The Guest

1
The Guest Drunken Woman
Philosophy, Politics and the Self
2
Camus Three Philosophical Movements

• Existentialism A belief that neither human
  beings nor the universe has any essential nature.
  Humans construct their natures through their
  choices.
• Absurdism A belief that our need for meaning is
  greater than the ability of the universe to be
  meaningful - all philosophical positions absurd.
• Moralism A philosophical enquiry into the
  ethical implications of the human condition.

3
Camus Existential Moralism

• Human beings inhabit a universe in which there
  are no absolute guidelines however, we have an
  ethical sense that we try to live up to.
• Life constantly presents us with moral choices
  without giving us the right answers
• The various ways that we try to define and
  construct a moral code and then live by it
  constitute our moral being
• Once that code is established, we define
  ourselves as moral beings by the choices that we
  make within the ethical system that we construct.

4
Darus Choice

• Darus choice of whether to take the Arab
  prisoner to be executed or to set him free
  represents the kinds of moral choices that we all
  make there are no solid guidelines for him to
  use, but there are genuine moral implications to
  whatever he decides.
• Think of the politics of his country and the
  ramifications for his school if he refuses, but
  then what about his conscience if he complies?

5
The Arabs Choice

• The Arabs choice represents the existential
  choice that we all make. He is given complete
  freedom to live or die, but chooses execution. Is
  it because death is preferable to the discomfort
  of real, meaningful freedom? Or could there be
  another reason? Being a martyr or obligations of
  the guest?

6
Clarice Lispector

• Intensely feminine writer who articulates the
  needs and concerns of every woman in pursuit of
  self-awareness.
• Introspective writings, questioning of human
  relationships and the social constraints which
  threaten rather than foster meaningful
  communication
• saw the human condition as flawed, fragmentary
  and incomplete the darker side of our nature as
  being compounded of fear, revulsion, cruelty and
  hatred.
• she set about trying to reconcile freedom with
  restraint, humility with pride, solitude with the
  need to communicate. Strength had to be drawn
  from weakness, human reversals transformed into
  salvation.
• A belief that the problem of existence is often
  of language itself.

7
Daydreams of a Drunken Woman

• Why do we drink? Because we are happy or unhappy?
• Story illustrates various stages of Inebriation
• Story also shows us visions of ourselves while
  drunk, how we perceive others, and how others
  perceive us
• What happens when its all over? What has changed?