Freedom of Choice

In The Guest by Albert Camus, the protagonist, Daru, faces a dilemma when he is put in a situation where he has to decide according to his morals whether to lead an accused murderer to punishment or freedom. Daru was ordered by a policeman named Balducci to take the Arab, who was accused of killing his cousin with a billhook, to the police headquarters twenty kilometers away. From his first encounter with the Arab, Daru was very curious about the Arab as he observed his behavior describing him as an “attentive and studious” person with a “restless and rebellious look” (RNF 195). After the departure of Balducci, Daru was taken aback by the presence of the Arab and his endless stare, which led him to keep the revolver provided by Balducci with him. Daru was so overwhelmed by the task and the decision of turning in the Arab that he even hoped that he would flee the classroom when he was not looking; nevertheless, he treated the Arab very hospitably.

 Over the few hours they spent together, Daru and the Arab seemed to form an underlying bond as Daru made a meal for him and they spent the night together wondering about what the next day would bring. Daru slowly becomes comfortable with the Arab enough to realize that he was not an immediate threat so he put the revolver away in his drawer. Daru seems to have gained a greater trust of the Arab when he sees him get up in the middle of the night assuming he was attempting to escape but then he returns to bed. He laid awake at night because of the uneasiness he felt with the Arab in the same room as him but once he realized that he had no intention of escaping, Daru easily “turned his back on him and fell asleep”.

 When the morning of his decision arrived, Daru felt anger towards the Arab for putting him in this position, as he wondered how he did not manage to escape after committing the crime. The decision would be a conflict between his honor in brotherhood and the respect for orders from those in authority. Ultimately, the Arab made the decision himself as Daru allows him to choose his own destiny. The situational irony occurs when the Arab walks toward the east where the police headquarters are instead of his other, more self-serving option of going south towards freedom. This may have been due to his own morals, fear, or even apathy towards his fate. Daru reacted to the view of the Arab “walking slowly on the road to prison” with a “heavy heart” as he was once again alone.