영어 원서 The Stranger 알베르 카뮈의 이방인을 영어로 읽고

The Stranger is a very short novel, but it's so deep. It feels very heavy. 

Part 1

Chapter 1

The novel The stranger begins with the following sentences. "Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don't know." Meursault receives a telegram from the home where his mother used to make a living. He feels embarrassed that every body seems to say sorry to him because his mother has passed away, but he is not yet "in mourning." 

Meursault is calm and level-headed in his mother's funeral. Meursault does look bored and his tone of voice is so dry and indifferent. It feels like he is careless for his own mother's death. 

He didn't use to visit the home as often as he could because of "the trouble of getting to the bus, buying tickets, and spending two hours traveling" when his mother was still alive. 

During the funeral, Meursault and others suffer from the heat. It's symbolism. The intense heat physically affects everybody's life no matter what they feel indifferent or sincere. The heat hits equally Meursault who feels nothing from his mother and Thomas Perez who feels mournful from Meursalt's death. 

 

소설 이방인은 "Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don't know." 라는 짧은 세 문장으로 소설을 시작한다. 화자이면서 주인공인 머썰트는 어머니의 죽음에 시종일관 무관심해 보인다. 이런 그의 행동은 그를 둘러싼 사람들의 빈축을 산다. 머썰트는 이를 의식하지만 크게 신경 쓰지도 않는다. 

작가 카뮈는 태양을 등장시켜 어미의 죽음에 무관심한 머썰트나 애도하는 사람에게나 뜨거운 빛을 시종일관 내리쬐게 하는 장면을 묘사한다. 이는 카뮈의 종교관을 드러내는 것으로서, 신은 인간의 선행이나 악행에 관심이 없다고 말하는 듯하다. 그냥 살아갈 뿐이라는. 

The sun was starting to burn my cheeks, and I could feel drops of sweat gathering in my eyebrows. The sun was the same as it had been the day I'd buried Maman, and like then, my forehead especially was hurting me, all the veins in it throbbing under the skin. 
The Stranger by Albert Camus

Chapter 2

After the funeral, Meursault enjoys his life like nothing ever has happened. He watches a comedy film, flirts with Marie Cordona on the beach. It shows Meursault's world view. He thinks life is meaningless. Marie feels a little shocked at the way Meursault horses around after his mother's death; however, she's not that judegemental after all. He does not reveal his emotions as much as he describes his surroundings. He doen't even notice himself in a mirror. It shows that he fails to acknowledge himself and becomes alienated from himself because life doesn't mean anything to him. 

 

정신이 제대로 박힌 사람이라면 부모의 장례식 다음날 이성에게 작업을 걸거나, 코미디 영화를 볼리 없다. 머썰트는 감정이 없는 동물적인 존재일까? 그는 주변의 것은 상세히 묘사하고, 그들을 쉽게 판단하여 말한다. 그러나, 정작 자신의 감정에 대한 언급은 말을 아낀다. 거울에 비친 자신을 인식하지 않고 주변의 것만 말한다.

 

I shut my windows, and as I was coming back I glanced at the mirror and saw a corner of my table with my alcohol lamp next to some pieces of bread. It occurred to me that anyway one more Sunday was over, that Maman was buried now, that I was going back to work, and that, really, nothing had changed. 
The Stranger by Albert Camus 

 

자연에 대한 묘사는 비교적 생생하고 구체적이다. 그러나 화자는 자신의 감정은 무미건조하게 드러낸다. 

Chapter 3 

Meursault enjoys washing his hands before he goes to lunch because the roller towel he uses is not that soaked through yet. Although his boss doesn't seem to bother that the towel is soaked by the end of the day, but Meursault is cared and even bothered. He is kind of obssesed with physical things, which he might think that he can overpower, but he can't control the Sun. 

Meusault talks about his scabby old neighbor, Salamano and his scabby dog. The both resemble each other, but they don't like each other. It's about another theme, called detachment. It's like Meursault is surrounded by his girl-friend, Marie, but he doesn't love her. Raymond hangs out with Meursalt but he is not cared. He feels that other people's thoughts don't affect his life, but he feels uncomfortable when physical things like his sexually aroused body, all kinds of sensations, and the weather continue to influence him. 

 

머썰트는 자기감정에 대한 표현은 무척 절제한다. 절제한다기보다 오랜동안 그리 살아 감정이 없는 동물처럼 행동한다. 그러나 주변에 잇는 물리적인 물건이나 자연에 대한 관찰은 치밀하다. 사람의 정신의 만질 수 없기 때문에 귀하다고 여기지 않는 걸까? 정신과 감정에 대해 무리할 정도로 느끼지 않는 그지만 어쩔 수 없이 찾아드는 신체의 변화는 제어할 수 없다. 

All I could hear was the blood pounding in my ears. I stood there, motionless. 

 

여기까지 The Stranger 의 Part 1 Chapter 1, 2, 그리고 3의 독후감입니다. 

 

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