April Blog

In The Stranger, by Albert Camus, the courtroom scene stands for more than just a courtroom. During the trial of Meursault, almost everyone he came in contact with throughout the book was called as a witness. This symbolizes how society controls the justice system. This is also shown through the use of a jury. The jury is called in to represent the rest of society, and makes decisions on behalf of everyone. Therefore, the courtroom is representative of society as a whole. In our society, courtrooms work in a similar way, as does almost everything. When someone is put on trial, there is a judge and jury. Depending on the severity of the crime, almost everyone they know can be brought in as a witness. The courtroom can also symbolize the government. A select group of people are chosen to run the country and then they make decisions based on what the people want. The laws that come out of a representative government are based on what the majority of people want to see, therefore they are not based on anything concrete, just the values of that specific society. The difference between right and wrong is not a fact, but an opinion. When a majority of society decides something is wrong, laws are made about it. Albert Camus once said, "You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of.  You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life." This quote embodies the idea that there is no meaning behind anything and people have to make the meaning themselves.