Part One:
I think that Matthew Ward has the most literary value. He uses short descriptions that are not as dynamic as Gilbert’s and I think that this is how Camus intended the novel to be. Ward’s descriptions seemed to portray the character of Meursault in a more accurate way than Gilbert’s because Ward’s were much more methodical and blunt. This means that I place value in the characterization of Meursault and the narrative voice throughout the novel. I think that Camus intended the reader to see Meursault as distanced from his surroundings. Ward kept a French influence in his writing by including “Maman” and kilometers so I feel like he is a more reliable translator than Gilbert. Because Gilbert changed these things it makes me question what else he changed.
Part Two:
When reading through the novel during the summer, I could not figure out why it was titled The Stranger. I think that The Outsider would be a much better title. Throughout the entire book it feels as if Meursault is an outsider. I also think that this could reference the Arab man as well because he was a person of a different ethnicity in France. One of example of where Meursault takes on the feel of an outsider is at the vigil for his mother. Meursault feels out of place with all of his mother’s friends and wants the woman to stop crying. The feeling I got was one that he didn’t want to be there and that made me feel as if he was an outsider among those people.
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