Justice and The Fall

considerations since journalistic and novelistic prose

Abstract

This article has as a goal the study of the Algerian writer and journalist Albert Camus’s thought regarding the idea of justice, seeking to answer the question: about which justice did Camus speak? Situated, therefore, at the interface between the subareas of Journalism and Literature, the study sought, in The fall and in four of his journalistic writings in the newspaper Combat, elements that, either by novelistic fiction or journalistic essayism, provide evidence that would enable the interpretation. Therefore, a reconstitution of fundamental aspects of Camus' biography was made through an extensive bibliographical research in order to faithfully describe his life trajectory. Later, an effort was made to present important time frames (such as the Nazi invasion of France) and the role he played as a subject who intervened in the public debate, that is, public intellectual. As a result, it is known that Camus addressed, in his journalistic writings, the issue of justice under two distinct biases: (1) as historical reparation to the social injustices present at a given time and (2) as responsibility in relation to the collectivity —it is perceived that, in both situations, the public character is common denominator. This intertwined with the novel in question brings to light that Camus elaborates subtle criticisms amid the narrative while at the same time formulating a new reflection, however, of individual character. In other words, in The Fall, the writer raises, through different representations, appreciation of the relationship of the individual with the social injustice that has spread through public life.