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Meursault changes in the stranger
Characterization of meursault in the novel the stranger by Albert camus
Meursault character by Albert Camus
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Is there truly any justice in the novel The Stranger, written by Albert
Camus?
Is there truly any justice in the novel The Stranger, written by
Albert Camus? This is a question that naturally protrudes throughout
the novel, as it is not abundantly clear what Meursault, the
protagonist, was, in fact, put on trial for. At the beginning of the
second part of the narrative, it is understood that he is put on trial
for the murder of an Arab; however, it later comes to our attention
that the murder was not the primary reason of his trial, and perhaps
not even an essential one for that matter. The fact remains that
Meursault was undoubtedly put on trial, not for the murder committed,
but for being the way he was: unemotional through the eyes of society,
which was represented by the jury.
To the reader it seems only natural that one should be put on trial,
not for their personality, but for the harmful acts that one may
commit to another person. Therefore, the idea is strongly implanted in
the novel, as well as the mind of the reader, that Meursault was put
on trial for murder. Nevertheless, throughout the course of the novel,
it becomes apparent that he was, as a matter of fact, not put on trial
for the murder of the Arab, but instead, for acting in such a stoic
manner. Being the honest, straightforward man he was, he answered all
questions in that same conduct. Once Meursault had been appointed a
lawyer, his lawyer inquired over the events of Maman's funeral.
Meursault responded rather coldly when his lawyer had asked him if he
had felt any sadness that day, saying that he "probably did love
Maman, but that didn't mean anything. At one time or another all
normal people have wished their loved ones dead." (...
... middle of paper ...
...!"(p. 96) This
is a rather profound statement that affects not only the characters in
the novel, but the reader as well, rather intensely.
Thus, it becomes palpable that society, in other words, the jury
attempted to fabricate and impose rational explanations for
Meursault's irrational actions. The fact that he was so
straightforward and onest was disruptive and threatening to their
society as they were not accustomed to it, and therefore, they saw no
meaning, which would consequently create chaos in their orderly lives.
Meursault appears to do as he pleases, when he pleases, and therefore,
follows no pattern throughout his life, hence, society becomes
threatened by him, which ultimately leads to his execution.
Bibliography
1. Camus, Albert: The Stranger. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York, 1988.
The Faade of the Trial: Meusault's "TRUE" Accusation
...hen he was asked a series of questions about the murder he had no opinion or a reasonable answer to why exactly he had killed the man.
In 2 years the trial ended with the verdict of guilty on the account of
Albert Camus’ The Stranger featured a misunderstood man who saw through his gilded society who was condemned to death for not crying at his mother’s funeral. Ernest Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying found a man sentenced to death because of his race.The ignorance of society killed both of these men, but their strength in defying the oppressive system makes them immortal. The strength of defiance is not an escape attempt or freedom, but the ability to remain human even while condemned to death. The human spirit triumphs when faced with injustice by taking dignity from the strength provided by a community or finding strength internally to create dignity even in death.
The Stranger is a novel by Albert Camus. Albert Camus, a French, Noble prize winning author, journalist and philosopher, was born on the seventh of November 1913. He died on the fourth of January 1960. He was instrumental in bringing the philosophical views of absurdism to public attention. The Stranger was published in 1942 and is an example of the outlook and themes of Camus’s philosophy of the absurd.
make there decision, but in the end there was no way that the jury was going to believe a
Albert Camus’ The Stranger offers one man’s incite into the justice of society. Monsieur Meursault, the main protagonist in the novel, believes that morals and the concept of right and wrong possess no importance. This idea influences him to act distinctively in situations that require emotion and just decision, including feeling sadness over his mother’s death, the abuse of a woman, and his killing of an innocent man. In these situations Meursault apathetically devoids himself of all emotion and abstains from dealing with the reality in front of him. When confronted by the court over his murder, he reiterates his habitual motto on life that nothing matters anyways, so why care? His uncaring response inflames the people working within the
...ing him, and the expectation was that there would be a well-publicized trial rather than a brief in which Ray admitted his guilt and was sentenced.” (Clark 240)
admission of guilt and all information obtained thereafter are thrown out of court. The result?
John Proctor is, at first, willing to offer up a false confession that his life may be spared. Inevitably, John Proctor possesses that fateful attribute known to fall fatal to many human beings - pride. While he has, indeed, been ashamed of his many sins throughout his life, Proctor's soul still clings to his pride and his good name, however soiled it may have become. On the morning scheduled for his execution, Proctor wrestles with the realization that one more sin so heaped upon the rest in his life will make precious little difference in the end; "I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint. It is a fraud. I am not that man.... My honesty is broke... I am no good man. Nothing's spoiled by giving them this lie." (126) He attempts to calm his pride by telling himself that the other accused witches who will not give false testimony to save themselves from the gallows have every right to do so; they led lives free of blame. He, however, he tells himself, did no such thing; what right has he to hang among the righteous? "Let them that never lied die now to keep their souls. It is pretense for me, a vanity that will nor blind God nor keep my children out of the wind." (126) Thus the conviction first reached by John Proctor is to save his life rather than to throw it away in mock martyrdom.
Living in a democracy, everyone is exposed through television and other various forms of media everyday to numerous trials by jury. Usually they are rarely given a second thought, but every once in a while along comes a specific trial which captures the attention of the entire country. This goes the same for trials throughout centuries in our past. Although they did not have the same forms of media as in this, modern era, there were still specific trials in which everyone knew about. One trial that stands out is the one against the great philosopher Socrates. Accused of corrupting the youth, being an atheist, and believing in other gods, Socrates faced trial by jury. The early forms of democracy were not as sophisticated and complex as they are now. The outcome of the trial was that Socrates was found guilty and sentenced to be put to death by hemlock poisoning. The question is whether Socrates was truly guilty or just another person fallen to the early form of democracy of a people who were possibly jealous and afraid of Socrates. However, by understanding Socrates intentions, it is clear that he was in fact innocent of the above charges, and was wrongly accused and executed.
not go his way so the consequences did exist and he had to pay for the
In the literature, The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, the idea and representation of justice, and its relationship to that of the treatment of women in Afghan society, the ever-changing politics of Afghanistan, and the desired results of redemption and forgiveness, become illustrated through the novel’s characters and motives. Justice can be defined as the quality of being guided by truth, reason, and fairness. The Kite Runner illustrates the power of influence from an outside power and its effects on society, and the minds and lifestyles of the people. In relationship to the Cheverus High School Grad-at-Grad profile the actions and wrongdoings that take place in the The Kite Runner and in Afghanistan prove to be injustice.
The search for justice is a urge that the natural human wants to satisfy. It is something that always wanting to be found in anything the question asked about it is why. The process to find it is depicted is several book and stories.
In the late 1940s, Europe began to recover from World War II- the deadliest global phenomenon over economic, political, and social thoughts. Adolf Hitler, the invincible leader of the Holocaust, in which the European Jewish population was blamed and executed for Germany’s economic debacles, was a Christian. Although, he honored his manifest Aryan race rather than religion. In other terms, he disregarded his mother’s teachings of Catholicism and believed purebred Aryans were the master race in the world with ideal physical and mental features (qtd. in The Earth and Its Peoples). In The Stranger by Albert Camus-a French philosopher, journalist, author, and Nobel Prize winner of 1957, Meursault struggles to find the meaning of human life while Hitler destroyed humanity. The book covers less than a year’s span in the early 1940s during World War II in Algeria , which was under Nazi, or Axis, control. Scarred by the warfare of Operation Touch, where the Allies (Great Britain and the United States) launched offense, Algerians attempted to resuscitate their country and people. The middle aged protagonist, Meursault, has no ambitions or formidable thoughts on life while he disregards World War II. Camus does not imply why, but Meursault has always isolated himself by living alone on the basic
fact, from the time he was first put under arrest to when he was killed, he