The Guest
"The Guest" is set on a plateau in Algeria, the story shows that despite which role one plays; every person has the right to equal treatment. There are those of us who choose our own faith, facing our own fears, making our own decisions, and finding our own paths, while some take the easier way and allow others to choose all of that for them. The story's setting in Algeria gives the reader a sensation of being isolated from the world." This is the way it was: bare rock covered three quarters of the region. Towns sprang up, flourished, then disappeared: men came by loved one another or fought bitterly, then died. None in the dessert, neither he or his guest mattered" (Camus 4). Camus tries to show that a human can separate himself from society and survive on his own becoming whole within himself. Beginning with Balducci, the gendarme who brings a prisoner into Daru's custody, forcing him into Daru's custody shows the unwanted and unrequested obligations which Balducci is throwing upon him to make it easier on himself. Although Daru does not wish to take the prisoner because he feels it to be dishonorable, he reconsiders when the Arab asks him to come: The Arab didn't move. He called to Daru: "Tell me!" The schoolmaster looked a
We can see that Balducci faces a major dilemma with his inner morals when he openly states to Daru that he is uncomfortable with his role of law-maker: "You don't get used to putting a rope on a man even after years of it, and you're even ashamed of it- yes ashamed" (Camus, 4). Here we see that Balducci fails as an existentialist because he refuses to deal with the conflict within himself. He continues to follow orders and obey the beliefs of others on the contrary to following his own desires and beliefs and concludes that he must continue in his role because... " You can't let them have their way" (Camus, 4). He states this referring to the Algerian people on whom he dictates the law to. Balducci makes an inauthentic choice as he continues in his role; instead of leaving he ignores his inner morals defying what he truly feels inside and longs for. This way is the easy way, he looks to others to give him orders instead of following his own orders: "Those are orders" (Camus, 3). There we can see that whatever they tell him to do is not a question to him and how just by following orders Balducci, in a sense is letting others decide his fate for him, losing the great power we humans are born with, which is our freedom. Freedom to choose and freedom to think for ourselves... many people feel threatened by this freedom and instead of treasuring it they take it for granted or instead wish to give it up because they believe that life is easier in that way. Balducci, refusing to choose his own path is a great example of that. He follows laws set by others without even questioning them: " But you must sign, that's the rule" (Camus, 4). Camus here demonstrates to the reader how external forces govern his life, order him to do things he is against and lead him to a path in his own life which he is not congruent with. This is one of the reasons why he has very little control over his life, over his fate, and in the decisions, which he makes. As an excuse, Balducci tries to justify and tries to blame the war for forcing people into actions that they maybe "normally" would not take, He later says to Daru: "In war time people do all kinds of jobs" (Camus, 2); trying to encourage and make some se
Some common words found in the essay are:
Daru Tell, Balducci Daru, Arab Daru, Daru Arab, , Beginning Balducci, Arab French, Suddenly Daru, Moreover Daru, choose own, camus 4, Arab Arab, camus 3, camus 2, choose own path, own path, camus 4 camus, french authorities, beliefs choose, deliver arab, 4 camus, prisoner share, beliefs choose own,
Approximate Word count = 1482
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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