Monday, January 27th

Today's Objective

• Review existentialism and be able to formulate your own definitions for key terms within the philosophy
  
• Learn two new components of the philosophy including Alienation and Authenticity
  
• Describe core elements of Mersault's personality in The Stranger

Journal #3:  Link to Required Journal Prompts
For the next 10 minutes, write a response to The Stranger.  

Stuck? Consider...

• Expanding on any one of your annotations
• Writing a list of big questions that arose for you while reading
• Making a list of themes that popped up in the book 
• Exploring one theme and what statement Camus is trying to make about that theme
• Making personal connections to the ideas/themes 
• Describing a character you find interesting
• Explaining how existentialism appears in the novel
• Analyzing the transformation of Mersault throughout the book and his response to his fate at the end of the novel
• Writing a review of the novel as if you were writing for The New York Times.  Write a brief summary of the book and then offer your own critique of the book that includes what you liked and/or did not like about the book.  Conclude it with a recommendation (would you recommend it? If so, for what audiences?)

Agenda
1. Discuss journal responses and general response to the book
2. Announcements
3. 20 minutes: Time to review Existentialism and the following key terms:

• Angst
• Existential Crisis
• The Absurd
• Sisyphus as the Absurd Hero
• Existence Precedes Essence
• How one of these key terms appears in The Stranger

4. Existentialism quiz 

5. Ashley finishes Existentialism Powerpoint presentation (Alienation and Authenticity)

6. Read this short explanation of important historical context on The Stranger and Camus

7. Read aloud pages 3-5 of The Stranger and discuss the characterization of Mersault

• What characteristic traits best describe Mersault?
• In what ways does he evolve throughout the novel?  Specifically, which, if any, of these characteristic traits change?