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.