The JUSTICE Machine

This novel is a very serious man versus man case that is not necessarily Meursault versus the Arab but Meurault versus the world in a twisted dream in which he is not tried by his crime…. or is he?

His character is put on trial, not the actions that landed him in court. We see that in the eyes of the jury, his personality and demeanor seem to be a crime in itself. They serve looks to him, laugh at him, seem to cringe when he confesses that he smoked at his mothers funeral. The jury in this novel, and the courtroom as a whole may represent society as a whole. Society wants Meursault to act like everyone else, society wants everyone to blend in and be approachable, and nice, and fit this cookie cutter shape of what a man and his feelings should be. But Meursault doesn’t do this,and this makes the jury very uncomfortable. Could his indifference and “defiance” be the crime punishable by death?

Is his unique display of grief and a lack of emotion that makes the jury squirm in their seats something that defines a monster? Maybe it is the advertisement of this man as a monster that convinces the jury of his undeniable guilt of not being just a murderer, but of being cold, and soul-less. Is it that because Meursault does not fit into the cookie cutter of society’s expectation of behavior, he was condemned even before he killed the Arab? 

The death of the Arab, though the catalyst for his confinement, is not what Meursault is being punished for, and he seems to know it. He never considers the family of the Arab, or apologizes, or thinks much of it at all even during the trial. Perhaps if he had committed some other crime, his peers would find him to be unsatisfactory, and punish him severely for his crime against the French people. The crime which is not so much his transgression versus the law, but his transgression versus acceptable behavior. Behavior that is not ridiculously unacceptable in the context it was performed in, however when compiled it creates a person who is so inhuman that the jury feels no empathy for the man who is grieving the most, or perhaps, as some people have argued, not feeling anything at all. 

I find it even more concerning to think that Meursault was in grief while he was free. When someone is grieving, the react uniquely, and no one is supposed to judge how you react because it is so unique and personal, however by judging Meursault’s grief by determining he is emotionless, the strip from him the one thing that made him seem human to the jurors, and drive the verdict towards guilt without even considering the fact that grief can drive people to depression and blackouts and a plethora of other things that are incredibly unique. Unique is what Meursault IS and by stifling him, the jury, and society is stifling the diversity of the population. 

Samsa Inc.

An observation I made at the beginning of the novel was that the first section seems to be a sort of critique on modern corporate employment, and how it brainwashes you into succumbing to the whims of your employer over your own needs and desires. This fits pretty well with the first section, but once the chief clerk leaves Gregor’s home, not much more mention is made of his work, the focus is now on the development of the family, and his family’s work. Could it still be possible that Kafka is trying to make a comment about corporate employment even in the second and third sections? 

Though this idea is a bit of a reach, it seems to come together if you consider the family to be a company. They’ve fired Gregor (somewhat unwillingly) after his transformation into an insect. He can no longer work or provide for the wellbeing of the unit. Not that he was doing excellent work… the chief clerk states himself, “...your work has been most unsatisfactory…” 

Now that I’ve mentioned the chief clerk, let’s talk about the him for a moment here. Let’s take a brief pause. Why does he arrive to his home? Why is he so intimate with him? Without the chief clerk’s presence, Gregor’s anxieties and personality would still show through. I think it is a possibility that the chief clerk is a tool to connect home and business and emphasize more that, by being in the home with Gregor’s family as they see him for the first time after his transformation, he is taking part in a shocking, personal, family event. In that moment, he is a part of the family, and as such the family is a part of the business, and continues to function like a business after that moment. 

Back to the meaty bits of the metaphorical business that is Gregor Samsa’s heartless family :) ! Once the family accepts his insect form, once they accept that he is no longer a functional part of the family, everyone moves on. Although the story progresses over the course of several months, the recovery of the family seems ridiculously fast. His dad gets a job, his mom gets a hobby, his sister essentially replaces him, until she surpasses him. A lot like after a company fires a lousy employee, Samsa Inc. turns over a new leaf and begins to improve by hiring a new, enthusiastic, employee, Grete. As well as fixing a couple of other departments that were neglected while good old Gregor was still at work. (His father especially). 

The family company becomes successful, much more so than when Gregor was the only one working, much more so than when the faulty employee was preventing the progress of the other workers with his incompetence and mischief. 

Even at the end of the novella, the family goes on a trip, and they don’t even think about Gregor once, they’ve forgotten him because he was just another worker in the house they’ve needed to let go. 

I Give You My Love But You Don't Care

Throughout our discussions in class we’ve never really asked if Brett truly loves Jake, we just accept that she does because she says so. Originally, I decided early on that there was no way she loved him because she was so dishonest and manipulative, and Jake seemed to be somewhat irritated by her presence. His devotion to her just wasn’t reciprocated and it made me a lil sad to see Jake put himself through a relationship that was one sided. However, over time, as I saw her interact with other characters I determined that instead of there being an absence of love, the love is simply different than Jakes kind of love, and therefore partially overlooked by the character and perhaps the reader. 

Jake’s definition of love is the “most relatable” in the sense that he wants to please Brett and through her happiness, he is happy (lets put aside his temper tantrums when she’s with a guy she doesn’t think is cool). He actively attempts to set her up with guys and he helps her out of situations that have gotten out of control, which are both enormously supportive actions that set aside his pride for a moment and allow him to show that he is her friend. He wants her to feel like she has someone to lean on, which she may or may not use to her advantage. Some people take this form of taking what Jake is giving and not giving back as manipulation. 

Perhaps Brett expresses love differently than Jake and she has trouble forming the deep emotional connections that Jake craves. We know she was abused by her soon to be former husband. Abuse can lead to psychological developments that prevent an individual from connecting with others as they used to. Could her expression of love to men be based on physical appearance and ability now that her trust for them has been broken by her husband? 

Jake and Brett’s relationship began before the climax of her husband’s aggressive behavior, so they may have developed a close emotional bond. This could explain how Lady Brett and Jake’s relationship has persevered through the dramatic uproars of the novel between other characters who Brett seems to feel are not as important and just used for fun such as Cohn.  Do you think that Brett is incapable of effectively expressing her love for Jake, or is she not in love with him at all? Do you think Jake understands that Brett loves him? Does Jake feel loved? 

(Also I feel like this song really emphasizes the complexity of Jake and Brett's relationship throughout the novel take a listen if you'd like c: )