When does a positive personality trait become a tragic flaw? Although it may be difficult to shine light on a positive character trait of the main character of Albert Camus' The Stanger, Meursault, his honesty had been leading him down a path of a nice, simple life.
Meursault's desire to always say the honest truth started out as what could have been seen as a positive personality trait. Honesty is something coveted in our society, but usually to the extent of truthfulness to live in peace. Once telling the truth would hurt feelings or have other confrontational problems, people tend to jump the truth ship. Meursault wasn't afraid to enter confrontational territory at the sake of telling the truth. Although some would consider this trait a flaw, his honesty brought him the life that he liked; a patterned life that didn't include any unwanted characters.
Unfortunately, when Meursault's trial begins, his honesty betrays him. His completely honest answers are what lead him to his death.
Why did this positive personality trait become a tragic flaw? In this case, it was the circumstance that caused the change. If Meursault's life had continued down its path of normalcy, his honesty would have kept him in his patterned life. However, since he made a drastic decision to change his normal course of life, his honesty turned and betrayed him in court.
From what I read, I could not decipher a change in his mental state regarding his honesty when he shot a man. Often, positive traits turn tragic when the protagonist has a mental insight of him/herself when there is a change in their life. However, when Meursault's life changed, he did not seem to change his mind set or his thinking about his own honesty. It seems that the only aspect that caused his honesty to turn from positive to tragic is the circumstances in which his honesty was tested.
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