The Guest
...elves as moral beings. The short story I am going to present is a clear reflection of Camus’s thoughts and believes. “The Guest” tells of an encounter between a French Algerian schoolteacher and an Arab prisoner on the eve of the Algerian uprising against the colonialism of France. The story emphasizes many of the Camus’s most characteristics themes: Individual alienation, freedom, the value of human life, responsibility, the difficulty of moral choices, and the ambiguity of actions. An idealistic school teacher, of French origin Daru is presented with a situation that forces him to make many unsettling decisions when ordered to deliver the Arab prisoner to the authorities. From the beginning after the prisoner is with him, Daru treats him as a guest, not as a prisoner, and decides not to judge the Arab for the crime he has committed. He also believes that each person is free to make moral choices that give meaning to his/her life. The Arab who was accused of killing his cousin in a family squabble must be brought to justice and this responsibility is thrust upon Daru by Balducci the gendarme, who lives the prisoner under his custody. In spite of risking hurting his friend, Daru refuses to accept Balducci’s orders “I will not hand him over” he tells Balducci. (Classics of Western Thoughts, pg330). Daru despises the Arab for the crime he had committed, but to hand him over was against his honor. At this moment he is upset at everyone, even his fellow French Algerians who have put him in a difficult situation by not only sending him this Arab, but by also asking him to bring the prisoner to the authorities. Daru does not want to get involved; he does not want to be seen as taking any sides, because there are consequences to whatever he chooses to do. If he is perceived a helping the Arabs, he will be considered a traitor. If he is perceived as helping the French, he will become a target. Whether or not he likes it, he needs to deal with the situation and must soon make a decision. Daru feels that the prisoner is the one, who has and should make the choice about his future, and as such he gives him two choices: Freedom versus Death. He shows the Arab two paths; one will bring him to freedom, the o...