The Stranger Literary Criticism

What larger point does Albert Camus’s novel convey about the central ideas in our unit theme?

Directions:

You’ve read the book - decide on one topic for further consideration and develop an idea to prove.
Get some thoughts and evidence down on paper (brainstorm your topic)
Find out what the scholars have said about the same topic.
Compose a formal 2-4 page paper that presents your analysis of the text and incorporates at least two borrowed ideas from a scholarly critical essay.
Provide parenthetical citations and a Work Cited page.

Some topic ideas:

Camus’s commentary on religion/ the role of religion
Camus’s commentary on the roles of men and women
Camus’s commentary on race
Camus’s commentary on social norms of behavior
Camus’s commentary on the role of government/ the judicial system

(remember to consider Absurdist and Existential philosophies as you develop your inference)

Sample inferences: (Use one or develop your own)

Through the main character, Meursault, Camus conveys the absurdity of social norms.
Camus wrote his novel, The Stranger, to ridicule the influence of religion.
A close reading of the novel leads readers to understand Camus’s criticism of a society that encourages racism.

Guidelines for the First Draft (30 points)

Follow all of the criteria for the final paper and make it look final
Use class time/home time appropriately to work on the draft and edit with Ms. Lesser, Ms. Tarr, or one of your peers.
Have the first draft prepared on the due date

Final Literary Criticism Paper: Grading Criteria: (100 points)

5 points - Title: Title communicates the purpose of the paper, is formatted correctly, and sounds academic.

10 points - Introduction: The introduction offers general, sufficient background information about the novel and topic. Introduction logically leads up to a clear thesis that states a provable idea about the novel. The introduction is well-crafted and thoughtful, moving from general to specific.

20 points - Content: The body of the paper is logically organized to support the thesis statement. There is sufficient, relevant supporting evidence from the novel - paraphrased and quoted. At least two ideas from at least one scholarly criticism are weaved into the paper and are clearly relevant. Discussion is easy to follow; ideas are well-developed; and analysis illustrates depth of thought and focus on one central idea. The paper demonstrates thorough knowledge and understanding of the text and the topic of discussion.

10 points - Conclusion: (does all or some) Conclusion reminds the reader of why all of the evidence points to the thesis/claim (puts your topic into perspective for the reader); addresses opposing viewpoints and explains why readers should align with your position; offers an extension for future exploration. The conclusion does not repeat or introduce new evidence.

5 points - Format: Appropriate length (2-4 pages of text - 12 pt. Times Roman, 1 inch margins, double spaced with no extra spacing).

20 points - Expression: Use of third person; academic language; sentence structure is varied to sound mature; clear and concise word choice is used throughout; present tense is used to discuss the novel; free of errors in grammar and spelling. All quoted text is seamlessly embedded with correct verb tense and punctuation. MLA Style: MLA heading and page numbers formatted appropriately

10 points - MLA Style: Text titles are marked appropriately; parenthetical citations are formatted according to MLA style; all parenthetical citations correspond to a work cited page.

15 points - MLA Style: Reference page/s is formatted correctly; bibliography (if needed) and work cited page demonstrate understanding of the purpose of each. Sources are academic and reliable. Anything cited in the paper can be found highlighted in the attached notes.

Sources and starter articles:

Religion:

Scherr, Arthur. "Meursault's dinner with Raymond: a Christian theme in Albert Camus's L'Etranger." Christianity and Literature, vol. 58, no. 2, 2009, p. 187+. Literature Resource Center, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A197489462/LitRC?u=mlin_w_chichs&sid=LitRC&xid=5c83c988. Accessed 6 Jan. 2018.

Chaitin, Gilbert D. "The birth of the subject in Camus' 'L'Etranger.'." The Romanic Review, vol. 84, no. 2, 1993, p. 163+. Literature Resource Center, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A14231451/LitRC?u=mlin_w_chichs&sid=LitRC&xid=495bdc7b. Accessed 6 Jan. 2018.

Race, French Colonization:

Scherr, Arthur. "Albert Camus' L'Etranger: A Parable of the Overthrow of French Rule in Algeria." The Midwest Quarterly, vol. 57, no. 1, 2015, p. 37+. Literature Resource Center, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A432479089/LitRC?u=mlin_w_chichs&sid=LitRC&xid=94e709da. Accessed 6 Jan. 2018.

Thody, Philip. "'Camus's 'L'Etranger' Revisited." Contemporary Literary Criticism, edited by Dedria Bryfonski and Laurie Lanzen Harris, vol. 14, Gale, 1980. Literature Resource Center, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/H1100000156/LitRC?u=mlin_w_chichs&sid=LitRC&xid=4dbb4827. Accessed 6 Jan. 2018. Originally published in Critical Quarterly, vol. 21, no. 2, Summer 1979, pp. 61-69.

Philosophy:

Moser, Patrick J. "An overview of The Stranger, in Exploring Novels, Gale." Literature Resource Center, Gale, 2017. Literature Resource Center, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/H1420007782/LitRC?u=mlin_w_chichs&sid=LitRC&xid=93017cb4. Accessed 6 Jan. 2018. Originally published in 1998.