Stranger Journal 3

The title of The Stranger is interesting because of the differences in translation and their various connotations. Here in the United States, stranger definitely has a negative connotation as opposed to foreigner or outsider which although they could have negative connotations, don't necessarily have dangerous ones. Stranger is often associated with "stranger danger" or needing to have some type of caution or beware of strangers. They're definitely seen as threatening, menacing, foreboding, or dangerous.
Foreigner is an interesting concept that shifts the perception of the story. Foreigner suggests, rather than just a person that you don't personally know who could potentially be dangerous, but that the person does not belong in the certain area regardless of your personal relationship to him. This takes on some ties to the Pied-Noirs and European occupation of Algeria since all Europeans could have been seen as "foreigners". It could also suggest that Mersault is a foreigner in his world, or that he doesn't belong there or doesn't fit in. Foreigner is a little more mysterious and in depth about his character and not belonging to the world around you.
The outsider is a softer word compared to Foreigner and stranger. I don't like this one as much because I don't find it as interesting. The outsider suggests that there is a specific group of people and someone infiltrates the group or is in some way not part of this group. Again this could relate to the social aspect of the times about how the Europeans were outsiders in Algeria and how Mersault is an outsider in this community and with Raymonds friends or with the Arabs.
I'm not sure which title I like best, but I do think that the selection of one of those three titles slightly changes the focus and some of the themes of the novel as a whole because of their different connotations.
I also find it interesting that he chose this title of stranger, or foreigner or outsider or whichever. It must be in reference to Mersault since he is the main character, but it has so many other connotations as well. Also, the title itself "The Stranger" is a bit contradictory or paradoxical because "stranger" by definition is someone unspecific, undefined, their just a stranger. "A" stranger. but "The" stranger, implies that the person in specific, using the word the implies that there is one particular person, one specific person, that is the focus. Which kind of defeats the purpose of stranger. I think that's pretty cool since Camus plays a ton in this novel with contradictions.