The Guest | Exile from the Kingdom: A Political Rereading of Albert Camus
In the following excerpt, Tarrow offers an
interpretation of Camus’ ‘‘The Guest,’’ particularly
in regard to the motifs of Colonialism and the
character of Daru. Tarrow also examines Camus’
use of imagery.
Daru, the protagonist of ‘‘The Guest’’ [is a misfit in the landscape]. The ambiguity of the title word, l’hote, meaning both ‘‘guest’’ and ‘‘host,’’ and of which meaning should be applied to which character, is resolved by the landscape. Paul Fortier has shown how the landscape and its changing aspects offer an interpretation of historical events and of moral values (‘‘Decor,’’ pp. 535–42). Daru believes himself in harmony with the natural world around him. But it is an illusion. The sun is dominant during the drought, ‘‘the plateaus...
[The entire page is 1365 words long]
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