Undoubtedly, there is always a consequence to every action one makes. “The Guest,” by Albert Camus illustrates that no matter what choice someone chooses to make, or not to make, someone at some point will indisputably be affected. Throughout the story, each character is forced to make a decision at one point or another that affects someone else. This is best shown through the conflicts of the three characters, the setting, and the irony in all. “The Guest,” by Albert Camus is set at a school house that is in a secluded desert area. The first character introduced is Daru. This place at this time had just been through a long drought, and is now experiencing an extreme snowstorm. Daru lives better than most in the area, and receives a certain amount of wheat each week for himself. Being a thoughtful man, Daru rations his wheat to the poor village children to bring home to their families during the harsh conditions because none of their families are able to cultivate anything. One day at the schoolhouse, Daru noticed a horse and two men far off in the distance. As these men started approaching, Daru realized that one of the men (the one on horseback) he knew, and the other was an Arab prisoner who is being taken to prison for murdering his cousin because he ran away with his food. Balducci is the man Daru knows, an elderly military man, bringing a prisoner to Tinguit. As the two men came closer, Daru invited them inside to get warm, and then proceeded to make them tea. As they converse, Daru finds that Balducci wants him to finish the journey, taking the Arab to Tinguit. At first Daru thinks that Balducci is joking, when in reality, he is serious. Daru refused to take the Arab, but doe... ... middle of paper ... ...e killed, which in turn will create an outrage among his people. This also will give them the spirit to start fighting for their rights. After all, it is their home; the French are just occupying it, which makes them feel as if they have all of the power. There really is always a consequence to every action someone makes. Camus’ story clearly exemplifies that no matter what choice someone chooses to make, someone else will be affected. As shown, throughout the story, each character is forced to make a decision at one point or another that affects someone else. Balducci’s choice was risky and could consequent in the loss of his job, Daru’s decision to let the Arab choose himself ended well, and the Arab’s decision benefited his people. All three characters, in all different ways, made decisions that resulted in some sort of alternate consequence.
In Albert Camus’ novel The Stranger, a young man named Mersault lives his life differently than the expectations of society and does not seem to see a purpose in life. His character implies that life is meaningless and living just like everyone else in society prevents individuals from discovering the true meaning of life. Camus famously stated: “You will never be able to be happy if you continue to search what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of lie. Most readers of the novel immediately misjudge Mersaults’ character as they begin to read the first paragraph of the novel, which begins with his being informed about his mother’s death and funeral. Due to the fact that Mersaults’ character seems unaffected emotionally by his mother’s death, he is immediately looked negatively by readers. There are possibilities that Mersault reacts this way such as him not seeing the point in life or death. He does not seem to care about anything around him and has not yet discovered the purpose in his life. Mersault’s indifference from the people around him makes him seem like a guilty man under certain circumstances. Because of his carelessness he ends up killing an Arab man for no reason and finding himself in jail. His character does not regret his actions and is immediately seen as a greater victim when the judge and jury hear witnesses testify about how he reacted to the death of his mother. After he is found guilty he spends the last few months of his life locked behind bars and surrounded by nothing but four walls. Camus is conveying that Mersault finally discovers his purpose in life right before it is about to end along with discovering his true self when he is isolated in the jail cell and away...
Daru initiated the Arab morning commute from the schoolhouse an accompanies him on the road for several hours—Until the road divided into two directions. Daru hands him a package of food and money for two days. Daru turns the Arab around and points to two possible directions. If he goes east, he will reach the police headquarters and be punished. If he goes south, he will find the nomads, who will protect him in accordance with their laws of hospitality. Daru starts his return journey and turns to see which direction the Arab has chosen. In the end, given the choice between the road to the prisoner where he would surly be punished or the road to the nomads and freedom, the Arab chooses the road, toward the prison headquarters. Daru returns to his schoolhouse and finds a warning written on the blackboard: “You've handed over our brother. You will pay for this.”(Camus 109.)
The Existentialists say man is free to choose yet the choice and having to choose is inevitable and this is seen in The Guest where the Arab is forced into Daru’s life so thrusting upon him the crossroad of what to do with the Arab, either turn him in or let him go. In Existentialist belief due to the exact same choice man is always anxious and hesitant, not knowing whether his choice is proper or not, is it accepted by others or not, and this is seen so clearly again by the simple repetition of the word “hesitation” and its other forms in the story:
The Stranger by Albert Camus is a story of a sequence of events in one man's life that cause him to question the nature of the universe and his position in it. The book is written in two parts and each part seems to reflect in large degree the actions occurring in the other. There are curious parallels throughout the two parts that seem to indicate the emotional state of Meursault, the protagonist, and his view of the world.
...ventures on a dangerous journey to mollify some of the regret Amir has inside of him. Thusly he finally gains his courage and stands up for what is just. After thirty-eight years of disappointment and regret, he finally made his father proud.
However, three ethical decisions that this learning will make after viewing the film is to always assist individual to the best of your ability, despite personal issues with loved ones or friends; next, always report crimes, no matter the consequence they may have; and last but not least, stand up for what’s right, even if it leads to misfortune. The pros of each of these decisions is peace within yourself. However, one of the cons is dealing with negative pressures. For example, when you report a crime, you may be summoned to court, and have to deal with the negative criticism.
As shown in the book hasty decisions lead to bad things. William Shakespeare has also mentioned this multiple times. There are numerous examples of this in his play Romeo and Juliet. Nevertheless impulsive choices make up most of this well known writing. These decisions are made by various characters and in different ways.
The two stories I chose are A&P by John Updike and Araby by James Joyce. Both stories tell a tale of social and philosophical differences of middle class adolescent boys, when compared to the adults in the stories.
...inal moments. Secondly, by embracing his fate, he gains a sense of compassion from the reader, who, by default, will begin to feel pity for this tortured soul. Morally, it would be impossible to judge this sort of act "evil," but also equally difficult to label it "good." Again, this is Camus' personal philosophy emerging through his literature, almost seeming to beg the audience not to pronounce judgment.
One cannot just choose to ignore, one cannot just choose to observe and still do nothing, and one cannot just simply walk away. The reader is taught the momentous moral of not being a bystander, the importance of moral responsibility, and the great significance of learning to overcome the ethical issues in society.
Consequences come from choices individuals make, such as waking up in the morning at a specific time in order to avoid traffic. However, even if the decisions are not made by the individual, they still have to suffer the consequences of those decisions made by others. Take, for instance, the choice that someone makes to drink and drive while under the influence. If that person kills someone, then his decision impacts the lives of everyone involved and not just himself. A theme in Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger, is that people must accept the consequences of their actions because it influences the direction they go in life. This theme is developed through the character of Jeremiah, the conflict between Davy and the law, and the symbolism in the title of the novel.
Life can be changed by a decision made during a single moment. Despite the natural gifts of courage or intelligence of a person, a single mistake can isolate him from the rest of society. In one case this can be cause by public conception. The public believes that this person is morally inferior and singles out that person for ridicule. However, it can also be self-imposed isolation. Either way, that person cannot rejoin his society until he has redeemed himself.
The Stranger written by Albert Camus is an absurdist novel revolving around the protagonist, Meursault. A major motif in the novel is violence. There are various places where violence takes place and they lead to the major violent act, which relates directly to the theme of the book. The major violent act of killing an Arab committed by Meursault leads to the complete metamorphosis of his character and he realizes the absurdity of life.
The Stranger by Albert Camus focuses largely on the concept of absurdism. Camus uses family and personal relationships, or the lack of it thereof, to show the isolation that the main character, Meursault, undergoes in the novel and it’s effect on him overall. Camus utilizes the protagonists’ character development as a tool to further his plot of the novel. The absence of family and personal relationships tied in with the particular recurring topics of the novel are crucial in both the development of the protagonists’ characters as well as the plot as it affects the portrayal of the main character.
Throughout “Araby”, the main character experiences a dynamic character shift as he recognizes that his idealized vision of his love, as well as the bazaar Araby, is not as grandiose as he once thought. The main character is infatuated with the sister of his friend Mangan; as “every morning [he] lay on the floor in the front parlour watching her door…when she came on the doorstep [his] heart leaped” (Joyce 108). Although the main character had never spoken to her before, “her name was like a summons to all [his] foolish blood” (Joyce 108). In a sense, the image of Mangan’s sister was the light to his fantasy. She seemed to serve as a person who would lift him up out of the darkness of the life that he lived. This infatuation knew no bounds as “her image accompanied [him] even in places the most hostile to romance…her name sprang to [his] lips at moments in strange prayers and praises which [he] did not understand” (Joyce 109). The first encounter the narrator ex...