Camus The Guest

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My first impression of Albert Camus’ “The Guest” was that the guests were the two men coming up the hill. As Daru watches them come up the hill, one on horseback and one walking, is that he was describing them broadly because he didn’t know who they were. He could only assume things he got from observations, such as that one man knew the region because he knew where the path was supposed to be under all of the snow. However, as the men grow closer, he recognizes one of them as a gendarme (an armed police officer) named Balducci; other other is an unfamiliar Arab. But who the title truly refers to is the unnamed Arab. Once Balducci explains the situation and his orders, he leaves, expecting Daru to follow this with no hesitation. I think this story is titled “The Guest” instead of “The Prisoner” or something similar is because of …show more content…

We can see the contrast between Balducci and Daru’s actions towards the man. Whenever the Arab is in Balducci’s custody, the Arab squatted by the stove as though he knew he wasn’t supposed to sit anywhere else (The Guest, pg. 238). Daru treated the Arab like a human being, bringing him a glass even while he was still tied up and squatting on the teachers platform. Daru offered him tea, which might seem like a small gesture, but in a story where Arabs and the French were at war, such an act of kindness is uncommon. After Balducci leaves, Daru treats the Arab like a friend who had been invited into his home. By refusing to tie him up after Balducci leaves, Daru is showing that he has humanity for the Arab. He provides for him much like you would for a friend spending the night for fun: he cooks breakfast, provides a bed, and makes dinner. While dining, he even lets the Arab eat his fill first and when questioned why he was eating with the Arab, he simply states that he was hungry (The Guest, pg.

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