As we first met Meursault, we knew he was an odd character who never divulged the reader inside the inner workings of his mind. Meursault is locked into a routine of daily existence, with no ideas, preferences, goals, or ambitions. During Part 2 of The Stranger, Meursault is now locked up and jail and truly lives his entire life by the prisoner routine. Throughout his time in jail, he does not seem to be bothered by being locked up besides having the "thoughts...of a free man."
Although Meursault got used to the jail routine, during the trial we are first introduced to Meursault's emotions. During his trial, Meursault has the urge to cry as he is stuck in the hot room surrounding by staring eyes of jury members. By the trial, Meursault come to understand that he is so vulnerable others that he cannot even create the meaning of his own life. In the past, Meursault has been able to coast on in life and lacking the motivation to examine his life as a whole. As the trail goes one, Meursault realizes that each person in the courtoom, the judge, prosecutor, and his defender are creating their own interpretation of his life, "My fate was being decided without anyone so much asking my opinion"(98). Meursault was frustrated because he had no say for his defense.
The trial forces Meursault to face his existence consiously because now he is finally being accounted for it. As he hears positive, negative, and neutral interpretations of his character, he recognizes that part of his being evades his control, because it exists only in the minds of others. All the witnesses discuss the same man, Meursault, but they offer differing interpretations of his character. In each testimony, meaning is constructed exclusively by the witness—Meursault has nothing to do with it.
No comments:
Post a Comment