Meursalt's Trial
So I know Meursalt's trial isn't meant to be a good portrayal of the justice system but I just have so many problems with it. First off, Meursalt's on trial for killing an Arab man but there are no Arabs at the trial. There are no Arab witnesses. You'd think that Raymond's mistress or the other Arab who went to the beach would be great witnesses or at least be at the trial. But they aren't. At this point, the trial is less about Meursalt's murder of an Arab man but whether Meursalt is threat to society as determined by the French people. Throughout the trial, Meursalt's crime is interpreted through the lens of French society, instead of from the Arab perspective, or even from the point of view of people Meursalt regularly interacts with. The fact that the mistress's brother is seeking vengeance for what Raymond did to his sister never really shows up in any significant manner in the trial.
Meursalt is characterized in the trial by the court as a soulless monster who will somehow destroy society. However, many of the people Meursalt regularly interacts with don't view Meursalt as a danger to society. Celeste thought of Meursalt as a friend, Marie cared for Meursalt, and Salamano thought he was a decent and honorable guy. Raymond and Masson both testified in favor of Meursalt but it was to be expected considering they both don't seem like great people. None of the people testifying against Meursalt absolutely detest him either. Perez didn't feel threatened by Meursalt nor did he seem to vehemently hate him. He just tells the court he was blinded by sadness and did not see Meursalt cry. And then, the director of the home didn't feel that threatened by Meursalt either. The court makes a big deal of the fact that Meursalt smoked a cigarette and drank coffee when his mother was dead but the two people who actually did the action don't seem to care that much. It seems like the court and not the people are threatened by Meursalt and, thus takes precautions against Meursalt. (Which is ironic considering Meursalt will die "in the name of the French People"(107)) . All of these details create a disconnect in the actions of the justice system and the people the justice system is meant to serve. Lastly, I think if the court really wanted to weave the narrative that Meursalt is a danger to society, the Arab perspective would be really useful, or at the very least the Arabs should not be ignored. Clearly, the court isn't meant to serve to serve the Arab population in Algeria.
So if the court isn't serving the Arabs and the french people in Algeria don't view Meursalt is a threat, for what purpose and for who is Meursalt being executed? The prosecutor said Meursalt was "an abyss threatening to swallow up soceity" yet regular people don't seem that concerned about Meursalt, it's just the court system (and later the chaplain) who are threatened by Meursalt (101). As a result, I feel like there's a disconnect between "society" and the people (whether they be the arabs or french people living in Algeria).
Meursalt is characterized in the trial by the court as a soulless monster who will somehow destroy society. However, many of the people Meursalt regularly interacts with don't view Meursalt as a danger to society. Celeste thought of Meursalt as a friend, Marie cared for Meursalt, and Salamano thought he was a decent and honorable guy. Raymond and Masson both testified in favor of Meursalt but it was to be expected considering they both don't seem like great people. None of the people testifying against Meursalt absolutely detest him either. Perez didn't feel threatened by Meursalt nor did he seem to vehemently hate him. He just tells the court he was blinded by sadness and did not see Meursalt cry. And then, the director of the home didn't feel that threatened by Meursalt either. The court makes a big deal of the fact that Meursalt smoked a cigarette and drank coffee when his mother was dead but the two people who actually did the action don't seem to care that much. It seems like the court and not the people are threatened by Meursalt and, thus takes precautions against Meursalt. (Which is ironic considering Meursalt will die "in the name of the French People"(107)) . All of these details create a disconnect in the actions of the justice system and the people the justice system is meant to serve. Lastly, I think if the court really wanted to weave the narrative that Meursalt is a danger to society, the Arab perspective would be really useful, or at the very least the Arabs should not be ignored. Clearly, the court isn't meant to serve to serve the Arab population in Algeria.
So if the court isn't serving the Arabs and the french people in Algeria don't view Meursalt is a threat, for what purpose and for who is Meursalt being executed? The prosecutor said Meursalt was "an abyss threatening to swallow up soceity" yet regular people don't seem that concerned about Meursalt, it's just the court system (and later the chaplain) who are threatened by Meursalt (101). As a result, I feel like there's a disconnect between "society" and the people (whether they be the arabs or french people living in Algeria).
I agree, it is very interesting how the prosecutor attacks Meursault. I think the court system somewhat represents how Camus expects us to react, to judge Meursault on the other times we have seen him behave differently than we would rather than the actual crime of killing a man.
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