Summary of The Guest by Albert Camus

The Guest by Albert Camus wrote this short story in French and translated into English by Justin O’Brien. This short story tells about a schoolmaster named Daru. One day, his friend, Balducci (a policeman) come with a prisoner (an Arab). Balducci said to Daru that he must bring the Arab to Tinguit, twenty kilometers far away. Actually Balducci must bring the Arab to the Tinguit, but in El Ameur there is a rebellion and Balducci has to come back to help another police. He cannot bring the Arab back, because some of his villages have a plan to take him back. The government order Daru to send the prisioner to the Tinguit. Daru ask to Balducci what the crime of that man, he answer that the Arab kills his cousin because family squabble. The police have been looking for him about a month and the villages hiding him from police. Than when Balducci want to go back to the El Ameur, he gives Daru a revolver and put it on the desk to Daru’s saving. Daru still do not want to bring the prisioner to Tinguit but Balducci said to him that it is an order. That makes Daru angry and Balducci go back to El Ameur.

Daru make the Arab a meal of cake and omelettes. At the night, Daru gives the Arab blankets and ask why he kill his cousin, but the Arab do not answer it, instead he ask Daru about what will they do to him. In the middle of the night, Daru still awakeand cannot sleep. He looks at the Arab who sleeps like a top. In the morning, they drinks coffee and eat cakes together. He thinks that the Arab crime is terrible. After breakfast, they go to the plateau. There Daru gives the Arab some money (thousand francs) and foods. He tells him to go east; he will arrive at Tinguit after two hour walk and find the police. If he took the south way he will arrive at pasturelands and there are nomads. Then he turns back to the school. After several minutes, he turns around and notices that the Arab remains standing where he left him. Daru continues on for several more minutes, and then turns around again for another look. The Arab is gone. Sometime later, when the sun is high, Daru turns around a third time and sees the Arab in the distance—heading east to Tinguit. When Daru in the school, at the blackboard chalked up words "You handed over our brother. You will pay for this”.