The Subject Of Humanity In Albert Camus The Guest

In the story “The Guest” by Albert Camus, the author explores the subject of humanity when one is presented an anomalous situation. In the beginning, an old gendarme brought a prisoner, an Arab, to Daru and ordered him to bring him to prison because he was accused of murdering his cousin. Even though the Arab was a criminal, Daru treated him like a guest and the prisoner was very surprised why he acted so humane; by the time it was night Daru made a bed for the prisoner in same room as he was sleeping and Daru explained to him that, “Men who share the same 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, in the
ancient community of dream and fatigue” (Camus 1254). Daru was told to be a host and that’s what he was doing, he did not treat the Arab like an animal or a criminal like most people would. Daru was ordered to bring the Arab to prison but he failed to do so. He could not decide either to set him free or turn him in. He believed in humanity to do the right thing but in his heart, he hoped that the Arab would run away to freedom because he did not know for sure if what he is accused of is true. So he showed the Arab two directions, one was a ticket to freedom and the other one was towards the prison as he did so he said, “There’s the way to Tingruit. You have a two-hour walk. At Tingruit you’ll find the administration and the police. They are expecting you… That’s the trail across the plateau. In a day’s walk from here, you’ll find pasturelands and the first nomads. They’ll take you in and shelter you according to their law” (Camus 1256). After he gave the prisoners a choice he left him, after walking couple minutes he turned around to see what he chose and he was a little disappointed to see that the Arab to the righteous way and went to prison.