The Stranger #4

            Meursault’s trial exposes some of his abnormal social tendencies, yet his reactions humanize him to some extent. The first witness called is the director of the home, and he testifies about Meursault’s unusual behavior at his mother’s wake and funeral. As the reader gathered earlier in the novel, Meursault does not cry nor act particularly aggrieved by his mother’s death. This goes against the social norm in such a situation, and the spectators and jury register this fact. Meursault admits, “I had this stupid urge to cry, because I could feel how much all these people hated me” (90). This reaction seems uncharacteristic of Meursault. He typically does not care what society thinks of his actions, so it surprises the reader that he seems to feel some sort of emotion and connect it to the way others perceive him. However, although Meursault appears to be identifying an emotion, he does not explicitly say, “I felt ashamed” or even “I felt upset.” Instead, he just “had this stupid urge to cry.” The emotional connection is missing. The reader infers the emotion because there is a natural response that makes sense, but Meursault does not make the connection himself. Similarly, when Céleste testifies in favor of Meursault and clearly wants to say something to help his case, Meursault feels like “it was the first time in [his] life [he] ever wanted to kiss a man” (93). He obviously seems to appreciate what Céleste is doing for him, but he does not show this emotion. Meursault does not gesture or acknowledge him in any way. Even when Meursault does feel normal human reactions, he misses the emotional aspect and does not express them correctly. Sometimes he does not even seem to register the socially expected thoughts. When Marie testifies, Meursault does not offer any comment on his opinion other than noting her beauty. Her testimony should resonate with him, and he should feel some emotion. His reactions are conspicuously lacking, begging the question of whether or not he is withholding his emotions from the reader. However, the reader is once more reminded of his lack of social awareness when Raymond testifies. Everyone present in the courtroom knows that Raymond has a bad reputation; he is not someone that a person would want to be associated with. Yet when asked if he and Raymond were pals, Meursault answers, “Yes” (96). Meursault wastes the opportunity to present himself in a good light during his trial by neglecting to exhibit socially acceptable reactions.