The Trial (Chapter 3-4)

A year passed and it was summer again. Meursalt's trial began. Before the judge came in he looked around and his non understandable thoughts began. When he was walking in and saw the journalists, the jury and all of the rest of the people in the room he thought: "I had just one impression: I was sitting across from a row of seats on a street car and all this anonymous passengers were looking over new arrival to see if they could find something funny about him" (page 83). I think it is very strange that he is not thinking how nervous or uncomfortable he is. Those would be the thoughts of a normal man because this trial is going to define the rest of his life. But Mersalt was just fine.

He felt something only once, after the director of the home was interrogated. "He then asked the prosecutor if he had any questions to put to the witness, and the prosecutor exclaimed 'Oh no, that is quite sufficient!' with such a glee and with such a triumphant look in my direction that for the first time in years I had the stupid urge to cry, because I could feel how much all these people hated me" (page. 89-90). This reaction is not very common in this character, and he did not show it again, on the contrary he began to fade away because it was a hot day and he was tired. His neighbors were called as witnesses and they all spoke decently about him. But this wasn't very useful anyways. Then Mary spoke and made it even worst because it was incredible that Meursalt went to the beach and was with a woman the day after her mother was buried.

When the closing speeches were given by the prosecutor and by his lawyer. Meursalt thought the prosecutor's was better. "He reminded the court of my insensitivity; of my ignorance when asked Maman's age; of my swim the next day-with a woman; of the Fernandel movie; and finally of my taking Marie home with me."(page. 99). His lawyer tried to defend by saying he was an honest, hard working man, but this was not enough Meursalt was declared guilty of premeditated murder.