Study Guide for Albert Camuss The Fall

Study Guide for Albert Camus's The Fall Delivered by a sophisticated, outgoing, yet often suspicious narrator, Albert Camus’s The Fall employs a format that is rather uncommon in world literature. Like novels such as Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground, Sartre’s Nausea, and Camus’s own The Stranger, The Fall is set up as a confession by a complicated main character- in this case, an exiled French lawyer named Jean-Baptiste Clamence. But The Fall- unlike these famous first-person writings- is actually a second-person novel. Clamence directs his confession at a single, well-defined listener, a â€Å"you† character who accompanies him (without ever speaking) for the duration of the novel. In the opening pages of The Fall, Clamence makes this listener’s acquaintance in a seedy Amsterdam bar known as Mexico City, which entertains â€Å"sailors of all nationalities† (4). Summary In the course of this initial meeting, Clamence playfully notes the similarities between him and his new companion: â€Å"You are my age in a way, with the sophisticated eye of a man in his forties who has seen everything, in a way; you are well dressed in a way, that is as people are in our country; and your hands are smooth. Hence a bourgeois, in a way! But a cultured bourgeois!† (8-9). However, there is much about Clamence’s identity that remains uncertain. He describes himself as â€Å"a judge-penitent,† yet doesn’t provide an immediate explanation of this uncommon role. And he omits key facts from his descriptions of the past: â€Å"A few years ago I was a lawyer in Paris and, indeed, a rather well-known lawyer. Of course, I didn’t tell you my real name† (17). As a lawyer, Clamence had defended poor clients with difficult cases, including criminals. His social life had been full of satisfactions- respect from his colleagues, affairs with many women- and his public behavior had been scrupulously courteous and polite. As Clamence sums up this earlier period: â€Å"Life, its creatures and its gifts, offered themselves to me, and I accepted such marks of homage with a kindly pride† (23). Eventually, this state of security began to break down, and Clamence traces his increasingly dark state of mind to a few specific life events. While in Paris, Clamence had an argument with â€Å"a spare little man wearing spectacles† and riding a motorcycle (51). This altercation with the motorcyclist alerted Clamence to the violent side of his own nature, while another experience- an encounter with a â€Å"slim young woman dressed in black† who committed suicide by throwing herself off a bridge- filled Clamence with a sense of â€Å"irresistible weakness (69-70). During an excursion to the Zuider Zee, Clamence describes the more advanced stages of his â€Å"fall.† At first, he began to feel intense turmoil and pangs of disgust with life, although â€Å"for some time, my life continued outwardly as if nothing had changed† (89). He then took turned to â€Å"alcohol and women† for comfort- yet only found temporary solace (103). Clamence expands upon his philosophy of life in the final chapter, which takes place in his own lodgings. Clamence recounts his disturbing experiences as a World War II prisoner of war, lists his objections to commonplace notions of law and freedom, and reveals the depth of his involvement in the Amsterdam underworld. (It turns out that Clamence keeps a famous stolen painting- The Just Judges by Jan van Eyck- in his apartment.) Clamence has resolved to accept life- and to accept his own fallen, immensely flawed nature- but has also resolved to share his troubling insights with anyone who will listen. In the final pages of The Fall, he reveals that his new profession of â€Å"judge-penitent† involves â€Å"indulging in public confession as often as possible† in order to acknowledge, judge, and do penance for his failings (139). Background and Contexts Camus’s Philosophy of Action: One of Camus’s greatest philosophical concerns is the possibility that life is meaningless- and the need (in spite of this possibility) for action and self-assertion. As Camus wrote in his tract The Myth of Sisyphus (1942), philosophical discourse â€Å"was previously a question of finding out whether or not life had to have a meaning to be lived. It now becomes clear on the contrary that it will be lived all the better if it has no meaning. Living an experience, a particular fate, is accepting it fully.† Camus then goes on to declare that â€Å"one of the only coherent philosophical positions is thus revolt. It is constant confrontation between man and his own obscurity.† Even though the Myth of Sisyphus is a classic of French Existentialist philosophy and a central text for understanding Camus, The Fall (which, after all, appeared in 1956) should not merely be taken as a fictional re-working of The Myth of Sisyphus. Clamence does revolt against his life as a Paris lawyer; however, he retreats from society and tries to find specific â€Å"meanings† in his actions in a manner that Camus might not have endorsed. Camus’s Background in Drama: According to literary critic Christine Margerrison, Clamence is a â€Å"self-proclaimed actor† and The Fall itself is Camus’s â€Å"greatest dramatic monologue.† At several points in his career, Camus worked simultaneously as a playwright and a novelist. (His plays Caligula and The Misunderstanding appeared in the mid 1940s- the same period that saw the publication of Camus’s novels The Stranger and The Plague. And in the 1950s, Camus both wrote The Fall and worked on theater adaptations of novels by Dostoevsky and William Faulkner.) However, Camus was not the only mid-century author who applied his talents to both theater and the novel. Camus’s Existentialist colleague Jean-Paul Sartre, for instance, is famous for his novel Nausea and for his plays The Flies and No Exit. Another of the greats of 20th century experimental literature- Irish author Samuel Beckett- created novels that read a little like â€Å"dramat ic monologues† (Molloy, Malone Dies, The Unnamable) as well as oddly-structured, character-driven plays (Waiting for Godot, Krapp’s Last Tape). Amsterdam, Travel, and Exile: Although Amsterdam is one of Europe’s centers of art and culture, the city takes on a rather sinister character in The Fall. Camus scholar David R. Ellison has found several references to disturbing episodes in Amsterdam’s history: first, The Fall reminds us that â€Å"the commerce linking Holland to the Indies included trade not just in spices, foodstuffs, and aromatic wood, but also in slaves; and second, the novel takes place after â€Å"the years of World War II in which the Jewish population of the city (and of the Netherlands as a whole) was subject to persecution, deportation, and ultimate death in Nazi prison camps.† Amsterdam has a dark history, and exile to Amsterdam allows Clamence to face his own unpleasant past. Camus declared in his essay â€Å"The Love of Life† that â€Å"what gives value to travel is fear. It breaks down a kind of inner dà ©cor in us. We can’t cheat any more- hide ourselves away behin d the hours in the office or at the plant.† By going into living abroad and breaking his earlier, soothing routines, Clamence is forced to contemplate his deeds and face his fears. Key Topics Violence and Imagination: Although there is not much open conflict or violent action directly displayed in The Fall, Clamence’s memories, imaginings, and turns of imagery add violence and viciousness to the novel. After an unpleasant scene during a traffic jam, for instance, Clamence imagines pursuing a rude motorcyclist, â€Å"overtaking him, jamming his machine against the curb, taking him aside, and giving him the licking he had fully deserved. With a few variations, I ran off this little film a hundred times in my imagination. But it was too late, and for several days I chewed a bitter resentment† (54). Violent and disturbing fantasies help Clamence to communicate his dissatisfaction with the life he leads. Late in the novel, he compares his feelings of hopeless and perpetual guilt to a special kind of torture: â€Å"I had to submit and admit my guilt. I had to live in the little-ease. To be sure, you are not familiar with that dungeon cell that was called the litt le-ease in the Middle Ages. In general, one was forgotten there for life. That cell was distinguished from others by ingenious dimensions. It was not high enough to stand up in nor yet wide enough to lie down in. One had to take an awkward manner and live on the diagonal† (109). Clamence’s Approach to Religion: Clamence does not define himself as a religious man. However, references to God and Christianity play a major part in Clamence’s manner of speaking- and help Clamence to explain his changes in attitude and outlook. During his years of virtue and altruism, Clamence took Christian kindliness to grotesque proportions: â€Å"A very Christian friend of mine admitted that one’s initial feeling on seeing a beggar approach one’s house is unpleasant. Well, with me it was worse: I used to exult† (21). Eventually, Clamence finds yet another use for religion that is admittedly awkward and inappropriate. During his fall, the lawyer made references â€Å"to God in my speeches before the court†- a tactic that â€Å"awakened mistrust in my clients† (107). But Clamence also uses the Bible to explain his insights about human guilt and suffering. For him, Sin is part of the human condition, and even Christ on the cross is a figure of guilt: â€Å"He knew he was not altogether innocent. If he did not bear the weight of the crime he was accused of, he had committed others- even though he didn’t know which ones† (112). Clamence’s Unreliability: At several points in The Fall, Clamence acknowledges that his words, actions, and apparent identity are of questionable validity. Camus’s narrator is very good at playing different, even dishonest roles. Describing his experiences with women, Clamence notes that â€Å"I played the game. I knew they didn’t like one to reveal one’s purpose too quickly. First, there had to be conversation, fond attentions, as they say. I wasn’t worried about speeches, being a lawyer, nor about glances, having been an amateur actor during my military service. I often changed parts, but it was always the same play† (60). And later in the novel, he asks a series of rhetorical questions- â€Å"Don’t lies eventually lead to the truth? And don’t all my stories, true or false, tend toward the same conclusion?†- before concluding that â€Å"authors of confessions write especially to avoid confessing, to tell nothing of wha t they know† (119-120). It would be wrong to assume that Clamence has given his listener nothing but lies and fabrications. Yet it is possible that he is freely mixing lies and truth to create a convincing â€Å"act†- that he strategically using a persona to obscure particular facts and feelings. A Few Discussion Questions Do you think that Camus and Clamence have similar political, philosophical, and religious beliefs? Are there any major differences- and if so, why do you think Camus decided to create a character whose views are so at odds with his own?In some important passages in The Fall, Clamence introduces violent images and intentionally shocking opinions. Why do you think Clamence is dwelling on such disconcerting topics? How is his willingness to make his listener uneasy tied to his role as a â€Å"judge-penitent?†Exactly how reliable is Clamence, in your opinion? Does he ever seem to exaggerate, to obscure the truth, or to introduce obvious falsehoods? Find a few passages where Clamence seems especially elusive or unreliable, and keep in mind that Clamence may become significantly more (or significantly less) reliable from passage to passage.Re-imagine The Fall told from a different perspective. Would Camus’s novel be more effective as a first-person account by Clamence, withou t a listener? As a straightforward, third-person description of Clamence’s life? Or is The Fall supremely effective in its present form? Note on Citations: All page numbers refer to Justin OBriens translation of The Fall (Vintage International, 1991).

Causes and effects of teenage pregnancy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Causes and effects of teenage pregnancy - Essay Example The daycare authorities did feed him with bottled milk; however, David insists that he needs his mother more than food. Unfortunately, the daycare management people are not calling his mother but trying to divert David’s attention towards other stuff and until yet they have been unsuccessful since David seems to be seriously stubborn and is ready to compromise. Daycare authorities cannot call his mother despite the fact that Michelle is in the first building from the right on the next street. Michelle is actually busy giving her algebra exam for which she has been preparing for the past few days. If all goes well then she would end up getting a B in algebra and would become the first one in her family to hold a graduate degree in her hand but she would also have to hold David in the other hand as well. No one knows what would be the future of Michelle and David. However, a couple of things are for sure. Firstly, the upcoming years would not be a piece of cake for both of them. Secondly, David and Michelle are not the only ones who are such a situation but there are many reported cases of teenage pregnancy everyday all around the world. This paper focuses on the causes and effects of teenage in attempt to examine it with a boarder perspective. Since teenage pregnancies is a growing trend, happening in almost all parts of the world, more prominently in western societies, therefore there are several and diverse reasons that lead to the occurrence of teenage pregnancy. However, before discussing that, it is important to understand that this paper does not regard teenage sex as the main reason since not all teenagers have sex and even if they have sex does not always result in pregnancies. In fact, to prove this point, a study conducted in the United Kingdom reveals that more than two third of young people under the age of 16 do not have sex (Gillham, pp. 64-79). It is important here to note that

Foreign Workers Strike and Protests in UAE Literature review

Foreign Workers Strike and Protests in UAE - Literature review Example Another factor is the way that residence permits are used to make sure that expatriates stay tied to one particular employer. This article shows that restrictive employer practices in the UAE are contributing to calls for strikes among foreign workers. Bohning, W.R. (1996) Employing Foreign Workers: A manual on policies and procedures of special interest to middle- and low-income countries. Geneva: International Labour Organization. This handbook is an exhaustive guidebook on all the HRM mechanisms that could be useful for countries and companies which employ a large number of foreign workers. It deals with all the usual processes of hiring and firing, along with the rights of the workers and employers in terms of sickness benefits, remuneration and choice of location and living conditions. It is interesting to note that there is no section on worker rights to strike, or take part in any other kind of industrial action, but instead there is a reference to the desirability of â€Å"s pecial complaint and redress mechanisms† (p. 73). ... This book contains a collection of articles on managing human resources in different countries within the Middle East area. It is structured country by country and there is an introduction and concluding chapter by the two main editors. The fourth chapter is on the United Arab Emirates and is written by Abubakr Mohyeldin Tahir Suliman. This analysis gives brief introductions on the political and economic background to the UAE and then highlights some of the main HRM challenges which face the country including â€Å"employee theft, conflicts of interest, discrimination in hiring and promotion, quality control issues, and misuse of proprietary information† (p. 65) Although some of the data used in this article is quite old, it does give a good summary of the different industries which have developed in the last fifty years. It attributes the advanced state of HRM in the UAE to the contribution of well qualified and experienced foreign workers. Suliman explains the role of the UA E National Human Resources Development and Employment Authority (Tanmia) and the various professional Institutes which aim to manage the process of Emiratisation. He notes also that â€Å"there are no labor unions, and freedom of association is not recognized as a fundamental right in the UAE. Accordingly strikes are illegal†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 74) Significantly, there are no institutions in the UAE which offer specialized degree or certificate courses in HRM and this is an interesting finding which may help to explain why the whole issue of striking foreign workers is not being adequately approached in UAE at the present time. Godwin, S.M. (2006) Globalization, Education and Emiratisation: A Study of the United Arab Emirates. The Electronic Journal on Information Systems in Developing Countries

Report Dance of Life Popular Culture and Music in the Modern World Essay

Report Dance of Life Popular Culture and Music in the Modern World - Essay Example In so far as music is the focus f this study, it is the contents f popular songs that structure the main arguments, specifically, the political motivations reflected in, and further generated by these songs as they are created, performed, and consumed in varying ways by different social agents. The first chapter is exemplary in its theoretical breadth, incorporating varying discursive modes from Frankfurt theorists, Birmingham School f Cultural Studies, ethnomusicology, media, and popular music' studies. Lockard drawls on different ethnographic examples to substantiate his discussion f the popular culture phenomenon in the contexts f modernity, post-imperialism, and technological mediation. He defines "popular music" as a musical phenomenon that is "disseminated largely by the mass media", and that functions as a social commodity, the production and distribution f which depends on "a clientele able and willing to purchase the commodity" (pp. 18-19). This chapter explores the current situation f popular music studies and examines the significance f such studies (or the lack f it). More importantly, it summarizes the prevailing academic trends in popular music and popular culture research, and serves as an excellent introduction to this field f cultural studies. Book's first chapter is a survey f a variety f philosophical approaches to popular music. Lockard views popular culture as an arena f contradiction and struggle, and potentially, f resistance; he rejects the Frankfurt School's view that it is too standardized and degraded to be f value. The first chapter alone has 212 notes. This density f documentation at times makes for choppy reading, especially in paragraphs that career through several disjointed subjects. Though Lockard has taken pains to discover all f the English-language academic studies f the region's music, he also relies on many journalistic accounts from newspapers, weekly news magazines, and consumer guides to world music. These sources are uneven in quality and often anecdotal in their coverage, and they lack detailed documentation. Further, the nature f the Western press is to seek subjects that are interesting (i.e., outlandish or confrontational) but have a glimmer f familiarity to their audience--topics like teenager rebellion or a third-world Dylan. Lockard provides a well-informed social context in each chapter, and illuminates the historical and contemporary political junctures that have characterized each country from approximately the 1940s to the present. With this rich contextual background, he then proceeds to trace the historical significance f various popular music forms, such as the Kroncong and Dangdut in Indonesia, Pinoy in the Philippines. He pays particular attention to the emergence f the mass media and state control f the media in each country, and also explores various political movements in which musicians played decisive roles. In the process, Lockard examines the social complex created by the intersection f popular music, dictatorship, regionalism, nationalism, religion, mass mediation, and cultural imperialism. Lockard's narrative analyses popular music in local and transnational contexts,

Child Responsibilities Essay Example for Free

Child Responsibilities Essay Many parents may be very strict on their kids when it comes to doing things like playing with fire, using power tools, having a job, or even owning a pocket knife, but I on the other hand, disagree. Although I understand that it’s very dangerous for kids to be handling such things, it also builds their character. You wouldn’t just allow any kid to be in charge of such thing, they must have maturity and responsibility up to a certain point to be able to be trusted in these situations. A speech titled â€Å"5 Dangerous Things you should let your kid do† by Gever Tulley on TED.com talks about kids who are allowed and even encouraged to do things most parents would never dare to let their kids be involved in. Tulley discusses how kids who participate in these activities build strong character. It’s good for kids to be in these kinds of environments as long as they already have responsibility up to a certain level. An issue similar to this that is thrown around in politic and economic discussions now days is child labor. Should we allow kids to have jobs? Should families who are economically struggling allow their kids to work in order to bring in enough food and necessities to the family? I don’t see a problem in child labor. Like Tulley, I agree with these ideas and think they build better personalities and make a child more understanding. Although, I do not think that a family should be able to force a kid to work, it’s also important to a kid’s childhood that they get a chance to be a kid, and not have to worry about work. The earlier a person starts working, the bigger chance they have to be successful in life. I can understand why some parent’s wouldn’t be willing to let their kids be in such environments, these environments can be very unsafe sometimes. A kid could have the possibility of cutting a finger off, or doing something that they would have to live with for the rest of their lives, but with adult supervision this is less likely to happen. Although UNICEF has stated that children are more likely to get hurt then adults because they have yet to learn what not to do, we have to understand that getting hurt can happen in any activity that a person participates in, that’s just part of life.

Confession of Moral Bankruptcy Essay -- Sex Offenders Crime Essays

Confession of Moral Bankruptcy State and local governments are both challenged by the problems of sexual predators. This issue has been addressed at the federal level for many years, but now state and local governments are being given the responsibility to change policy. What this paper will examine are three major issues. This paper will examine what state and local governments are doing in context to the civil commitment issue. Secondly, once sexual predators are given the opportunity to return to society there is always the fear that they will commit crimes again. Therefore, all fifty states have some form of a sexual predator registry. Third, states and communities are beginning to prevent sexual predators from moving into areas where they are not identified by community notification laws, more commonly known as Megan’s Law. In order to address these problems, state and local governments are passing new legislation to help deal with these issues. In the last ten years, state and local governments have begun to legislate policy changes on the issue of sexual predators and most are still deciding how to make it work within their own locality. Once sexual predators have served their time in prison, there remains the daunting question of will they relapse back to their former state, or even a more fearful question of have they even been cured of this illness? According to John Leo of the US News and World Report, â€Å"The state has an obligation to defend the public from dangerous criminals. Is it really helpless to act if a violent inmate with a long record says he plans to mutilate and kill children when released? To say authorities can’t do anything but wait for a child to be murdered is a confession of moral bankruptcy.... ...iminary Report.† International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparitive Criminology. Galveston: Sage Publications, 2003. Office of the Attroney General, 2003, â€Å"Kilgore Files Richard Ausley Civil Commitment Petition - Convicted Pedophile Faces Criminal Trial Prior to Civil Commitment Hearing -† Retrieved on 4-25-04. http://www.oag.state.va.us/media%20center/Current%20AG%20News%20 Releases/080503_ PrimeTime, 2001, â€Å"Predators Among Us: PrimeTime Investigates Release of Dangerous Sexual Offenders† Retrived on 4-25-04. http://abcnews.go.com/sections/primetime/2020/PRIMETIME_010621_classof91_featur e.html Roberts, Julian V., et al. Penal Populism and Public Opinion. New York: Oxford Press, 2003. Teir, Robert and Kevin Coy. Approaches to Sexual Predators: Community Notification and Civil Commitment. New England Journal on Criminal and Civil Confinement 1997.

Arabic Mythology Essay

Like any other culture, ancient Arabs believed in demons, devils and the like, or at least they had stories about these things whether or not they believed those stories were true. Like everybody else they had their own mythology. Some of these stories are not really famous even for native speakers, like the story of how the rooster lost its ability to fly, or the legend which states that a very long time ago everything was able to talk; And some other stories are well-known (at least for those who DO read) like the ogres and poetry Genies. Arabs have a long-forgotten term which says â€Å"when everythingQ was talking† to describe something that happened a long time ago, especially in the pre-historic era. The root of this term is that ancient Arabs believed that everything -everything including animals and rocks- had the ability to talk at one point in history. And a lot of Arabian legends took place at that part of history. One example of this is the story of how did the rooster lost its ability to fly. The story goes like that: the rooster and the crow were drinking together until they finished all the drinks they had. So the crow told the rooster that he would bring more drinks and food if he gave him his wings and the rooster agreed. Needless to say, the crow never returned them and that is why the rooster crows every morning. He is calling the crow at the same time he took his wings. Most of the paranormal Arabian stories take place in the desert with a single hero. There are just so many Arabian stories about encounters with paranormal creatures in the desert. Some of them are friendly like poetry demons or genies and some are not like ogres. Also there are some stories about heroes like â€Å"Ta-ab-ba-ta_Sha-run†, a real man who became a legend because of all the stories that were made up about him. He was described as â€Å"The fastest man when he run, and the strongest when he fights. His spear when thrown is like winter’s wind†¦etc† and he had so many encounters with demons and ogres in the desert. One of these encounters gave him his name when he fought an ogre bare-handed and killed it in â€Å"Raha-Bitan†. Then he carried it to his people under his armpit so they gave him his name which means â€Å"the one who carry evil ender his armpit. † Unfortunately he was a thief in a lot of stories. When talking about pre-Islamic Arabs you can consider the demons and the Genies to be the same. Genies were famous as excellent poets, and Arabs believed that every human poet had a Genie friend who inspires him with verses, even if he didn’t know about it. The genie is called â€Å"Ra-Ei, this word is driven from the verb ‘to see’ and ‘realizing what is behind the seen’. And from a noun mean seeing the future – or predicting it – ether in real life or a dream that turns true. When you talk about a poet and his genie you say that the poet is the Genie’s â€Å"Elf† and the genie is the poet’s â€Å"Ra-Ei†. Elf is a word driven from â€Å"Elfah† which means a close relationship or feeling comfortable with a person or a thing that you get used to. Also some say that the Genie is born with you and you are stuck together forever, while others said that you do not born with a Genie but you can have one later. People said that the Genies come from a valley named â€Å"Abqar/Abkar† and their master is setting under â€Å"the poetry tree†, the root for all rhythms and verses in the world. It is said that you will become a poet if you sleep in that valley for one night and you will meet your genie. All poetry Genies belong there even if they didn’t actually live there. A genie doesn’t necessarily need to be physically near his human friend to inspire him with verses so some Genies decide to stay there. Some famous poets claimed that they know their Genie and gave him a name, and some of them said that they met their Genie personally. Like ‘Abu-Nawas’ and ‘Al-Faraz-daq’ who both claimed that the head Genie is their â€Å"Ra-Ei†. Nowadays, we know that almost all mythologies are wrong, but that is not a reason to forget them because the value of mythology does not lay in its veracity but in its role as a part of history and culture.