The Guest

Albert Camus is an author known for his bleak, cold, often unsettling stories in which characters find themselves largely alone. For Camus, life was ultimately one that we as individuals controlled-- there was no God, or sympathetic nature, or even a brotherhood of men. There were isolated incidences of kindness and generosity, but even those did not always turn out well.

Such is the case in the short story The Guest. Daru attempts to act as he sees fit, yet the results are surprising and seemingly contrary to what he wished. Trying to figure out Camus' purpose for writing such stories is one of the most challenging tasks for a reader.