The Guest
Differentiate between Balducci's and Daru's attitudeto the prisoner.
in "THE GUEST" by albert willam
in "THE GUEST" by albert willam
Balducci sees the prisoner as an Arab. He has no particular distaste for his crime; his only identity (to Balducci) is that he is an Arab who broke French law. There is a sense of otherness which pervades Balducci's attitude to the Arab. Daru, on the other hand, desperately wishes to be a part of this "Arab identity". Although there is a sense of otherness with Daru, unlike the gendarme, he wishes it were not so. Daru shares a meal with the prisoner which baffles him. Daru would gladly cast away his French identity, whatever that is, to be Arab. Daru treats the prisoner as a guest and not an outlaw.