Self/Others Group Mini-Syllabus Text Assigned: Camus, Albert. The ...

Self/Others Group Mini-Syllabus Text Assigned: Camus, Albert. The Stranger. New York: Vintage International, 1988. (The full text is also available as a downloadable PDF file at http://www.macobo.com/essays/epdf/CAMUS,%20Albert%20-%20The%20Stranger.pdf) Written Rationale: The Stranger is a short novel and an easy read which is loaded with boundary issues, especially for the purposes of the self/others group, but also for each group in our seminar. While the text is primarily a literary work, there are definite philosophical issues raised within the narrative, and several of the theories that we have discussed in seminar can easily be applied to the novel. Among the issues raised are gender roles, societal and cultural institutions, and the tension between human emotion and rationality, as well as the value of animals, what makes a person monstrous, and the notion of a mechanical lifestyle. Because of this wide range of topics, we hope to engage each group and present The Stranger as a useful resource for thinking about other boundary issues as well as our own. Presentation Schedule: Tuesday, 11/23

Writing Assignment:

Self/Others Boundary Issues

Identify 3 substantive boundary issues that arise in Camus’s The Stranger and discuss their implications/significance within the context of the narrative. Try to link them to specific passages in the text.

Tuesday, 11/30

Writing Assignment:

Group Boundary Issues

Identify issues raised in The Stranger that are relevant to your group’s perspective. What resources from our seminar can your group apply to the text? Some suggestions for study are: Animals – How is Salamano’s dog represented in the narrative? How might Wolfe’s or Midgley’s views apply to The Stranger? Cyborgs – Discuss Camus’s critique of the mechanical lifestyle, and what dangers it might present for humanity. Monsters – In what ways are Meursault, Raymond, or Salamano presented as monstrous?