This included very finely detailed background information on her “father” (22), “mother” (22) and “brother” (23). Throughout the book, Katharina is judged by many aspects of her past like the fact that “her father was communist in disguise” (37). This part of the interrogation takes from “11:00 am to 12:30 pm” and “1:30 pm to 5:45 pm”, so nearly six hours. This is a long time for such a simple interrogation of her “crime”. The police could have gotten the same information in about an hour, but they “prolonged” (29) the interrogation to make themselves look good in the press.
The prosecutors also asked her questions about the day she met Gotten when they already knew all the information because she was “under police observation” (17). Other unnecessary details are brought up such as Katharina driving around a lot, this is completely unrelated and the police are the real criminals because they are abusing her rights by priding into her personal life that is not related to the crime. The biggest mistake made by the police is trying to change Katherina’s words during the interrogation. For example changing the word from “being amorous” to making “advances”.
In a democratic society, exact testimony is recorded because one word can make the difference between guilty and innocent. Throughout the interrogation, Katherina is treated unfairly and the reasons behind this unfairness are completely unjustified as it is in The Outsider. More time is spent on the characters of each person rather than the alleged crimes. By showing the wrongful interrogation of Meursault in The Outsider, the author portrayed a judgmental society in which if you are not accepted, than you are considered an “outsider” (cover page).
The examining magistrate gives up on helping Meursault because he does not believe in “God” (67). “All man” (68) believe in God, according to him, and if one does not, than one is considered to have a “hardened” “soul” (69). “The law” is made to make a fair society that serves justice to everyone. This is proven to be false in this novel through satirizing the courts, the investigation, the interrogation and jails. The unjust interrogation shows the audience t hat Algerian society judge based on personality rather than finding the facts to give a fair discipline the guilty instead of punishing the innocent.
In this book, the law is everything but fair for it can be argued that Meursault’s interrogation, prosecution and punishment were all based on fiction because it could have easily been a case of self defense. Boll shows the readers that Katharina is completely humiliated and wrongfully interrogated in every way possible. This portrays the fact that the law does not always go by the real facts and evidence because it is easily influenced by the thoughts and the judgment of those upholding the law.
He also portrays that society is quick to judge one’s personality by relating it to an alleged crime or by someone’s past or personality. The author shows that the suspected criminal’s life is “destroy[ed]” (41) for “every detail” (28) of their personality is put to the test rather than their innocence. Many unrelated “articles” (45) belonging to Katharina are “confiscated” (45) like “three bunches of keys” (52). Most of the evidence taken is not at all related to the crime for they do not prove anything.
This also shows that, in different parts of society like the press and the police, some people try to make themselves look good by making other look bad. Many accusations and assumptions are made to explain evidence that they “refuse” (36) to understand due to the fact that one lives life differently, like working too hard or may have a “gentlemen visitor” (31) so they try to single one out and destroy one’s life. In both novels The Outsider by Albert Camus and The Lost Honor of Katherina Blum by Heinrich Boll, the main characters are unfairly interrogated because they are judged by their way of life rather than the alleged crime.
Both authors portray this to tell the readers that society, represented by the law, is unfair and judgmental. Many times fact and fiction are confused and the wrong people are punished. “Nothing is true; everything is permitted. ” -Nietzsche Please note that the quotes used are from the corresponding books each paragraph talks aboutShow preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our International Baccalaureate World Literature section.
