Camus LHote - seminar discussion PDF

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Camus’ L’Hôte Part 1 French Culture Seminar 1

L’Hôte is a short story from Camus’ collection, L’exil et le royaume (Exile and Kingdom). In L’Hôte, Camus expresses growing concern about the future of Algeria. He explores moral and philosophical themes and powerfully evokes colonial relationships. The story tells of an encounter between a French Algerian schoolteacher and an Arab prisoner on the eve of the Algerian uprising.

Questions: 1. Write some notes about the characters – what do you learn about each of them? Daru: He’s a French Algerian schoolteacher, used to solitude, very isolated – lives alone on the plateau, prefers his own company to that of others, Daru isn’t French but works in line with the colonies teaching the children The Arab: He killed his cousin, closed off, reserved, doesn’t run off in the night- mysterious, don’t know him at all but in this situation with Daru Balducci: Brings the Arab man to Daru, element of trust in terms of “looking after” and taking the Arab to Tinguit.

2. Make a list of the key themes in the text: Alienation, hostility, isolation vs belonging, moral ambiguity, justice, the idea of consequences.

3. Discussion of passages: Read the opening pages to ‘il se sentait exile’ / ‘he felt in exile.’ What impression are we given by these opening pages? What expectations are set up? Consider the passage on pages 286 / 287 (From ‘Longtemps’ to ‘vivre vraiment’ / ‘For a long time’ to ‘really lived’) How does our understanding of this passage change in relation to Camus’s ideas about the absurd and his existential philosophy? (See the back of this sheet). Daru is questioning who he is and where he is, the way that he describes living in the desert shows an internal conflict of identification – he’s not seen as French by the French, but to the people where Daru came from, he seems like an outsider. Read pages 288-290 / 289-291 Why is this passage important to our understanding of the story? Read page 298-300 / 299-301 (From ‘Daru inspecta les deux directions’ / ‘Daru examined the two directions’ to the end

Why is this passage significant? Why is the message left on the chalkboard at the end of the story important?

4. Read these summaries of Existentialism and the Absurd and then consider how Camus’ existentialist philosophy is relevant to our understanding of L’Hote.

Existentialism Existentialism is the belief in ‘existence before essence’. That is to say that before any structure or form that dictates the nature of the world and humanity, we exist. Existentialists examine what it means to exist as a human being in the world, and existentialists believe that understanding who we are as human beings is the key to understanding the world. Existentialists believe that all experience is entirely subjective, perception can never be objective e.g. a painting has no objective reality – we transport our opinions onto it. If there is no objective reality, there is no certainty in the world and nothing objective we can rely on. There are no answers, so we must all invent our own. In itself, life has no meaning and everyone must therefore give meaning to their own lives. For existentialists, the fundamental aspect of human existence is freedom of choice.

Camus’s Theory of the Absurd ‘Inherent in Camus’s theory of the absurd, explained in Le Mythe de Sisyphe, is the notion that human beings can never be fully at home in the world they inhabit. The desire of all humans to understand themselves and their environment, to impose order and harmony upon reality, is constantly defeated by the limitations of man’s reason and of his ability to render intelligible on a human scale the mysteries of the universe. Human intelligence merely serves to unmask the illusory nature of the devices or habits with which men seek to console themselves. Human reason is reduced to concluding that its achievements are insignificant in the face of the universe’s indifference to man’s aspirations. The inexorable passage of time and the inevitable ending in death destroy the dreams of the staunchest optimist. The confrontation between human aspirations and the impassive silence of the world gives rise to the feeling of absurdity’. David Walker, Introduction to L’Exil et le Royaume (Nelson Harrap, 1985)

Discussion: Who is the guest and who is the host?  Daru is the host; the Arab is the guest.  Daru and the Arab are the guests, Balducci is the host. What does the short story tell us about the notions of home and belonging?

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Even those who are French but yet have different cultural origins feel like they don’t belong in France – “And yet Daru knew that outside of this desert, neither one of them could have really lived.”

What insights does the short story offer into Algerian history?...