This question is brought up in Albert Camus' The Strangers. Within in the novel, the main character Meursault commits a murder. Now this action would seem to classify Meursault as an evil person; however, throughout the rest of the novel Meursault never seems to change after committing his murder. He seems to be the same strange person.
During his trial, in which Meursault is attacked constantly by the prosecuting lawyer, Meursault seems unaffected. Even the people closest to him attempt to defend Meursault as a person that would not purposefully commit a murder. Even when the guilty verdict is delivered, Meursault seems unaffected; in fact he even describes himself as just being tired.
The Stranger seems to argue that the actions of an individual does not define their identity. However, because the character was so strange the novel also begs the question: was The Stranger just an exception to the rule?
