Student Question
What crime has the Arab in "The Guest" committed?
Quick answer:
In "The Guest," the Arab has committed the crime of murdering his cousin. The murder occurred during a "family squabble" over grain, where the Arab used a billhook to kill his cousin. Although the Arab does not formally admit to the crime, he neither denies it nor offers much explanation, simply stating, "He ran away. I ran after him." After hiding for a month, he was captured and brought to Daru.
In "The Guest," the Arab has murdered his cousin. Though the details of this crime are sketchy, Balducci states that the Arab killed his cousin as a result of a "family squabble" in which one man owed some grain to the other. In the ensuing conflict, the Arab killed the man with a billhook, a tool that has a sickle-shaped blade.
While the story contains no formal admission of his guilt, the Arab does not deny the murder to Daru nor does he provide much information about his motivation. When asked why he did it, for instance, the Arab simply states:
"He ran away. I ran after him."
After hiding for one month, the Arab was arrested and this is how he came to be in the custody of Balducci and, later, of Daru.
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