The Stranger

Meursault in The Stranger is persecuted because he is an outsider to society. He does not embellish who he is, observing the world and reacting. His emotions are true and he doesn't exaggerate them to fit in with other people. Meursault's truthfulness is more than a refusal to lie, its a refusal to over-indulge. Meursault is judged and defined as a heartless criminal by the society that puts him on trial. They call him a "monster" and spend more time in his trial dissecting his reaction to his mother's death than the actual murder case. They define him as a heartless killer without truly understanding him. Society defines him based on his reactions to the people in his life. His interactions condemn him. Meursault doesn't dramatize his feelings; he doesn't cry for his mother's death, impersonally sprung upon him. He reacts naturally rather than behaving according to social law. His unintentional, honest refusal to adhere to social law labels him as an outsuder in society. His definition of self comes from the honesty of his emotion.

Crime and Punishment

In Dostoevsky's novel Crime and Punishment Rodya is defined by his guilt. His guilt over Alonya's murder changes his behavioral patterns and his outlook on the world. He adopted the beliefs of nihilism and untilitarianism to define who he was and after the murder quickly realized he was not the super-human he believed himself to be. His guilt closes him off from other people and makes him paranoid. He fears every person he meets suspects him of murder which feeds his guilt and paranoia. Rodya defines himself by his actions and his projections of people's reactions. Murdering the pawnbroker racks him with guilt. His guilt drives him to believe people view him with suspicion when that suspicion is often only in his head. Rodya's paranoia manifests physically so that his behavior becomes more eractic and the suspicion he imagined becomes reality; people really do begin to suspect him of murder. The murder becomes all Rodya can think about - who he is.
When Rodya seeks redemption for his crimes his definition of self changes. He sees the importance of relying on other people and on faith if he wants to overcome his destructive guilt. He is not the super-human he hoped to be, so he must re-define himself. Rodya's relationship with Sonia opens him to faith. His relationship with her eventually leads him to acknowledge the guilt he felt in murdering a woman. He becomes a more spiritual and dependent person as opposed to a solitary introvert. Rodya defines himself based on the strong relationship he develops with Sonia through the course of Dostoevsky's novel.