Guilty by Perspective

In a court of law, the main objective is to uncover the truth. While the process may seem “fair” and “just” on paper, the perspectives of both the prosecution and the defense can sometimes cloud the judgment of the accused. Monsieur Meursault’s murder trial in Albert Camus’ The Stranger is a direct example of clouded perspective. The prosecutor in the trial directly links Meursault’s criminal actions to his lack of emotion regarding the recent passing of his mother. He “accuses [Meursault] of burying his mother with crime in his heart” suggesting that the murder was premeditated. Instead of trying Meursault solely on the evidence of his crime, the prosecutor’s perspective of his lack of emotion is what ultimately delivers a guilty verdict. By portraying Meursault as a flawed, “criminal soul”, the prosecutor supplements personal judgment for hard facts. It is easier for the jury to sentence a man of “doubtful morality” to death, especially if they believe he didn’t even care for his elderly mother. Reiterating the rather insignificant detail that Meursault failed to remember his mother’s age somehow further condemns a man who “doesn’t have a soul” and is unable to attain “the moral principles that govern men’s hearts”. While it is evident that Meursault truly was guilty, the infiltration of personal perspective by the prosecution creates a false impression of a man unjustly labeled “an abyss threatening to swallow up society”.