Part Two

As for the murdurer, Meursault is arrested so you can be tranquile; there is not a murdurer loose in the streets. In this part two, the book gets really great although not many events take place. When his lawyer is first interviewing him to know more about his personal life, he asks Meursault if he was sad about Maman's death. Although I was sort of ready for a cold answer (A simple No), his answer was worst than him shooting the arab. He says maybe he could have loved her but that didn't matter. That everybody, at some point wished their relatives were dead! What is this? I think the lawyer knew at that moment that they would loose the trial because he was dealing with a person who wanted his own mother to be dead. Why would a simple arab make any difference?
Another extremely shocking news was that he didn't believe in God. I'm just kidding because this came to me as if it were old, past news. I knew a man of such values and of such life style would not be interested in religion and less in the existance of a God. I personally believe religion gives people a direction and a way of life that is correct. Meursault also never met his father which is the lack of another important figure in his life. I think that the lawyer could have used these two arguements in court and they would have been of importance to the case. This knowledge od his lack of these two things made me consider Meursault's case and sympathize for him. It is not his fault so we kind of have to understand why he is an asswhole. This happens regularly in Colombia where children rarely meet their fathers and have a destroyed family which leads to drug abuse, or theft. I think the guerrilleros have had terrible childhoods without the example of a working father and mother. Maybe in some rare cases it would have been better for children not to have met their fathers because of abuse to them and to their mothers but there is really no way of preventing this until it happens. Either way, Meursault came from a home with an absent father figure (I know he was dead, but technically he was not there). The lawyer calls Meursault the antichrist and this is the most accurate description I've heard of him yet. When relating him to Jesus there is only two things I can say they have in common. First of all, they didn't meet their fathers but to Jesus this was a relationship from beyond. He was the son of God and he knew exactly where his father was. Even though, God always makes things right and gave Jesus and adoptive father who is Joseph. For Meursault it meant the opposite, it meant missing a grand part in his life. Secondly, their lack of fear for death and the fact that they would be sentenced to death and killed publicly. Jesus lacked this fear because he did it outof pure love towards humanity because his death saved us all. Meursault was just careless and had learned to accept the things that came along as they came along. This is actually somewhat of an admirable characteristic because he is not tied to anything but can advance and adapt to new circumstances.
Meursault says something that is very interesting when he is in prison. He says that at first his thoughts were those of a free man. He would still think about the outside pleasures and experiences instead of living and thinking in relevance to where he was. It is funny that all inmates have trouble at first thinking about women all the time. Non of them think about their wives or girlfriends as humans whom they love and charish, but as bodies who they want to literaly have sex with. They think about all women, and this is reasonable not being able to see one and being surrounded entirely by men. I think I would also have these troubles if I were in prison, because even if you are not in a relationship you still miss them. We can't live with them, can't live without them. This is the only thing Meursault kind of complains about because other than this sexual desire, he seeks nothing. He does not complain about the food he is getting or the bed, or the showers which would be things I would hate about prisons. The thought of these aspects makes me go mad, and think things through before because ending in prison would be my worst nightmare. Prison does have a strong impact on Meursault because he starts grasping the small details in life, not like before when he was just cruising through. This is why everything was so meaningless to him, because he never stopped and looked at things closely. Now even a small piece of old paper makes him interested. This story of the Czech is amazing and I think is put there by Camus so Meursault's crime or story doesn't look as terrible.
During the trial, we learn a new set of characteristics to Meursault which makes us change the way we view him. He refuses a cigarette which is an amazing advance. Dropping an addiction such as that is the hardest thing to do, I've been told. Also, in prison cigarettes are like gold and they can buy your life. This is just an interesting fact because although Meursault didn't have any problems in prison, he could have become very important if he was able to get cigarettes. The funny thing is that it happens in prison as it happens in the army.
Meursault's attitude during the trial was typical Meursault. He was absent, as if he were a stranger to the case. He did not listen closely to his defense and didn't really care much for it, although his lawyer did an incredible job. The prosecutor tried to use the funeral and Meursault's indiference towards it as an arguement to prove they were dealing with a senseless person. If was in the jury, I would condemn this man just for his attitude towards life. They also tried to frame him with Raymond because everybody knew he was not really a guard. Even after the incredible defense of his lawyer which we missed because of Meursault's day dreams, he was pleaded guiltyas charged. This is fair because he did kill a man, and although the law does accept some counter arguements which may show the murdurer as a person who didn't have a clue to what he was doing. This may seem good about our justice system but in the end they should face the facts, count the bodies and charge the killer.
When Meursault is in his cell, he remembers some of the lessons he recieved from Maman. They show her as a wise person, who lived much things and knew how to adapt to them, taking something out of them every time. She said that at the end of the day you could always find something to be happy about and Meursault agrees with her which is weird but heart warming. I agree with Maman too, and not only can you find something to be happy about, but you should look back through your day and mark those happy moments and realise that your life is not as miserable as you think. You just don't acknowledge the happy moments. Marie was no longer in his thoughts because she really didn't have an impact on him. He was not in love as I supposed earlier; she stopped writing and he stopped loving her.
After the priest comes and tries to make Meursault come to his senses, he gains this new inner strength to face his death. Before he was just accepting the fact that we will all die some day, maybe sooner than others and others will live on past you, but he had not seen it as something ti his advantage. After screaming at the intense priest and letting go of that represed anger in his heart, Meursault starts thinking like a phylosopher. Like Socrates, he desired death and seeked that moment where he will finally be liberated from that body that opressed him. The thought of death being so close gave them, as well as Maman the idea of rebirth. A new chance to start over.
To conclude this loong part two, and the end of the book for that matter, we end this book with a totally different feeling from the first one. At first we may become a cold reader as our character but as we learn he is indeed human, who has thoughts and ideas, you get comfortable with his actions and reactions and you learn to love him. You understand this troubled man and actually learn something from the book. I learned many valuable lessons from Maman and some from his lifestyle, of which I never approved. Camus presented an amazing character who was indeed a terrible human being, the lowest in society, but he makes you understand such a man and not hate him as much as you would with simple appearances.