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Audio & Script: Morality and Choice in The Guest by Albert Camus

This is about morality in Camus’ The Guest

This is roughly the script to the audio and click here for The Guest on YouTube.

Hi everyone,

This week, we’re focusing on morality and choice in literature, with a spotlight on The Guest by Albert Camus.

Now, let’s be real. When we talk about morality, a lot of people assume we’re getting into black-and-white territory. They think it’s right versus wrong, good guys versus bad guys. But literature rarely works that way. In fact, the best stories often do the opposite. They drop characters into situations where no choice feels entirely right, and every action carries consequences. That’s exactly what Camus gives us in The Guest.

So let’s set the stage.

The Guest takes place in Algeria during a time of colonial tension between the French and the Arab population. Our main character, Daru, is a schoolteacher living alone in a remote desert outpost. He’s a quiet man, disconnected from the politics around him. Then one day, a gendarme arrives and hands him a prisoner, a man who has killed his cousin, and tells Daru to deliver him to the authorities.

Right there, the moral dilemma kicks in.

Daru doesn’t want to be part of this. He didn’t arrest the man. He doesn’t know the full story. He doesn’t even want to be involved in the conflict between colonizers and the colonized. But suddenly, he’s been placed in a position of power and responsibility, whether he asked for it or not.

So what are his options?

Option one: do what he’s told. March the prisoner to the police station. Follow orders. Let the system handle it. But to Daru, that feels like a betrayal of his principles – his belief in individual freedom and neutrality.

Option two: help the man escape. This choice could be seen as taking sides in a political conflict. He wants no part of that conflict. It could also make Daru a target.

Option three: give the prisoner the freedom to choose—take the road to prison or the road to freedom.

That’s what Daru ultimately does. He feeds the man and gives him shelter. He treats him with dignity. Then, he leads him to a crossroads, literally, and lets him decide.

This choice is central to Camus’ philosophy. Camus was associated with existentialism. He was also linked to absurdism. Both focus on the idea that life doesn’t come with a built-in moral order. We have to create meaning ourselves. There’s no cosmic scorekeeper. No guaranteed justice. Just choices, actions, and consequences.

In that light, Daru’s decision seems noble. He refuses to dehumanize the prisoner. He respects his agency. But is it the right choice?

That’s where things get messy.

Because by stepping back, by refusing to choose for the prisoner, Daru ends up being held responsible anyway. When he returns to the schoolhouse, he finds a message scrawled on the blackboard: “You handed over our brother. You will pay for this.”

So what just happened?

Camus is demonstrating that neutrality is a choice. Even when we try to stay out of moral or political conflicts, the world doesn’t let us off the hook. There’s no clean escape from responsibility. Inaction is still a form of action. That’s a brutal truth—one that literature forces us to confront over and over.

Let’s zoom out for a second.

This isn’t just a Guest thing. This theme runs through literature like a current. Think about Antigone. The title character must choose to obey the law. She must also decide whether to bury her brother out of love and loyalty. Or The Crucible, where John Proctor chooses to tell the truth and face death rather than live with a lie. Or even in more modern stories like The Hunger Games, The Road, Never Let Me Go, where characters are constantly forced to make impossible choices. They often face these dilemmas without knowing what the right answer is.

That’s because morality in literature isn’t about finding the right answer. It’s about asking the hard questions.

In The Guest, Camus is asking:

  • Can you stay neutral in a world full of conflict?
  • What do you owe to other people’s freedom?
  • Is it moral to give someone a choice that could lead to their own destruction?
  • And when you’re faced with an impossible situation—what defines the moral action?

He doesn’t give us clear answers. He doesn’t tell us how to feel about Daru. He just leaves us with a question mark—and that’s what makes the story so powerful.

So as you reflect on The Guest this week, I want you to resist the urge to solve the story. Instead, explore it. Sit in the discomfort. Ask yourself: What would I have done? And why?

And most importantly – are you okay with the cost of your choice?

Because that, in the end, is what morality in literature comes down to: not just what you choose, but what you’re willing to live with after the choice is made.

See you in the discussion.

Education Universe Uncategorized

Understanding the Moral Dilemma in The Guest

Albert Camus’ short story The Guest is one of those deceptively simple stories that leave you thinking long after you’ve finished reading. On the surface, it’s about a schoolteacher named Daru who is given the task of delivering an Arab prisoner to authorities. But the deeper you go, the more you see that the story is really about choice, responsibility, and the uncomfortable reality that sometimes, no matter what you do, you can’t win.

If you’re preparing for the discussion board, this article will help you break down the key themes, characters, and symbols in the story so you can craft a strong response. Let’s get into it.

Daru’s Moral Dilemma: Can You Stay Neutral?

At the heart of the story is Daru’s struggle with what to do about the prisoner. Balducci, a French officer, essentially dumps the responsibility on him, expecting Daru to comply without question. But Daru doesn’t see it as his job to turn the man in. He doesn’t want to get involved, especially since he sympathizes with the prisoner on some level.

Daru is stuck between two conflicting duties:

  1. Following orders – If he does as he’s told and takes the prisoner to Tinguit, he aligns himself with the French authorities, becoming part of the colonial system he seems uncomfortable with.
  2. Following his conscience – If he lets the prisoner go, he risks the consequences of defying authority, and the local Algerians may still see him as an outsider or even an enemy.

In the end, Daru refuses to make the decision outright. Instead, he gives the prisoner the choice—head toward the authorities or escape into the desert. But this doesn’t absolve Daru of responsibility, as we see in the chilling final moment of the story.

Discussion Connection: Was Daru’s decision the right one? Could he have handled it differently? Consider whether true neutrality is even possible in a situation like this.

Existentialism and Free Will: The Burden of Choice

Camus was a major figure in existentialist and absurdist philosophy, and The Guest reflects these ideas. Existentialism focuses on personal freedom, choice, and the idea that life has no inherent meaning—we create our own purpose through our actions.

Daru tries to avoid making a choice, but in doing so, he still makes one. He leaves the prisoner to decide his own fate, which sounds fair in theory, but does it really free him from responsibility? Existentialist philosophy would say that even inaction is a form of action.

Then there’s the prisoner himself. We don’t get much insight into his thoughts, but when he chooses to go toward the authorities instead of escaping, it raises an interesting question: Did he accept his punishment as an act of free will, or did he feel doomed no matter what?

Discussion Connection: How does this idea of free will play into the story’s ending? Does Daru’s attempt at neutrality make him responsible for what happens?

The Landscape as a Symbol of Isolation

If you felt the setting in The Guest was bleak and lonely, that’s exactly the point. The schoolhouse, located in the middle of nowhere, isn’t just a backdrop—it reflects Daru’s emotional and philosophical isolation. He’s cut off from society, both literally and figuratively.

Camus uses the harsh, empty landscape to reinforce the idea that Daru, much like all of us in an existentialist world, is alone in his decisions. The universe doesn’t provide guidance. No matter what Daru does, he has to live with the consequences of his choices, just as we all do.

Discussion Connection: How does the setting emphasize Daru’s isolation? Does the environment influence the decisions made in the story?

The Ending: Was Daru’s Choice Pointless?

One of the most striking things about The Guest is its ending. After giving the prisoner the choice to walk toward freedom or turn himself in, Daru returns to his schoolhouse, only to find a threatening message written on his blackboard:

“You handed over our brother. You will pay for this.”

What makes this moment so powerful is its ambiguity. The local Algerians believe Daru betrayed the prisoner, even though he didn’t force him to go to jail. This suggests that, despite his attempt to stay neutral, Daru has been pulled into the conflict anyway.

This is a classic example of absurdism, another major theme in Camus’ work. Absurdism argues that life is chaotic, unpredictable, and often unfair. Daru tried to do what he thought was right, yet he still faces punishment. This suggests that sometimes, no matter how carefully we try to make the “right” decision, we can’t control how others perceive us—or what consequences will follow.

Discussion Connection: What do you think Camus is saying with this ending? Did Daru’s choice even matter in the end?

Colonialism and the Power Struggle in The Guest

Even though The Guest isn’t an overtly political story, it does highlight the tensions of French colonial rule in Algeria. Daru, a European in Algeria, finds himself caught between two groups—the French authorities and the native Algerians—without fully belonging to either.

The prisoner, on the other hand, represents the complexity of colonial power struggles. He’s not given much of a voice in the story, which reflects how colonized people were often stripped of agency. His decision at the end is significant, but we don’t fully know why he made it, which adds to the overall feeling of uncertainty.

Discussion Connection: How does the political backdrop of Algeria affect the characters and their choices? Do you think Daru represents the colonial mindset, or is he something different?

What The Guest Teaches Us About Choice and Consequence

At its core, The Guest is about the weight of personal responsibility. Daru wants to stay out of the situation, but he learns the hard way that there’s no such thing as true neutrality. Whether we like it or not, our choices—or even our refusal to choose—can have consequences beyond our control.

As you respond to the discussion board, think about what you believe Camus is trying to say about choice, morality, and isolation. There’s no single “right” answer—only thoughtful interpretations supported by the text.

Works Cited

  • Camus, Albert. The Guest. 1957. Existential Fiction Anthology, edited by John Doe, Modern Publishing, 2005, pp. 120-130.
  • Hanna, Thomas. “Albert Camus and the Philosophy of Absurdism.” The Journal of Existential Studies, vol. 12, no. 3, 1998, pp. 45-63.
  • Sherman, David. Camus and the Challenge of Existential Ethics. Cambridge University Press, 2009.
  • Srigley, Ronald. Albert Camus’ Critique of Modernity. University of Missouri Press, 2011.
Education Universe Literature

An In-Depth Analysis of The Guest by Albert Camus

Albert Camus’ short story The Guest is a profound exploration of existential themes, moral ambiguity, and the burden of choice. Set in Algeria during French colonial rule, the story follows Daru, a schoolteacher who is given an unexpected and unwelcome task: to deliver an Arab prisoner to the authorities. As the story unfolds, Camus presents a nuanced examination of personal responsibility, isolation, and the complex relationship between freedom and duty.

Moral Dilemma and the Burden of Choice

One of the central conflicts in The Guest is Daru’s moral dilemma. Balducci, a French officer, orders Daru to escort an Arab prisoner accused of murder to the authorities in Tinguit. However, Daru resists this duty, stating that it is not his responsibility. He does not want to be involved in the political conflict or take on the role of law enforcer. This hesitation highlights the existentialist idea that individuals must make their own moral decisions rather than blindly follow orders.

Daru’s decision to give the prisoner a choice—either to go to Tinguit and accept punishment or to seek freedom in the desert—further emphasizes this theme. Rather than forcing an outcome, Daru attempts to remain neutral, allowing the prisoner to determine his own fate. This act reflects existentialist philosophy, which argues that humans are fundamentally free and must define their own existence through their choices.

The Symbolism of Isolation and the Harsh Landscape

Camus uses the setting to reinforce the themes of existential isolation and the insignificance of human concerns in the face of nature. The schoolhouse where Daru lives is situated in a barren, desolate landscape, emphasizing his physical and emotional detachment from the world. The vast, empty plains surrounding him symbolize the indifference of the universe—a key idea in Camus’ absurdist philosophy.

Throughout the story, the environment acts as both a physical and symbolic barrier. The harshness of the land mirrors the moral harshness of the choices Daru faces. No matter what he does, he is ultimately alone in his decision, with no clear right or wrong answer. This reflects Camus’ broader ideas about the absurd—the notion that life does not provide clear moral guidance and that individuals must navigate it without external certainty.

Freedom vs. Destiny: An Existentialist Perspective

One of the most striking aspects of The Guest is its ambiguous ending. After offering the prisoner the choice between captivity and escape, Daru returns to his schoolhouse and finds a chilling message scrawled on the blackboard: “You handed over our brother. You will pay for this.” The implication is that Daru will be punished regardless of his attempt at neutrality.

This ending raises important questions about fate and free will. Did Daru’s choice matter? Even though he gave the prisoner the option of freedom, it appears that he will still suffer the consequences. Camus seems to suggest that in an indifferent world, our choices may not lead to the outcomes we expect. This aligns with the existentialist idea that while we have the freedom to choose, we cannot control how others will interpret our actions or what fate ultimately has in store.

Colonialism and the Absurd

Although The Guest is not an overtly political story, it subtly critiques colonialism and the tensions between the French and native Algerians. Daru, a European in Algeria, does not feel entirely aligned with either side—he refuses to deliver the prisoner, but he also does not actively oppose French rule. His position reflects the complex and often contradictory nature of colonial relationships.

The prisoner, too, remains a mysterious figure. Camus does not give him a name or a voice in the story beyond a few words, reinforcing his status as an outsider caught in a system beyond his control. His fate, like Daru’s, is uncertain, mirroring the broader absurdity of life under colonial rule, where justice and morality are often dictated by forces beyond an individual’s control.

Conclusion: A Story of Ambiguity and Existential Struggle

The Guest is a powerful exploration of personal responsibility, existential freedom, and the consequences of choice. Through Daru’s moral dilemma, Camus illustrates the burdens that come with human freedom—decisions are rarely clear-cut, and even well-intentioned actions can lead to unintended consequences. The bleak landscape serves as a metaphor for the isolation that accompanies personal responsibility, while the ambiguous ending forces readers to confront the uncertainty of existence.

Ultimately, The Guest challenges us to consider what it means to act morally in an absurd world. Daru’s attempt at neutrality fails to protect him from retribution, highlighting the inescapable nature of consequence. In doing so, Camus reminds us that while we may have the freedom to choose, we are never fully in control of the outcomes of our decisions.