An essay is presented on author Panaït Istrati's decision to use the French language as his primary medium of composition. It states that all of Istrati's works are written in French which he regards as the language that expressed the Rights of Man and Citizen and the Revolution. It examines the ways in which his choice formed his reputation as a writer and as a person. It profiles Istrati who was born a peasant and deprived himself of food to be able to buy books.