Discussion Topic
Summary and Conclusion of "The Guest" by Albert Camus
Summary:
"The Guest" by Albert Camus is set in a French Algerian colony during a time of rebellion and explores themes of choice and responsibility. Daru, a schoolteacher, is ordered to escort an Arab prisoner to jail but resists involvement in political conflicts. He treats the Arab as a guest and offers him a choice between jail and freedom. The Arab chooses jail, but Daru faces retribution from the Arab's comrades despite his efforts to act honorably.
What is the summary and conclusion of "The Guest"?
In the story, "The Guest," Daru, a teacher living alone on a desert plain in a French province, is required (as this is a time of rebellion in his country) to escort an Arab who has committed murder, to the nearby jail.
Daru does not want to be involved in the politics, the hate, and fighting of men. He simply wants to abide in peace, living a spartan and humble existence, teaching his small class of students.
Daru admits he will fight for his country, but refuses to take the man to jail. In fact, while the Arab stays with him, Daru treats him more like a guest than a criminal.
At the end of "The Guest," Daru packs provisions for the man and takes him to the crossroads, telling him in which direction the jail lies, and what he will find in the other direction: most importantly,...
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his freedom.
However, the Arab finally chooses the road to the jail. When Daru returns home, he finds a threat on the chalkboard because the Arab's comrades blame Daru for taking the Arab to jail, when, ironically, Daru has treated him like a brother and done what he was able to do in order save him.
What is the setting of "The Guest" by Albert Camus?
"The Guest" is set somewhere in the countryside of the French colony of Algeria. Daru, the protagonist, is a school teacher who teaches students from nearby villages in his solitary schoolhouse located on a high plateau in a mountainous part of the country. The story takes place in his schoolhouse and along the road to Tinguit. The region is undergoing a devastating drought and famine that has caused numerous deaths. To make matters worse, in recent days a heavy snowstorm has covered the area with deep snow. This storm is symbolic in some ways as it foreshadows the coming dangers and is representative of Daru's unsettled feelings.
It is important to look at this short story in its broader historical context. "The Guest" is set during the 1950s. This was a time when European empires were falling apart in the aftermath of World War II. Independence movements were taking place, including in the French colony of Algeria. Algeria fought and won a war for independence against France which lasted from 1954 to 1962. Although the story does not deal directly with the Algerian struggle for independence, the tension between the French authorities and the local Arab population is an important part of its plot.