears at it. The dog cowers and trails behind. Then it's the old man who pulls the dog. Once the dog has forgotten, it starts dragging its master again, and again gets beaten and sworn at. They both stand there on the side walk and stare at each other, the dog in terror and the man in hatred" (Camus 27).
10. "...I ran into him on the stairs, Salamano was swearing at the dog...so I asked him what the dog had done. He didn't answer" (Camus 27).
11. "He wanted my advice about the whole business because I was a man, I knew about things. I could help him out, and then we'd be pals. I didn't say anything" (Camus 29).
12. ""but she couldn't get by on what I was giving her""(Camus 30).
13. ""...don't realize that everybody's jealous of how good you have it with me. Someday you'll know just how good it was"" (Camus 31). 
14. "...he wanted to know what I though of the whole thing. I said I didn't think anything but that it was interesting." (Camus 32)
15. "I didn't mind being his pal, and he seemed set on it" (Camus 33).
16. " She asked me to go find a police man, but I told her I didn't like cops" (Camus 36).
17. ""...I never thought the bastard would take of like that"" (Camus 38).
18. "I explained to her that it didn't really matter and that if she wanted to, we could get married" (Camus 41).
19. ""You see you understand these things. The rest of them don't."" (Camus 78).
20. "I wasn't thinking about anything anymore. But the presiding judge asked me if I had anything to say. I thought about it. I said, "No." That's when they took me away." (Camus 107)