In the book “The Stranger”, Albert Camus portrays Meursault, the main character, as someone who shows indifference to the moral standards set by society. Because of this indifference, he does not limit his actions based on what society would think of him. Therefore, his inability to abide by the norms of society, as seen when he is interviewed by the magistrate, during his case in court and when he “talks to the magistrate, leads to his downfall. Meursault's inability to adapt to society's guidelines begins to lead to his downfall, as seen when he speaks to the magistrate. During the interview the magistrate asked him why he had fired further shots at a body that was already dead on the ground. Meursault thought for a while and “once again, [he could] see the red sand and feel the heat of the sun on [his] forehead. But this time [he] didn't respond. (67)” He was able to describe the location of the shooting, but could not provide a rational explanation for why he shot the body. This shows that he most likely acted on his physical instincts, as he could vividly describe the shooting scene, but could not describe any rational motive. Not being able to justify his action, the magistrate asks him: “Why? You have to tell me. Why? (68)” This question of “why” shows that the society Meursault lives in places emphasis on reasoning. Since Meursault had acted on instinct, he had no rational reason to explain his pause between shots and remained silent. However, the magistrate misinterprets this silence and instead assumes that Meursault does not want to share the reason, causing him to zealously preach to Meursault about God, and why he believes Meursault needs... middle of paper... ...dead . When Meursault states that he does not believe in God, he is branded “Monsieur Antichrist”, compared to the devil. Subsequently, the trial paints a false picture of his life, based on his previous actions. Although those actions were committed due to his physical instincts, he was seen as a monster engaged in despicable activities after his mother's death. Finally, during his “friendly” conversation with the chaplain, he tries to explain to the chaplain why he lives the way he does. Instead, he was seen assaulting the chaplain, and the chaplain ignored his point, instead “pitying” him for not seeing things the way his society saw them. Due to his divergence from the norm, Meursault loses his trial and appeal and can be presumed to be executed. Works Cited Camus, Albert. The stranger. Trans. Matthew Ward. Alfred A. Knopf. Inc., 1988.