The Modernist Movement was influenced by many new ideas in the fields of anthropology, psychology, philosophy, political theory, psychoanalysis, and physics. Many Post-Modernist, or Modernist writers use one or more of these fields to create either a sense of isolation, disillusionment, or fragmentation. Writer, Albert Camus utilizes Political Theory to create a sense of isolation in his story, “The Guest.” In this essay, I want to show the reader’s how Camus displays isolation by Political Theory. Daru, the main character is isolated in his schoolhouse, he prefers being alone and once a guest has arrived, he expresses his discomfort for the presence of this unwelcomed guest.
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Camus shows political theory by placing an Arab in the setting as a prisoner that is being transported for a murder of his cousin. I believe that Camus wrote “The Guest” in a time of pre-war, or during a war. He makes it evident that war is emerging by the statement that Balducci makes, “In wartime people do all kinds of jobs.” He also informs the schoolmaster, “things are brewing, it appears. There is talk of a forthcoming revolt.” Camus makes references to the French as well. Balducci, himself is a native from a French island of Sardinia. To me, I think that Camus is hinting at a war perhaps between the French nation and possibly Arab. I think that Camus is expressing maybe his own discomfort of foreigners being in his nature territory by placing Daru in this situation.
The isolation theme is exhibited through the main character Daru. Daru is comfortable at the schoolhouse because it is where he grew up, “…Daru had been born here. Everywhere else, he felt exiled.” He enjoys being alone because he only has himself to worry about. He knows that he may have visitors from time to time, and according to the text, Daru treats the guests he has with respect. When Balducci arrives with the Arab, even after Daru found out what the Arab had done, he offers the Arab a cup of tea. Once he found out that Balducci is leaving the Arab with him, he did not like this fact but Daru still provided him with shelter, food, and a bed to sleep on. The fact that Daru had a visitor pestered him however. He barely got any sleep because he kept an eye on the Arab, “from his bed he could observe him….” Daru informs the reader that the guest is in fact a burden on him being there, “In this room where he had been sleeping alone for a year, the presence bothered him.” Another reference to a war happens when Daru thinks about men who share rooms, ” …soldiers or prisoners, develop a strange alliance as if, having cast off their armor with their clothing, they fraternized every evening, over and above their differences….But Daru shook himself; he didn’t like such musings….”
I think the author uses isolation and political theory in combination to hint at all the different countries to be more like Daru. By being like Daru, each country should be more independent and isolated from each other, and perhaps this will decrease the chance for war. Daru mentions his observations of the plateau around him, and how they never last, “Towns sprang up, flourished, then disappeared; men came by, loved one another or fought bitterly, then died. No one in this desert, neither he nor his guest, mattered.” The fighting, I believe reflects the political theory idea, because of the fact that politicians come and go, they may love each other one moment and fight the next, but eventually they’ll die out. Also, in the beginning of the story Daru is alone, as he is in the end of the story. He was uncomfortable with the guest in his presence and took the measures to ensure his isolation again.
Daru did not know what he would have been getting himself into by taking the guest all the way to Tinguit, because of the fact that Balducci mentions “talk of a forthcoming revolt.” This is true of any person that goes into a different country; you do not know what to expect, or rather what they will think of you coming into their territory. Daru couldn’t understand why Balducci couldn’t take the Arab there, “I’m not…I mean, that’s not my job.” As Daru said this, the author informs the reader that he is hesitating because it does not want to hurt Balducci. Balducci’s explanation, “There’s only a dozen of us at El Ameur to patrol throughout the whole territory of a small department and I must get back in a hurry,” still does not settle with Daru.
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While I was reading “The Guest,” when Daru confronts the Arab about why he was in trouble, the Arab states, “He ran away. I ran after him.” I do not see how this infers that the Arab actually killed his cousin as Balducci states, which seems unsure himself, “One owed the other grain it seems. It’s not at all clear. In short, he killed his cousin with a billhook.” What really made me wonder if the Arab even killed his cousin was when Balducci did the fake swipe of a knife and the Arab “watched with a sort of anxiety.” I think this has a political meaning to it that Albert Camus wants us to know about. In the end, Daru is alone again. His solution to the problem of the unwelcomed guest was to pack him up with what he needs to go the rest of the way by himself. I believe this is Camus’ ideal resolution to the unwelcome visitors in his own home country.
Modernist and Post-Modernist writers were influence by numerous new ideas in many fields such as anthropology, psychology, philosophy, political theory, psychoanalysis, and physics. With any of these fields, an author may display a theme of isolation, disillusionment, or fragmentation. In Albert Camus’ story, “The Guest,” he uses Political Theory to express a theme of isolation. The main character, Daru, is the isolated character, and may even represent a country. All the events that occur during the story, I believed to symbolize an event that is happening during this specific time in the author’s life. I believe Camus uses Daru, and his attitudes toward the Arab and his longing for isolation to represent his thoughts about a current political issue in real life.
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