Effect of Light in The Stranger and One Day in the Life...

The light in the two novels The Stranger and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich(One Day) has an animalistic effect on the protagonists. In The Stranger, Meursault complains about the intensity of sunlight. His nature is not a light friendly one, he becomes distracted and begins to sweat under intensive light. Meursault may in several ways be compared to a bat, confused and irritated by light, though when in a dark environment, he is able to concentrate and focus. On the other hand, Shukov from One Day experiences light as mental freedom from the dark camp. Light allows him to hope for a better future for him and everyone in the camp. Shukov shows animalistic features as well, as he wakes with the sun rising and ends his day with the†¦show more content†¦Meursault is aware that this applies to the current situation equally as to everything in his life up to that point, which has been a Yes or No situation he simply accepted without disobeying this. The fact that he was ab le to make such a realization under relatively intensive sunlight is odd for his character. Later on The scorching blade slashed at my eyelashes and stabbed at my stinging eyes. Thats when everything began to reel. The sea carried up a thick, fiery breath. It seemed to me as if the sky split open from one end to the other to rain down fire. (The Stranger, 59) Meursault represents an existentialist existence. That he was able to make a life-changing realization, but later on is not able to control his mind when the situation becomes real, shows how he is directed by the glaring sun. In the dark Meursault is himself, as soon as he is surrounded by light though, his self is pushed aside and he is physically as well as mentally lead by a different force over which he has no control. Shukov as well as Meursault shows physical and mental reactions to light: Every nerve in his body was taut, all his longing was concentrated in that cigarette butt -- which meant more to him now, it seemed, than freedom itself†¦ (One Day, 24-25) His mind and body are focused on the glowing light of the cigarette butt, it