why doesn't meursault need a lawyer

Meursault still does not know whether or not a lawyer is necessary, for a lawyer still seems superfluous; we know Meursault killed an Arab and he knows that he killed an Arab. He is confronted with legal mechanics and is a stranger in this new world, without any knowledge of this foreign, legalistic environment.

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What is the role of Meursault's lawyer?

At the novel’s outset, Meursault’s indifference seems to apply solely to his understanding of himself. Aside from his atheism, Meursault makes few assumptions about the nature of the world around him. However, his thinking begins to broaden once he is sentenced to death. After his encounter with the chaplain, Meursault concludes that the ...

What does the magistrate promise to do to help Meursault?

Feb 11, 2010 · Naturally, Meursault's lawyer has no intention of allowing Meursault to casually argue himself into a conviction, so he does what he can to manipulate Meursault's statements, as well as those of...

What is Meursault’s attitude toward the world?

Summary: Chapter 1. Meursault has been arrested and thrown into jail for murdering the Arab. Meursault’s young, court-appointed lawyer visits him in his cell and informs him that investigators have checked into Meursault’s private life and learned that he “show [ed] insensitivity” on the day of Madame Meursault’s funeral.

Was Meursault sad at his mother’s burial?

Meursault wakes alone on Sunday morning, bothered because he "hates Sundays." He sleeps till noon, smokes, and then spends the afternoon people watching on his balcony. He sees waves of families walking. When the crowds thin out, he assumes the matinée shows have begun. In the evening, he watches soccer fans returning from the stadiums ...

Why is the lawyer upset with Meursault?

Summary: Chapter 1 The lawyer asks if Meursault was sad at his mother's burial, and Meursault responds that he does not usually analyze himself. He says that though he probably did love his mother, “that didn't mean anything.” The lawyer departs, disgusted by Meursault's indifference to his mother's death.

What is Meursault's impression of his lawyer?

Meursault thinks his lawyer is inexperienced and less talented than the prosecutor. 9.May 5, 2015

What does Meursault feel his lawyer thinks about him?

Meursault feels that his lawyer defended him during the trial as best he could. he wants to spend his last minutes on earth alone and in quiet reflection. he doesn't believe in God, so this life is it.

What does the prosecutor say Meursault doesn't have?

what's the big question the magistrate finally asks Meursault? no, he has no emotions. He does not want to be bothered with religion when he doesn't care about it and he has a limited time left on earth.

Is Meursault really a threat to his society?

In displaying his indifference, Meursault implicitly challenges society's accepted moral standards, which dictate that one should grieve over death. Because Meursault does not grieve, society sees him as an outsider, a threat, even a monster.

Is Meursault guilty?

Meursault is found guilty of premeditated murder and sentenced to death by guillotine.

What about Meursault upsets and frustrates his lawyer and the magistrate?

What about Meursault upsets and frustrates his lawyer and the magistrate? He reveals that he does not believe in God. What does the magistrate use to try to break through to Meursault's feelings of remorse? He tries to use the death of his mother.

What did both lawyers plead to the jury about Meursault?

At first, Meursault finds the pleading stage and closing remarks amusing. Both lawyers plead guilty, but his attorney does it with an explanation, whereas the prosecutor does so without one. Meursault feels that all through trial, more is said about him than about the crime he committed.

How does the lawyer react to Meursault during their first meeting?

When the lawyer first meets with Meursault, he tells him that he has a good chance of getting off, if Meursault follows his advice. 5. Meursault tells the lawyer that he had been “quite fond of Mother.” 6.May 5, 2015

Why didn't Meursault take the situation with the examining magistrate seriously?

Once more, Meursault seems to have removed himself from the scene and seems to be viewing it from another point of view, watching another man answer questions in this "ordinary sitting room." He admits that he doesn't listen to the magistrate very seriously because he has read descriptions of how such examinations are ...

How does the prosecution build their case against Meursault?

Determined to portray Meursault as a cold-blooded, premeditating murderer and soulless monster unfit for society, the prosecutor builds his case around Meursault's insensitive attitude towards his mother, evidence that shouldn't properly be relevant.

Why does Meursault refuse to see the chaplain?

Against Meursault's wishes, the chaplain visits and asks why Meursault has refused to see him. Meursault reasserts his denial of God's existence. When the chaplain states that Meursault's attitude results from “extreme despair,” Meursault says he is afraid, not desperate.

Why does Meursault not grieve?

Because Meursault does not grieve, society sees him as an outsider, a threat, even a monster. At his trial, the fact that he had no reaction to his mother’s death damages his reputation far more than his taking of another person’s life. Meursault is neither moral nor immoral.

What is the indifference of Meursault?

At the novel’s outset, Meursault’s indifference seems to apply solely to his understanding of himself. Aside from his atheism, Meursault makes few assumptions about the nature of the world around him. However, his thinking begins to broaden once he is sentenced to death. After his encounter with the chaplain, Meursault concludes ...

What does Meursault mean by "indifference"?

Meursault is also honest, which means that he does not think of hiding his lack of feeling by shedding false tears over his mother’s death. In displaying his indifference, Meursault implicitly challenges society’s accepted moral standards, which dictate that one should grieve over death.

What does Meursault conclude about the chaplain?

After his encounter with the chaplain, Meursault concludes that the universe is, like him, totally indifferent to human life. He decides that people’s lives have no grand meaning or importance, and that their actions, their comings and goings, have no effect on the world.

Is Meursault amoral?

Rather, he is amoral—he simply does not make the distinction between good and bad in his own mind. When Raymond asks him to write a letter that will help Raymond torment his mistress, Meursault indifferently agrees because he “didn’t have any reason not to.”.

What happens when Meursault does not answer?

When Meursault does not answer, the magistrate waves a crucifix at him and asks if he believes in God. Meursault says no. The magistrate states that his own life would be meaningless if he doubted the existence of God, and concludes that Meursault has an irrevocably hardened soul.

How does Meursault react to his imprisonment?

For the most part, Meursault reacts to his confinement in prison with characteristic indifference. Most important, his imprisonment does not incite any guilt or regret over what he has done. As at his mother’s funeral, Meursault focuses on the practical details of his life in prison rather than on its emotional elements.

What does the magistrate do when he waves a crucifix at Meursault?

The magistrate, when he waves a crucifix at Meursault, introduces the notion that Meursault and his attitudes represent a threat to society. Meursault’s atheism and indifference to his mother’s death implicitly challenge the magistrate’s belief in a rational universe controlled by God—the belief that gives his life meaning. By associating Meursault with the devil and calling him “Monsieur Antichrist,” the magistrate attempts to categorize Meursault in terms of Christianity, the magistrate’s own belief system. The magistrate incorporates Meursault into his ordered world view and then dismisses him as evil, thereby preventing Meursault from undermining his rational structure of belief.

How does Meursault describe his first few days in prison?

Meursault describes his first few days in prison. The authorities initially put him in a cell with a number of other people, including several Arabs. Eventually, Meursault is taken to a private cell. One day, Marie comes to visit him. The visiting room is noisy and crowded with prisoners and their visitors. Marie wears a forced smile, and tells Meursault that he needs to have hope. She says she believes that he will be acquitted, and that they will get married and go swimming. Meursault, however, seems more interested in the mournful prisoner sitting beside him, whose mother is visiting. Marie leaves, and later sends a letter stating that the authorities will not allow her to visit Meursault anymore because she is not his wife.

What happened in Chapter 1 of Madame Meursault?

Summary: Chapter 1. Meursault has been arrested and thrown into jail for murdering the Arab. Meursault’s young, court-appointed lawyer visits him in his cell and informs him that investigators have checked into Meursault’s private life and learned that he “show [ed] insensitivity” on the day of Madame Meursault’s funeral.

What does Meursault stop himself from saying?

Meursault stops himself from apologizing, thinking, "it didn't mean anything. Besides, you always feel a little guilty.". They still go to the movies. They feel each other up in the theater and Marie goes back to Meursault's apartment. Meursault again startles those around him by failing to match social expectation.

Why is Marie startled by Meursault?

Marie (embodying conventional social norms) is startled because she expects someone who just buried his mother to be mourning and serious, not horsing around at the beach and watching comedies.