September 26, 2025 – Story Power

In The Stranger by Albert Camus, we are exposed to the strange and seemingly blank character of Meursault. At times, he is a passive observer who could not care less about the world as it passes around him, and at others he shows a side of himself that seems to lean toward the negative things in life rather than being neutral as he appears to be.

The entire story is narrated by Meursault himself, and thus we get a very in depth look at how he thinks and operates. He observes the world around him from a lens of someone who lives their life independently from their environment. Things happen, grave things such as his mother dying, his neighbor asking Meursault to do things for him despite the fact he is a known scumbag, and last of all and most importantly the violent altercations with the Arab men, and when these things happen Meursault acts as if he had absolutely no control whatsoever over these events. He’s like an observer, someone who is reading the story with us, but there are a few parts throughout the story where this observer visage begins to fade away.

Meursault is not a violent man, but there are multiple times throughout the story when he seems to show some negative tendencies. He is constantly making remarks about how the world annoys him, how people, weather, and other things get on his nerves and affect his life. Of course, he doesn’t do anything to act on these annoyances, but a lot of space in his mind seems to be taken up by negativity. For the majority of the story, he is either completely neutral or annoyed. The only times when he is even slightly positive are those that he is with Marie. It’s possible that Camus is saying something about reproduction and how its some people’s (people like Meursault who simply live and aren’t emotionally affected by things outside their control) only apparent reason for living in their depressing and cynical reality. It’s not until the end of the story, when he shoots the Arab man that Meursault shows some form of action, some real interaction with the world around him that doesn’t have to do with reproduction or work, and it is one of violence. Not just any violence, but extreme violence. As if all that annoyance boiled up, Meursault shoots the man 4 times too many, for a reason unknown to the reader.

I believe that this suggests that there’s something we don’t yet know about Meursaut’s character, that he isn’t as much of a passive observer who lets the world go by around him as he seems to be. Perhaps Camus is trying to suggest something about the world, and about humans. Maybe we’re different from animals, at least in our modern world, we can’t live a life without interacting with the world or allowing the world to interact with us. Something interest is bound to happen, there is no such thing as an uninteresting person.

Meursault and Depression

By Ana C

When I first started reading Albert Camus’s “The Stranger”, one thought that followed me through every chapter was: “Wow, this guy is really depressed.” While reading, it seems that every detail so far, from larger plot points to small writing details, has tied back to his depressed state. I don’t believe that he completely lacks morals or is soulless for the sake of it–rather, those are symptoms of his depression that are manifesting in more dramatic ways.

Throughout the story, Meursault seems disconnected from the world. He acknowledges and understands what’s happening in his life, but nothing seems to rattle him emotionally–not based on his internal narration, at least. He treats everything with the same level of calm acknowledgement and general apathy. For example, on page 41, he says, “That evening, Marie came by to see me and asked me if I wanted to marry her. I said it didn’t make any difference to me and that we could if she wanted to.” He responds to a situation that is typically very emotionally charged with that same level of apathy that he uses to respond to his neighbor’s dog running away, for instance. It demonstrates a base emotional level that he never seems to exceed, no matter the situation.

This can even be seen in the fundamental parts of the writing style itself. The book is filled with short, stunted sentences, often conveying minimal factual information about the world around him. Despite the fact that we’re in his perspective, it almost feels like a third-person narration with no internal insight into any of the characters simply because it seems like Meursault has none. Additionally, we never hear any direct quotes from him himself. His dialogue is always a summary of what he actually said, but never the words themselves. This creates yet another layer of detachment from his surroundings. Depression is often characterized by that same detachment and lack of strong feelings towards a person’s own life. These characteristics fit Meursault, who, while not constantly bemoaning any agony or misery in his life, still seems to struggle to find any strong emotional ties to the people or events in his life, whether happy or sad. Ultimately, as the story gets more complex plot-wise, we’ll see if he maintains this apathy or ends up gaining something else.

Drinking Coffee Alone – A Benjaminian Focus on “Drinking Coffee Elsewhere”

By Meredith C

In Jessica Benjamin, Mutual Recognition, Short Stories

Dina’s relationship with Heidi reflects the Benjaminian theory of how people find recognition in each other. Jessica Benjamin’s theory suggests that identity is solidified through mutual recognition, where, at the same time, two people look at each other and recognize the other as a human being with all that entails. Instead of others being a threat, like in Freud’s theory of recognition, others become a mirror in which people can see themselves and learn to be more empathetic. At that time, their dynamic will shift into one of equal power and respect, unlike Freud’s theory, which insinuates that all meetings between individuals are a battle for dominance.

At the beginning of the story, Dina sees everyone around her as meaningless and beneath her. They have no impact on her life because she refuses to engage with them. She lives her life at Yale as if nothing matters; not her classwork, her relationships with others, or the things she says. Other people are threats to the uncaring lifestyle she has developed for herself. As she grows closer to Heidi, the two begin to recognize each other as people. However, in their case, Dina’s recognition of Heidi is hampered by her outlook on life.

After Heidi’s mother is diagnosed with cancer, Dina speaks with her psychiatrist, Dr. Raeburn, about how she responded to learning that fact. Dina says, “I knew how eventually one accustoms oneself to the physical world’s lack of sympathy: the buses that still run on time, the kids who still play in the street, the clocks that won’t stop ticking for the person who’s gone.” (pg. 69) This quotation reveals quite a lot about Dina’s motivations for her actions earlier in the story. She does not connect with people, because she knows their life will continue on without her. She treats Heidi the same way.

What I found really interesting about Drinking Coffee Elsewhere is that even Dina and Heidi’s recognition of the other has very little effect on Dina’s future. She is scared to connect with Heidi to the point where she sabotages herself. So, despite the fact that Heidi and Dina connected, and began to understand each other, their relationship falls apart. Dina leaves, and the world continues without her. That’s why at the end of the story, when she goes home and spends the rest of her life in the same neighborhood she came from, while Heidi lives her life, the author is still conveying that Dina still has not abandoned that mindset.

Understanding Jessica Benjamin’s “The Bonds of Love”

By Lola Z

Benjamin’s main argument is that subjunctivity requires recognition; however, social structures shape the need for recognition into a form of power. We as humans are rooted in aggression and have natural tendencies for it, but our society has been built as a reminder to hold those tendencies back because power shapes our desires. Going back in time, power has always shaped us because people are more at ease when someone tells them what to do and believe. Benjamin notes this has led to a problem of domination where relationships, which we need, turn into one person being dominant over the other. In the past, the dominant person has always been a man. Although times have changed and gender roles have evolved, Benjamin argues that the problem of domination is rooted in our past, and it is not easy to reverse what we have historically lived by. A key point of this is that even though we no longer live by the same beliefs, there are still internalized roles, assumptions, and old habits that need to be broken.

A significant piece I took away from the reading is that we naturally have a need for recognition and connections, but the power often distorts those needs into domination. What stood out most to me is that while humans seek mutual relationships, those desires are often reshaped by power into unequal, one-sided dynamics. I commonly see this in the workplace with many people entering jobs seeking collaboration and recognition, but power hierarchies often end up shifting those relationships, with employees often feeling pressured to comply with their boss’s expectations.

The Mysterious Monsieur Meursault

By Adam D

Albert Camus’ The Stranger introduces a seemingly bland, soulless individual by the name Monsieur Meursault. Meursault who also happens to be the main protagonist, and narrator, of the novel, possesses a seeming disregard for what we perceive as normal human behavior. For example, the book starts with, “Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe. I don’t know.”(3), one of the most famous openings in all of literature. What would be devastatingly life-changing for your average human being barely fazes our protagonist, and he promptly continues with his life by hopping on the two o’clock bus and proceeding as if nothing unusual had ever occurred.

Similarly, Meursault is unfazed by the antics of his neighbors, Salamano and Raymond, much to the disbelief of those around him. Raymond comments on Salamano’s treatment of his dog, “If that isn’t pitiful!”, and Meursault blankly replies by saying that he did not think that it was disgusting, and that it did not really bother him. These kinds of interactions are repeated often throughout Part One: Meursault exhibits a strange behavior, passerby and background characters comment on it, Meursault explains that he doesn’t really care, and life goes on. Ironically, it is this monotonously exact indifference that sets apart our narrator from every other human in the story.

Merusault’s actions can hardly be explained, but only interpreted and hypothesized upon. A clear explanation has not yet been given for his behavior, so it’s up to the reader to use their imagination to predict what could have possibly turned him into such a stoic monster. I, for one, think that perhaps Meursault has a neurocognitive disorder of some sort: Depression, Bipolar Disorder, or some sort of personality disorder. Regardless of his backstory, I’m excited to see how the story plays out, as well as learn the truth behind the mysterious Monsieur Meursault.

Meursault and his Morals: A Exploration of Empathy

By Hattie G

Throughout the first part of The Stranger, Meursault has proven himself to be simultaneously very in tune with the world and people around him, but at the same time seemingly indifferent to it all. He gives detailed descriptions of people and places but never his own emotions, and certainly not any empathy or care towards them.

In the very first chapter, his mother dies. We, the readers, expect him to be distraught and perhaps wracked with guilt at putting his mother in a home to live out the rest of her days. However, Meursault proves himself to be quite the opposite, stating that she was too much of a burden to stay with him, and that he couldn’t afford to keep her at his house. The rest of the day he spends his time making observations about his surroundings and the people he interacts with. More than once he notes his annoyance, whether it be the chair he sits in, the heat, or the old people chewing their lips. He also feels nothing towards the old man who tried so hard to make it to his mothers burial, only notes his physical appearance. All in all, it doesn’t seem to be the “normal” reaction one would have after their mother passes away.

Later, we meet Raymond. When Meursault first meets him he says that people don’t like Raymond, but that it doesn’t matter to him what they think because Raymond has never done anything to him. While this could come across as Meursault being openminded about other human beings and not wanting to listen to what others say about Raymond, I think Meursault simply doesn’t care. It seems to me like more of a cowards way out. It is easier to say that Raymond isn’t a bad person because he hasn’t done anything to you particularly than it is to admit that he is a bad person because he does bad things to other people. This is where we see particular lack of empathy from Meursault.

At the end of part one, he shoots a man 5 times. The first bullet proves fatal, so why shoot the next four? Personally, I think he shot the man not out of hate, or spite, or a need to prove anything to anyone, but simply because he wanted to. He needed to feel something in his life, do something brash and out of the ordinary, maybe to prove to himself that he actually can feel anything but indifference at all. And all the while, he doesn’t care that he ended a life, he only describes it as “opening a door to unhappiness”.

Meursault is certainly a complex character, and while I don’t think he is necessarily a bad person, he seems to lack empathy and a moral compass that would categorize him as a “good person”. To me, this puts him in a sort of moral grey area.

Bonds of Love- Benjamin’s Theory

By Alyssa W

In Mutual Recognition, Power and Identity

In Bonds of Love, Jessica Benjamin talks about how power and identity are created through relationships, not just something one person has over another. She explains that domination and submission often shape how people see themselves. Still, identity can also grow through mutual recognition, which is when two people truly see and respect each other.

What stood out to me is how Benjamin shows that no relationship is neutral. Power is always present, even in subtle ways, and it influences how we perceive ourselves. This makes me think about how friendships, family, and even school dynamics shape identity more than we realize.

I believe Benjamin’s theory also leaves room for hope. She shows that there is a possibility for balance and where everyone feels valued, instead of only living in patterns of control. Her idea challenges us as a society to push past hierarchies and build relationships based on respect and equality.

Meursault’s Meaningless Measures

By Matt H

Albert Camus’s book The Stranger, follows the life of a young adult that struggles to find purpose in his day to day life. He has this idea that there is no meaning to a lot of things in life and he just accepts a lot of things for the way they already are. Although Meaursault does not care for the way life is, how far can life turn upside down before he really decides to have a sense of meaning in his existence?

While it is nice to start with an answer to this question, it really is hard to depict one. As we start reading the story, Meaursault has little to no emotion over the death to his mom, which for most would have a substantial effect. Meaursault remarked, “Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know…That doesn’t mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday” (Camus, 3). This automatically emphasizes the strangeness of his character within the first couple sentences of the book. It is normal to have emotion towards the death of a loved one but as we get to know Meaursault more throughout the story, we learn that he just lives moment to moment with a sense of little to no meaning in his life. Which seems utterly impossible.

The story continues and we meet Raymond who asks Meaursault to write a “revenge” letter for his mistress, which would contain highly graphic material. Meaursault and the reader both understand how awful a person Raymond is which makes the idea of Meaursault agreeing to write the letter even more absurd. There’s an extent to where it is doing a favor and doing a bad thing. This is a definition of doing a bad thing but Meaursault doesn’t care. He does not care about who this is writing to or how bad the language is. This provides no meaning to his life just like the death of his mother.

Lastly, a big takeaway in part one of The Stranger was the murdering of the Arab man with the revolver. Meaursault utters, “Then I fired four more times at the motionless body where the bullets lodged without leaving a trace” (Camus, 59). A revolver is able to hold a maximum of six bullets at all times. He claims he shot five of those six bullets at the man, even after he died. While he continued to shoot, he didn’t shoot every bullet he could which creates the idea that he wasn’t shooting to release anger or emotion but entirely to just shoot the gun because he didn’t care.

From the death of his mother to the murder of a man, Meaursault remains the same emotionless being. I predict that he will find meaning in his life shortly after the murder circles back to him but like I said earlier, it really is too hard to say how far can life turn upside down before he changes because he is still the same person he was on the first page of the book.

Structures of Domination

By Sanaa S

In Jessica Benjamin

Benjamin’s argument about subjectivity and power comes from domination, recognizing the logic and hierarchical side of domination, and how we as individuals contribute to domination. Domination is a system and two-way process that can be shown through gender, politics, religion, and more. This is the structure of one playing as the subject, and the other serving as their object. Either between the relationship of girls and boys, father and son, master and slave, rational-democratic and irrational authority, and more. In addition to these examples, love connects to subjectivity and power. This can be shown from submission and tension. Power can turn static in these relationships especially if one recognizes the other as the same and sees the mutual recognition between one another. To move towards social transformation, I think that people need to recognize that subjectivity and power are the seeds that feed into domination and try to reverse the psychological idea and relationship of domination.

This theory makes me realize more of my role as a female in this society, and why it’s important to create a more equal based infrastructure and not as much of a two-way system. I think that telling people how domination and power is present in different topics and situations will help people see why things are the way they are in society and try to fight more towards a positive social transformation.

More Than Coffee: Race, Class, and Belonging

By Naana S.

In Binaries, George Saunders, Mutual Recognition, Power and Identity, Power of Stories/Storytelling, Short Stories

This story is written in a way that gets you, from the superficial stance to dislike the main character, Dina. I feel the opposite though. ZZ Packer writes through Dina all the tension in repressing herself and her identity is right on track with what we experience as teens or young adults. I know it is said by George Saunders to not see oneself in the characters, but in each and every part of her experience prior to college I could understand how it shaped her. Her decision to say she would be a revolver should prove the destruction in her life. She is blunt and reclusive especially with Yale and Heidi. She is afraid of what people might think of her because of her food stamps and her neighborhood to the point where she runs away “I couldn’t tell him the rest: that I had not wanted the boy to walk me home, that I didn’t want someone with such nice shoes to see where I lived”(62). She’s unique in her love for poetry. Dina does a classic “I’m going to make fun of you before you get to make fun of me” situation in which every black person that has shown her any sort of respect, interest or connection she pushes it down. I mean her comments on how she felt “pitiful in how cool they were”(52) was very insecure and going into defense when nothing was attacking just proves the point in how real of a story ZZ Packer has made in this.

Throughout the story we talked about her relationship with Heidi, Yale, and her response to a bully but not enough about her parents. As we know Dina’s mother dies from kidney failure but we find out through Dina that her father was violent and she feels he caused her mothers death. We quickly get the binary between “father” and “dad” because she states “I hate the word Dad”(54). We then get to know about her mother who is kind and patient and has nurtured her the best she could. We get her reminiscing on her mother saying “…this is what happens when you’ve been around white people:things get weird”(67). These 2 people play a role in her internal struggles , alienation and detachment(as parents usually do) and have caused her to be vulnerable therefore making her age more quickly.

I do want to end off by saying some key points for me in the story:

1)She’s human she gets to make mistakes.

2)She’s stated she doesn’t really care for the relationship stuff so it’s valid for her to mess it up a couple of times.

3)The line “White people always say that about black people’s hair. The worse it looks, the more they say they like it”(67) has me rolling on the floor from how funny and true it is.

4) It’s okay Dina, I promise whenever you feel distant from other black people, let go of your judgement and embrace the warmth of having some black friends in which you can relate to.

5) Even in the BIG one-two college people still bully…gosh ATP it’s not even bullying anymore you’re just in love with them.

Are country people actually Good?

By Avery L

In the short story “Good Country People” by Flannery O’Connor, we are initially presented with a very mellow story depicting all country people as good. The story starts off very slow, but done very intentionally by O’Connor. She wants the reader to be fully immersed in the world of the story because the true lives of these country people may not be very thrilling. This way when the plot twist occurs we, the readers, are truly as shocked as the characters are.

Initially mine, and other readers, reactions were that this was just a story about a cliche, “Good Country Person” who might work on the farm, cook for their family, and, actually, spread the Bible. Nothing in the beginning of the story would tell me other wise, so I believed it. I believed that there was going to be such a thing as “Good Country People”. I have this point of view throughout most of the story, until I get to the last couple pages. Quickly the narrative started changing. I was shocked to discover that the character Manley Pointer was not a Good Country Person, in fact he was a very Bad Country Person. I was as naive as Hula to believe that Manley was a Good Country Person. What does this show about me? and other readers? I think to myself.

This question got me thinking about more than just the short story. Was it naive to think that there could be such a thing as a Good Country Person? I think that it would be naive to think that there is Only such thing as good country people. This is not to say that Good Country People don’t exist, it is just to say that there is always more to a person than meets the eye, and that not everyone is going to be a Good Country Person. Similar to this, its not naive to have hope that someone could be a Good Country Person, but you shouldn’t rel on them being one. Letting your guard down fully and allowing yourself to be open to such vulnerability, if you don’t truly know the person or their intentions is what is naive.

Not So Super Great SGs

By Matthew Y

In George Saunders, Pride and Prejudice, Short Stories

In The Semplica Girl Diaries by George Saunders, SGs are a recurring topic interwoven into nearly every aspect of the book. Despite this, we never get a clear picture of what SGs really are. So, what are they?

The story takes place in a different world, yet it feels eerily similar to ours. The main difference is the technology created for SGs. SGs, or “Semplica Girls,” are this world’s wealth symbol: if you have one, you’re considered wealthy. SGs are real people, not robots. They are simply girls: one from Laos, Moldova, Kuwait, Somalia, and the Philippines (135, Tenth of December). These girls undergo a procedure that implants a microline into their heads so they can become lawn decorations.

In this world, the SGs are seen as “super great.” They provide a sense of wealth to those who want it most. But what isn’t so great is how the SGs are taken from their homes to be hung up on some American lawn. It dehumanizes them and can be compared to human trafficking.

The Semplica Girl Diaries idolizes these figures, and they are something the family desires in order to validate their own wealth. By hoping to climb the ranks of the social hierarchy, the family climbs their way up. In order for the family to do that, however, they must place the SGs below them. This idea can be seen almost everywhere: someone puts another down for their own personal gain.

The story of the not so super great SGs resembles a world not too far from our own. Of course, our world is not as inhumane, but it reveals our selfishness and the impact it has on society.

Will Meursault be a stranger forever?

By rtremper55

In part one of The Stranger, Meursault’s apathy towards humanity is clear. He doesn’t notice or care about what other people think of him. He’s willing to marry someone he doesn’t love. He kills a man! Throughout all this, Meursault is distant. He’s a stranger in his own life.

I predict that one of two (and a half) things will happen.
1. Meursault will come face to face with the consequences of his actions. He will reconsider his perspective on life, and either learn to empathize with others or stay the same.

2. Meursault isn’t impacted by the consequences of his actions. He goes through life exactly as he does now.

Side note:
The Stranger is a very liminal story, and it reminds me of this ambient song in DELTARUNE.

Analyzing “The Secret Women” short story

By sophiag

In the short story “The Secret Women” by Colette, it shows us how people can have different sides to themselves depending on how comfortable a person may feel with you. The story shows us a partial part of a married woman’s life. In which she feels that she has to hide her identity to be herself. It also shows us how far a man is willing to go for his pride.

I believe in the story, the woman isn’t happy in her marriage, or with what is expected of her. In the story, she seems to be living in a very patriarchal society, where she is a woman and has to maintain her “place,” which is her home. Her husband, in this patriarchal society, shows signs of being in control of the relationship, not allowing the woman to have a say in the relationship. I believe this is what makes her shift from her “normal” self. The wife explains that she wouldn’t be attending because she knows what they usually do at the ball, while the husband ignores her and goes, without telling her. Showing how much control he has, where it seems he does not care as much.

The husband meets up with another woman, eventually being in shock at seeing his wife. He tries to ignore and tries to tell himself it’s not her, because he believes his wife could never have the “guts” to disobey him or go behind his back. This makes us believe we don’t really know a person. For example, I know I act differently when I’m with older adults, while when I’m with friends, I’m comfortable. It also shows us that people have desires that can’t always be fulfilled in their marriages. The wife in the short story wants freedom and has desires she wishes to fulfill, which is what makes her rebel against the patriarchal society’s ideas.

Although the story focuses mainly on the wife, we see everything through the husband’s perspective. I believe the husband is the reason his wife is rebelling, because he probably doesn’t give her enough attention and has most likely been unfaithful to her. He is the one with the most freedom in the relationship, and in the story, he is also doing the same thing to his wife, which is cheating. His pride gets in the way and doesn’t confront her because he knows what he is also doing to her is wrong, and she wouldn’t be the only one looking bad, but he too. At the end of the story, the husband finally accepts that his wife is cheating on him. Collette leaves us questioning love and thinking if love is real, and if people in their relationship are honest and faithful to their partners, and if you ever really know a person.

The Real Issue – Jessica Benjamin’s “The Bonds of Love”

By Sean C

In Jessica Benjamin, Mutual Recognition, Power and Identity

In The Bounds of Love, Benjamin analyses and critiques Freud’s arguments about domination and obedience. Freud originates the nature of domination from the relationship between father and son, and how that relationship creates an endless cycle of defiance, followed by restoration, and then a return of authority. Benjamin, on the contrary, argues that the root of domination and power stems from the polarization of gender in our society. Freud’s thinking places the issue solely in the world of men, leaving women out almost entirely. According to Freudian’s theory, women are mere objects for men, servants to their masters. However, Benjamin argues that this thinking is flawed and further perpetuates domination and man’s quest for power. The real issue is the polarization of the two sexes; we assign too much value to the ideals of one gender, rather than recognizing one another’s difficulties and attempting to work together harmoniously. Benjamin advocates for women to gain subjectivity/character through feminism, aiming to balance the power of agency and teach future generations about gender equality.

Jessica Benjamin’s theory of life has helped me understand the extent to which misogyny has affected, and still is affecting, our society, and how that ideology has supplied fuel for domination, power, and control since almost the beginning of humanity. Humans, specifically men, have shut down women because of biological differences, despite both males and females being a part of the same species, leading to the creation of a hierarchy and stories/studies to reinforce their beliefs and keep their power. I now realize that this ideology has existed for thousands of years, with the earliest example I can think of being the story of Adam and Eve. While the validity of this story is debatable and likely just fiction, the action of Eve falling into the devil’s temptations and eating from the tree of knowledge is rooted in the idea that women are inferior to men; this belief is still a core part of many misogynists. Actions I would take to reflect the impact of her theory would be to pass on this information to my children and teach them the importance of equality and recognizing everyone as human beings.

The message of “Drinking Coffee Elsewhere”

By Jackson B.