Anarchism in Albert Camus' Short Story, "The Guest"
[[ "The Guest" is a small story which can usually be found in a
compilation of Camus' works or in a World Literature
anthology. Here, I have used the translation of "The Guest"
found in the Norton Anthology of World Literature, 5th
Edition. Since this is a critical essay on a particular
story, it assumes that the reader has read the story.
I do not believe that it will be nonsensical if you have
not read "The Guest" yet, but I do encourage you to read
the story so the ideas I put forth can be understood better
in their context. ]]
It is my firm belief that the individual is the key to understanding
human existence; further, anarchy is the key to living human existence.
I call it Individual Anarchism. After all, in the view of society, is
there anything more chaotic than for one single person simply to be him-
self? And is there any more individual philosophy within the theories
of politics than to say that there is no need for government?
I have thought about anarchism for some time, but I could not see
how it could really work. It always seemed that mankind and the world
would have to have an epiphany or Utopic conversion before people could
be free of government and societal restrictions. Then I read a small
story by Albert Camus called "The Guest". It did not really seem to say
anything novel to the world which it addressed; however, it did say
something novel to me. It opened my eyes and allowed me to understand
that Anarchy is personal; it is not a collective possibility. It rests
upon the idea of a person acting within a sphere where his existence is
not intrusive upon the existence of ano...
... middle of paper ...
.... Yet the author opens within me channels and connections of thought
I had been unable to pull together before. This is true even though much
of what I see now has always been present in my spiritual and philosophic
research. However, the last piece of the Puzzle, the one which had
fallen under the table, if not the hardest to fit into place, is always
the most rewarding to find. Maybe that is because Truth is its own
reward.
At any rate, having finished the puzzle and having looked at it for
a while, I must now unscrammable it and put it back together again. So
strange that the Labors of Sissyphus are so much fun. Still, each time
I look at the pieces, crying out to be put together, they seem so dif-
ferent. Indeed, they have fallen in a whole new pattern which I am
seeing for the very first time. What matter that they lead to the same
end?
The Fires of Jubilee, is a well written recollection of the slave insurrection led by Nathaniel Turner. It portrays the events leading towards the civil war and the shattered myth of contented slaves in the South. The book is divided into four parts: This Infernal Spirit of Slavery, Go Sound the Jubilee, Judgment Day, and Legacy.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau has been referred to as the father of the romanticism movement due to his philosophical writings challenging the status quo at the time. To help set the cultural scene surrounding him, he lived in Paris just prior to the French Revolution where turmoil was in the atmosphere. During this time in France’s history monarchs reigned, the Catholic Church was the leading religion, and those who were considered commoners were viewed as less than human. I believe Rousseau’s environment led him to ponder and write about assumptions regarding human nature, the government’s role in relation to humans, types of will people have, and educational methods. His works had some comparative and contrasting features
“No, I believe it. I know that you will fail. There is something in the universe--I don 't know, some spirit, some principle--that you will never overcome" (Orwell 269-70). Winton had explained this O’Brein after getting caught committing multiple crimes by the Party. Winton emphasized that the Party will fail. Failure will occur by the power of something in the universe, something Winston is unsure of but believes in. He believes there is some spirit, some principle that the Party will never overcome. “1984” by George Orwell and “Little Brother” by Cory Doctorow, both disprove Winton’s claim concerning some principle or spirit that the Party will never overcome.
thus know what is best not to do to someone else. (i.e. don’t need to
In the current patriarchal society, modern media – including television shows, television commercials, movies, popular magazines, and even hit songs – often portrays women as tall, thin, and beautiful with perfect skin. If not, women are being told how they can become that ideally beautiful person. From a feminist critic’s perspective, both Colbie Caillat’s song “Try” and the music video that goes along with it offer a distinctly opposite than the societal norm, but still important, message often missing in today’s media.
ABSTRACT: After 350 years of continual social transformations under the push of industrialization, capitalism, world-wide social revolutions, and the development of modern science, what reasonably remains of the traditional faith in divine transcendence and providential design except a deep-felt, almost 'ontological' yearning for transcendence? Torn between outmoded religious traditions and an ascendant secular world, the contemporary celebration of individuality only makes more poignant the need for precisely that religious consolation that public life increasingly denies. People must now confront the meaning of their lives without the assured aid of transcendent purpose and direction. The resulting sense of absence profoundly marks the contemporary world. Confronted with the theoretical problems posed by the absence of absolute values, and the historical problems posed by contemporary social movements, Camus dramatized the urgency of developing guides to humane conduct in a world without transcendence. He continued to believe that only when the dignity of the worker and the respect for intelligence are accorded their rightful place can human existence hope to realize its highest ideals, and our life find the collective meaning and purpose that alone can truly sustain us in the face of an infinite and indifferent universe.
Toni Morrisons novel 'Beloved' demonstrates how the African American people, oppressed by marginalization and racism, endure the strain of slavery even after they are liberated from it. The establishment of slavery’s horrific dehumanizing, through the estrangement of families and destitution of fundamental human rights is distinctly existent in the novel. Opposite from this setting, Morrison moves us from one location to another; with movements in time through the memories of the central characters. These characters yearn to repress the painful memories of their pasts and are often driven out from a character’s mind or contained securely within; Paul D functions by locking his memories and emotions away in his imagined “tobacco tin”. The case
“Art is not an escape, but a way of finding order in chaos, a way of confronting life” (Berry, Wendell). These were the judicious words that were once stated by American poet and educator, Robert Hayden. Despite being raised in an unstable home, moving from his family to a foster family, on top of struggling with impaired vision, Hayden found an interest in black history and poetry which would later bring him great recognition and success. And he would do so by utilizing his broad study of black history to “illuminate the American black experience” (Contemporary Authors Online). Writing of historical figures such as Frederick Douglas, Malcolm X, and Harriet Tubman, he shed light on his beliefs and went on to make history in the world of poetry.
George Orwell's 1984 had a profound effect upon the way people thought during the mid 20th century. The book signified Orwell's most complex novel which told the story of Arthur Koestler and the countless others who suffered because of the totalitarian governments in Eastern Europe (Meyers 114). When 1984 was published in 1949, the Cold War had just begun. The novel's ending was pessimistic and thus seemed as an attack on communism. The novel was also considered to be the prophecy of what would happen to the West if the communist ideology spread. The idea for writing 1984 also came from an American economist named James Burnham. Burnham predicted that if Germany had won the war, the world would be divided into three areas (Meyers 125). This idea is used by Orwell because the society in 1984 is centered around 3 areas- Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia.
One of George Orwell’s most significant goals as a writer was to receive recognition for his works. Orwell achieved his aim by projecting his political perspectives into fictional works such as 1984 and Animal Farm. His position against totalitarianism is strongly evident throughout his novels and even today Orwell’s works still seem relevant because of the fear of totalitarian governments perpetuated by the media and the recent democratic uprisings in the Middle East against dictatorial regimes. In this essay, I argue that Orwell’s reasons for writing, as he outlines them in his essay “Why I Write,” is to seek literary fame and he found that through incorporating political commentary into his writing; in doing so, Orwell successfully turns his political thoughts into a form of art. Using 1984 and D. J. Taylor’s article “Left, Right, Left, Right,” I will also discuss briefly how Orwell’s novels can apply to contemporary political situations.
How Dickens Establishes a Strong Sense of Character in the Novel Great Expectations In the novel, ‘Great Expectations’, Dickens employs a number of techniques to create a strong sense of his characters. One way in which he does this is by describing the settings in which Magwitch and Miss Havisham are placed, and using them to reflect the characters themselves. He situates both in environments that echo neglect, abandonment and decay, and both have an eerie, hostile feel about them. When introducing Magwitch’s setting, Dickens writes, “this bleak place overgrown with nettles”, whilst he says of Miss Havisham’s room, “everything within my view which ought to be white, had been white long ago, and had lost its lustre” These examples show a distinct lack of care toward the setting.
The theme in animal farm is Revolution and Corruption. Animal Farm depicts a revolution and its outcome. The character Old Major gives the animals of Manor Farm a new perspective on their life’s under Mr. Jones’ rule, which leads to a revolution and the expulsion of Mr. Jones from Manor Farm later renamed Animal Farm. Then the pigs take over because of their superior intelligence. One pig in particular, Napoleon, becomes leader of the pigs and in turn the farm. The farther along the story progresses the more corrupt Napoleon and the pigs become. They start keeping most of the food for themselves and only giving the working animals enough to stay alive. Napoleon was leader and thus had power but he continued gaining power until his power was
Every writer has that one special quirk that keeps readers coming back for more. Whether it is the humor or the characters, most authors carry their quirks from story to story. In “Shooting an Elephant,” George Orwell describes his experience of shooting an elephant. In “A Hanging,” he describes the emotions that run through him as he watches the hanging of a prisoner. Both essays have similar key ideas that identify Orwell as a writer. The results of pride and power contribute to the themes that connect his essays and identify Orwell as a descriptive writer.
In society today for the most part, people are free to speak freely, connect with friends and family and stay in touch with what’s happening in everywhere. It’s not unusual think that everyone enjoys the same rights and privileges but in reality this is not so; in some parts of the world speaking one’s mind could result in death, broadcast agencies are forced to have their reports approved and leaders strategize wars and alliances like seasoned chess players. This might all sound very disheartening but is in fact tame compared to the literacy works and ideas conjured up by English author George Orwell in his novel 1984 which depicts fictional life under the cruel and all seeing “Big Brother” regime of futuristic London. During his lifetime growing up with the examples of a Soviet Union and Nazi Germany and later through his military experiences, Orwell witnessed firsthand how easily people could be manipulated and the truth become twisted. It is for this reason that George Orwell’s novel 1984 is an important work of literature because it discusses timeless themes like democracy, censorship, and politics which have all remained highly debated topics in society today.
Sometimes reading fiction not only makes us pleasure but also brings many knowledge about history and philosophy of life. ‘The Guest’ by the French writer Albert Camus is a short story and reflects the political situation in French North Africa in 1950s. According to this story, we know the issues between the France and the Arab in Algeria, and the protagonist, Daru, refuses to take sides in the colonial conflict in Algeria. This is not a boring story, because Camus uses a suspenseful way to show the character, conflicts and symbol and irony.