The Franco-Arab conflict of Balducci and Daru in Camus’s ‘The Guest’ | Intellect Skip to content
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Volume 26, Issue 1-2
  • ISSN: 1368-2679
  • E-ISSN: 1758-9142

Abstract

Albert Camus’s ‘The Guest’ ([1957] 2012) is a short narrative that displays several conflicts at the colonial, existential, psychological, and individual levels at once. The narrative introduces these conflicts through its simple plot that fully relies on the relationship between Daru (the schoolmaster), Balducci (the gendarme) and the Arab (the prisoner). Understanding the relationships between these three constitutes the foundation to decoding the thematic value or message of the narrative. Therefore, this article scrutinizes the deeper level of the relationship between these characters and argues that the main conflict in the narrative is between humans of authentic self and those of unauthentic one. The article concludes that ‘The Guest’ is not a simple narrative about postcolonialism or schoolteachers’ ethics, but a heavily sophisticated piece that celebrates humans’ authenticity and freedom as the main foundations or principles of peaceful life.

Résumé

‘L’Invité’ d’Albert Camus ([1957] 2012) est un court récit qui présente à la fois plusieurs conflits aux niveaux colonial, existentiel, psychologique et individuel. Le récit introduit ces conflits à travers une intrigue simple qui repose pleinement sur la relation entre Daru (le maître d’école), Balducci (le gendarme) et l’Arabe (le prisonnier). Comprendre les relations entre ces trois éléments constitue le fondement du décodage de la valeur thématique ou du message du récit. Par conséquent, cet article examine le niveau plus profond de la relation entre ces personnages et soutient que le conflit principal dans le récit se situe entre les humains au soi authentique et ceux au soi non authentique. L’article conclut que ‘l’invité’ n’est pas un simple récit sur le postcolonialisme ou l’éthique des enseignants, mais une pièce très sophistiquée qui célèbre l’authenticité et la liberté des humains comme fondements ou principes principaux d’une vie paisible.

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2024-02-22
2024-05-03
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  • Article Type: Article
Keyword(s): Algeria; authentic self; existentialism; France; rebellion; societal oppression

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