Journal #2: The Stranger

Option 2:  I think Camus chose to write The Stranger in first person because then the narration can reveal more about how Meursalt thinks.  Since his unique viewpoints and ways of reasoning are important in this novel, that was a wise choice.  Camus is able to use literary techniques to characterize Meursalt through the way he thinks.  For example, many of the sentences are choppy and to the point.  This reveals that Meursalt is very direct and logical in the way that he thinks, and doesn't devote time to the lengthy process of assessing emotions.  A problem of this analysis, however, is the fact that the book is a translation.  The lack of accuracy and necessary objectiveness when translating a piece of writing can really change our perception of Meursalt, especially in our view of how he thinks.  So in conclusion, Camus made a wise choice in writing in first person in order to reveal the thought processes of Meursalt, but this effect breaks down once it is translated due to inaccuracies in sentence structure that come with translation.