The first part of The Stranger is parallel to the second part. But, at the same time, they both focus on opposite versions of Meursault. The book is parallel in a very literal sense because of its physical structure. Meursault is a different person in the second half. He grows in unexpecting ways, and his character develops as he slowly indulges more information about himself. The main difference between the first and second parts is the sentence structure. Meursault narrates using concise and literal sentences in the first half of the novel. His longer sentences are describing literal things, facts, or his surroundings. He almost never analyzes his emotions, and we get little information on his past. In the second half, Meursault opens up a bit. He shows more emotion, his sentences get longer, and he shows a more analytical side of himself. Compared to the first half of the book, Meursault uses longer sentences. Even though the majority of his statements are just accounts of ...