The Stranger Journal #3

When Meursault is in court, he is being tried in a different kind of way then normally would be done. The court looks upon religious morals and repentance. Since the French culture influenced Algeria their justice system is heavily effected by religion. So, in court Meursault's magistrate judges him by the laws of religion or as to say morals, "And I tried to listen again but the prosecutor started talking about my soul." (101). I feel it to be very unfair that Meursault is put in this situation of being accused of having no morals or remorse. I don't believe it is Meursault's fault for experiencing the world as he does, by physical means and sensory experiences rather than dwelling on what is happening. It could actually be that Meursault is insane and crazy, but that is an unsure statement. I also find irony in the fact that Meursault's lawyer stating he is already suffering from internal remorse, "I barely even heard when my lawyer, wrapping up, exclaimed that the jury would not surely send an honest, hardworking man to his death because he had lost control of himself for one moment, and then he asked them to find extenuating circumstances for a crime for which I was already suffering the most agonizing of punishments---eternal remorse," (105). At this point, Meursault starts having less and less say in the case, and he expresses that, "My fate was being anyone so much as asking my opinion," (98).

Since Meursault is not given a say, he believes that his fate was in the hands of basically everyone else but him. One fact that should be given consideration is that the courtroom should be a place without any disrespect. It seemed strange to me that the whole courtroom laughed just because Meursault wanted to tell everybody what really happened in the way he saw it. "Fumbling a little with my words and realizing how ridiculous I sounded, I blurted out that it was because of the sun. People laughed. My lawyer threw up his hands, and immediately after that he was given the floor," (103). The courtroom laughs because obviously this idea that the sun had made him give the trigger and kill him is absurd and do not understand his viewpoint on the whole subject. " 'It is true I killed a man.' He went on like that saying 'I' whenever he was speaking about me. I was completely taken aback," (103). I also believe that this, speaking in the perspective of Meursault is not fair because it does not give consent to him that what he is saying is completely true. Meursault's treatment is not realistic because in real given situation, he would have say in this and not just have his fate decided by people who are not willing to see through his eyes.