The Guest by Albert Camus

Overview

• Title: The Guest
• Author: Albert Camus
• Translation: Justin O'Brien

Setting

• Location: A remote schoolhouse on a high plateau in Algeria
• Environment: Cold, snowy, barren plateau
  • Snowfall in mid-October after a long drought
  • Isolated, rugged terrain

Main Characters

• Daru: The schoolmaster
  • Lives alone in the schoolhouse
  • Feels a connection to the desolate landscape
• Balducci: An old gendarme
  • Acquainted with Daru
  • Delivers an Arab prisoner to Daru
• The Arab Prisoner: Unnamed
  • Accused of killing his cousin

Plot Summary

Arrival of Balducci and the Arab

• Daru sees Balducci and the Arab approaching the school.
• They struggle through the snow to reach the schoolhouse.
• Balducci is leading the Arab, who is bound.
• Balducci gives the prisoner to Daru with orders to take him to Tinguit.

Daru's Dilemma

• Daru is conflicted about handing over the Arab.
• He dislikes the task but is ordered by the authorities.
• Balducci is sympathetic but insists on the transfer.
• Balducci leaves the prisoner with Daru after Daru refuses to bind him.

Interaction with the Arab

• Daru feeds the Arab and offers shelter.
• The Arab is confused by Daru's kindness and asks if Daru is the judge.
• Daru clarifies his role is temporary custody.

Decision Time

• Daru treats the Arab with dignity, sharing meals and conversation.
• He gives the Arab a choice:
  • Go to the police at Tinguit.
  • Escape to freedom with the nomads.

Climactic Decision

• Daru leaves the Arab at a crossroads, providing supplies for the journey.
• He watches from a distance as the Arab walks toward Tinguit, choosing imprisonment.

Conclusion

• Daru returns to the schoolhouse.
• Finds a message on the blackboard: "You handed over our brother. You will pay for this."
• Feels isolated and misunderstood in the vast landscape he loves.

Themes

• Isolation: Physical and emotional solitude
• Moral Ambiguity: Daru's internal conflict about justice and duty
• Colonial Tensions: Implicit in the backdrop of the French-Algerian setting

Symbols

• The Plateau: Represents isolation, harshness, and indifference
• Snow: Adds to the feeling of desolation and coldness
• The Blackboard Message: Symbolizes betrayal and consequence

Important Quotes

• Daru's realization of his solitude and the vast, indifferent landscape.
• Balducci's comments illustrating the harsh realities of wartime duties.

Further Analysis

• The story explores themes of duty versus personal morals and the impacts of colonialism on identity and belonging.
• Camus illustrates the absurdity of human conditions, particularly through Daru's predicament and the open-ended moral decisions he faces.