Meursault- Guilty or Innocent?

As I read these last few chapters dealing with Meursault's trial, I found myself wondering how there was even the faintest notion that he might be acquitted? He clearly murdered the Arab, and doesn't even think for a moment about denying it. And yet, there seems to be a slight question of his guilt in the air-- at least the way I read it. It seemed almost as if there were some among the court who pity him for living "an emotionless life"

Comments

[Lana G.]

I think this is a very interesting question.

If you look at Meurasalt durring the trial, he knows that he killed a man, but he has no remorse or guilt for it. He may not even feel that what he did was wrong because people usually only feel guilty when they do something wrong.

Meurasalt does not seem to feel much guilt about killing the Arab specifically. It seems that he feels more guilty about wasting his time and other's time. When he whines or feels like crying it is because he does not want to be in jail or at the court. So far in the book, I have not seen Meurasalt have any feelings of regret or guilt for killing the Arab.

[Samantha M.]

After finishing The Stranger and reading the preface I have a new found view on Meursault's character through out the trial. Yes, it is true that Meursault never really feels any guilt during the trial, but that's just the kind of guy he is. What's done is done and all there is left to do is look at what is to come and deal with it. Meursault never lied about how he felt. Meursault never said that he felt sorry for what he did because if he did he would be lying. And yes, Meursault did get annoyed with people because they kept wondering the same questions that we do/did. Even I think that I would start to get annoyed with people if they kept telling me to feel things and admit things that I didn't feel.

[Kara D.]

While I was reading the part about the trail, I also thought that there could be a possibility that Meursault could be found innocent. Meursault himself did not think of himself as guilt until people within the courtroom started getting to him, in particular the prosecutor. I wonder why the feeling was that for some reason Meursault would be freed, even though we witnessed through the text that he was undoubtedly guilty. It is interesting that Camus chose to portray the trail in the way he did by making it questionable if Meursault would be found guilty. It is almost as if Meursault expected the jury to have compassion for him, yet he has little emotion for anyone else.

[Sarah B]

During the court scene, I was having trouble deciding whether I thought there was a chance of Meursault being found innocent because I wanted him to be, as I did not think he murdered the Arab in a sane state of mind (in fact, I rarely think he's sane), or because I thought there was actually a chance that that would be the outcome. However, I was hardly surprised when he was found guilty.

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