In Albert Camus' The Stranger and The First Confession of Montserrat Fontes, symbols and characterization play an important role in outlining the main message of every novel. Both authors' use of these literary elements contributes to the reader's understanding of their respective themes, from the meaninglessness of human life to alienation and the loss of innocence. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Much of Camus' novel revolves around a single symbol: the courtroom, where the second half of the book takes place. Embodying society as a whole, as it includes the reappearance of nearly all of the minor characters in the first half, the court functions according to the will of the people in determining Meursault's place in civilized culture. No matter what his thoughts are regarding his murder, Meursault is judged by others who attempt to impose meaning and order on his actions. He is observed by the court, with reporters “[examining him] closely without betraying any definable emotion” (85). For them, Meursault is a strange creature to read and decipher; whether or not he has a say in this process is irrelevant. Unable to accept the irrationality and absurdity of his murder, the members of the court attempt to connect the pieces they can see, linking Meursault's lack of emotion over his mother's death to the inexplicable killing of the Arab. Imposing reason and order, the prosecutor even goes so far as to accuse Meursault of "burying his mother with crime in his heart" (96). With this statement the reason for Meursault's execution is clear: his philosophy makes him a threat to society. Due to his lack of remorse for the murder he committed and his lack of grief over his mother's death, he is sentenced to death. The fact that he killed someone is not important. Unable to find a rational explanation for Meursault's irrational actions, the court considers him an outcast, a monster. In this way, the court symbolizes humanity's larger struggle to find an answer to the universe's irrational questions, a struggle that is as futile and absurd as Meursault's actions and the court's judgment of those actions. Like Camus's work, Fontes's novel derives much of its meaning from symbols, the most important of which is the money that Andrea and Victor steal from Armida. The socks full of money represent the two children's loss of innocence, and virtually everything that happens in the novel occurs because of the theft. Embodying the hardships of the adult world, dirty money embodies the sin that weighs heavily on the hearts and minds of both Andrea and Victor. The loss of children's innocence is by no means a gradual matter; rather, the hardships brought by money immediately overwhelm them as sin overwhelms a sinner. The reality of adult life crashes in on them faster than they can adjust to it. Even if they try to give the money, first to the river children and then to the beggars, with “arms full of gifts, hearts eager to do good,” they cannot escape the curse that the stolen money contains (81). . Money is part of the adult world; once Andrea and Victor get in, they can't go back no matter how hard they try. Giving the money to Stinky Hands only makes the situation worse, and Andrea's attempt at revenge backfires, leading her to a sin that will never leave her soul, a sin for which she asks "forgiveness to anyone his terrified parents canto see,” a sin. that consumes her that no one else is aware of (282). It is not after this sin has destroyed her initial spirit that the painful consequences of money begin to subside. However, even after Andrew has donated all the money left in Rancho Grande, its impact is permanent. Innocence, once lost, cannot be restored, and the door back to childhood remains closed forever to Andrea. Symbolism aside, the characterization plays a big role long the most significant role in highlighting the themes of each novel. In The Stranger, Meursault's interesting and diverse personality is what makes the book. His lack of emotion and psychological detachment from the world around him are central to the Camus' presentation of existentialism. Since Meursault simply cannot and does not care on a sentimental level, he is neither moral nor immoral; rather, he is amoral in the sense that he makes no distinction between good and evil in his mind. It doesn't care about anything outside the physical realm: no emotions, no religion, no social standards. After attending his mother's funeral, he notes that "another Sunday had passed, that Maman was buried now, that [he] was returning to work, and that, really, nothing had changed" (24). Meursault is so detached from the social and emotional aspects of life that he doesn't even realize that he should suffer, that society holds him responsible for not showing pain. When it comes to love and marriage, Meursault rejects both, enjoying the sexual aspects of his relationship with Marie but completely apathetic towards marriage. This indifference is also manifested in the killing of the Arab, in which “the curtain of tears and salt” in his eyes, “the cymbals of the sun breaking on [his] forehead” and “the dazzling spear that flies away from the knife in front of [him]” pushed him to murder (59). While in this first half of the novel Meursault applies his philosophy only to his own actions, his thinking expands after the death sentence. After his last meeting with the chaplain, he realizes that the universe is completely indifferent and that people's lives have no meaning, no effect on the greater scheme of events. As he says, “nothing mattered” because “everyone was privileged… the rest would all be doomed one day” (121). It simply made no difference when someone died, because they would have to die sooner or later and nothing they did could really impact the world. This epiphany, representative of Meursault's philosophy regarding life, is the crux of Camus' novel and its main theme. When it comes to the First Confession, characterization plays just as central a role in the development of the theme as it does in The Stranger. It is the unique traits of both Andrea and Victor that create the main themes. Both characters lose their innocence over the course of the summer due to a serious misstep, which leads to serious and unforeseen consequences that will stay with them for years. In Andrea's case, the final mistake that leads to Armida's suicide will haunt her forever, an indelible mark on her conscience that cannot be forgiven and therefore cannot be erased. For both, however, it is their innocence and naivety that proves to be their undoing. By stealing Armida's money, the children are convinced that if they used it "to buy toys for the river children, [they] would simply turn bad money into good money" (56). Spoiled and undisciplined, Andrea and Victor indulge in their pleasures and take the money, only to later discover how their lives would change. Ironically, it is their very innocence that ultimately shatters the remaining illusions of childhood. There.