diocesan boys' school ib eng lit hl - the stranger "class and race" interactive oral...
TRANSCRIPT
The Stranger by Albert Camus
Interactive Oral Discussion by Felex Lau
Class and Race
Albert Camus
Albert Camus
Algeria-born French
Albert Camus
Algeria-born French à pied-noir
Albert Camus
Algeria-born French
Working class
à pied-noir
Albert Camus
Algeria-born French
Working class
à pied-noir
Poor segment
Albert Camus
Algeria-born French à pied-noir
Working class
Poor segment
Meursault
Pied-noir
Pied-noir
“A person of European origin living in Algeria during the period of French rule” Oxford Dictionary
Pied-noir
“A person of European origin living in Algeria during the period of French rule”
“Meursault and the Arab are rivals as well as brothers” Oxford Dictionary
Paul McCarthy, P.10
Pied-noir
“A person of European origin living in Algeria during the period of French rule”
“Meursault and the Arab are rivals as well as brothers” Oxford Dictionary
Patrick McCarthy, P.10 Arabs moving into city for jobs
Pied-noir
“A person of European origin living in Algeria during the period of French rule”
“Meursault and the Arab are rivals as well as brothers” Oxford Dictionary
Patrick McCarthy, P.10 Arabs moving into city for jobs
Pied-noirs as a new nation
Working Class
Working Class
Office jobs
Working Class
Office jobs à Repetition
Working Class
Office jobs à Repetition
à Suspicious of ideals, sceptical of reason
Working Class
Office jobs à Repetition
à Suspicious of ideals, sceptical of reason
When I was a student, I had lots of ambitions like that.
But when I had to give up my studies I learned very
quickly that none of it really mattered. P. 41
Working Class
Office jobs à Repetition
à Suspicious of ideals, sceptical of reason
When I was a student, I had lots of ambitions like that.
But when I had to give up my studies I learned very
quickly that none of it really mattered. P. 41
I said it didn’t make any difference to me and that we could if she wanted to [marry me]. P. 41
Pied-noir
Working class
Pied-noir
Working class Against authorities
Pied-noir
Working class Against authorities
[The boss] told me that I never gave him a straight
answer, that I had no ambition, and that that was
disastrous in business. P. 41
Pied-noir
Working class Against authorities
[The boss] told me that I never gave him a straight
answer, that I had no ambition, and that that was
disastrous in business. P. 41
The director spoke to me again. But I wasn’t really listening anymore.
P.5
Pied-noir
Working class Against authorities
[The boss] told me that I never gave him a straight
answer, that I had no ambition, and that that was
disastrous in business. P. 41
The director spoke to me again. But I wasn’t really listening anymore.
P.5 She asked me to go find a policeman, but I told her I didn’t like the cops.
P.36
Pied-noir
Working class Against authorities
I was about to tell [the examining magistrate] he was
wrong to dwell on it, because it really didn’t matter. …
[He asked] me if I believed in God. I said no. P. 69
Pied-noir
Working class Against authorities
I was about to tell [the examining magistrate] he was
wrong to dwell on it, because it really didn’t matter. …
[He asked] me if I believed in God. I said no. P. 69
As for me, I didn’t want anybody’s help, and I just didn’t have the time to interest myself in what didn’t interest me.
P.117
Is class and race a crucial element of the novel? Does Camus attempt to show other values (such as
absurdism) or does he want to reflect on / present the social attitudes of the pied-noir?
Meursault claims that he killed the Arab “because of the sun”. Is the difference in race a key factor
(or the “real real truth”)?
Consider the conflicts that had arouse between the Arabs and the pied-noirs in Algeria.
Is Meursault’s prejudice to the Arabs justified?
Consider that the Arabs have been posing a threat to the pied-noir’s job security. (Consider that the mainlanders have been posing a threat to your social security*)
*Social security: the agreement that the society to help a person to develop and make the most out of all advantages in culture, work and social welfare
offered in the country.
Sources Camus, Albert. The Stranger. New York: Vintage Interna<onal, 1989. Print. McCarthy, Patrick. Camus: The Stranger. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004. Print. United Na<ons. Universal Declara6on of Human Rights. United Na<ons. Web. 11 May 2013. “pied noir”. Oxford English Dic6onary, 2nd Edi6on XI. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989. Print. Photos • Page 1: hRp://0.tqn.com/d/goafrica/1/0/o/E/dv676195.jpg • Pages 2-‐13, 19-‐24: hRp://i.imgur.com/JATDa.jpg • Pages 14-‐18: hRp://www.flickr.com/photos/40607578@N05/5361847906/