Justice and Absurdity: Exploring Meursault's Trial in The Stranger

This essay delves into the trial of Meursault in Albert Camus' novel, The Stranger, examining whether he received a fair trial. The essay explores the themes of absurdism, societal expectations, and justice through Meursault's actions and the court's judgment. It discusses how Meursault's detachment and indifference, particularly regarding his mother's death, were used against him, highlighting the conflict between his individual beliefs and societal norms. The analysis contrasts Meursault's case with other characters and philosophical concepts, ultimately arguing that while the legal outcome was based on his actions, the trial's focus on his character and beliefs made it unjust. The essay references key quotes and critical interpretations to support its claims, providing a comprehensive understanding of the novel's central themes and Meursault's fate.

Running head: ALBERT CAMUS: THE STRANGER
English
Name of the Student:
Name of University:
Author Note

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Did Meursault receive a fair trial?
The Stranger is a novel written by Albert Camus. The novel revolves around Meursault, a
character who is more like an outcast in the society. The work is considered to be one of the most
important examples for citing the philosophy of absurdism by Camus. The label of existentialism
was not very well approved by Camus, to be present in his works, even though critics and other
authors are of the opinion that the novel has theme of existentialism too. The protagonist,
Meursault is a detached person, who does not associate much with his surroundings. His way of
perceiving events and emotionally not connecting with them is often unlike others, which can be
understood as he says “Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday; I can't be sure.” (Kaplan). The
utterance of the words is significant for understanding the absurdism Camus employs, though the
actions and dilemma of the character. “Man stands face to face with the irrational. He feels
within him his longing for happiness and for reason. The absurd is born of this
confrontation between the human need and the unreasonable silence of the world.”
These words used by Camus, in The Myth of Sisyphus resonate the same absurdity which
Meursault feels about the world around him, as he feels no association with it. The world too
cannot understand him in reciprocation, as the story progresses. He is a person who defies
societal expectations and norms and choose not to conform to any of it. He shoots the man on
beach in cold blood, for which he is convicted. As the trial makes progression, the evidences and
witnesses go against him as everyone blamed it on Meursault’s strangeness and detachment
(Francev). Meursault is honest about his feelings and thoughts rather than pretending to be
emotionally affected by the death of his mother. Meursault, by doing so, in a challenges the
established order and expectations of the society. Camus points out how “Man is always prey
to his truths. Once he has admitted them, he cannot free himself from them.” The trial

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that follows might have been just, from the legal point of view, but he was judged on the basis on
his attitudes and beliefs, which make it unjust.
The trial starts taking its course and shifts towards Meursault’s beliefs attitudes and
morals, which were at odds with the society. The director of the home and the caretaker attests
his lack of attachment with his mother (Foley). Meursault went to watch a comedy at the theatre
and in the same weekend, his relationship with Marie began, which the court found to be strange.
These feelings, thoughts, had substantiated Meursault’s guilt rather than the actions itself. It can
be said that it was unjust from the psychological considerations as Meursault was categorized as
an outsider based on his beliefs and attitudes (Gnanasekaran). The justice system viewed his lack
of grief and mourning after his mother died as a challenge to the societal standards and morals
and attitudes towards their surroundings and loved ones. The character of Meursault can be
contrasted with Cottard from The Plague, who gets to face the consequences for intentional
action, whereas, Meursault, on the other hand, is sentenced to death for a crime, which he
commits unintentionally. "There comes a time in history when the man who dares to say that two
and two do make four is punished with death.” The utterance explains how society look at people
which is tainted with established order and tainted with social expectations. One even gets
penalized for telling the truth. Meursault’s tries to belong but his struggle can better understood
with his words “I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world.” It can thus be said by
concluding that the justice which Meursault received was justified for the action which he
resorted to the action of killing the Arab man because if no significant reason but Sun. On the
contrary, he is sentenced to death because of the evidences and witnesses which substantiated his
strangeness, a threat to the society, an outsider and even a monster.

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References
Foley, John. Albert Camus: From the absurd to revolt. Routledge, 2014.
Francev, Peter, ed. Albert Camus’s The Stranger: Critical Essays. Cambridge Scholars
Publishing, 2014.
Gnanasekaran, R. "Psychological interpretation of the novel the stranger by
Camus." International Journal of English Literature and Culture 2.6 (2014): 85.
Kaplan, Alice. Looking for The stranger: Albert Camus and the life of a literary classic.
University of Chicago Press, 2016.