Chelsea Medlin Professor Arnold Politics and Culture in Literature 11 September 2013 Microtheme Two In The Guest there

is this idea of power that is somewhat ridiculous when !ou thin" about it# The $nati%es& belie%e that the 'rench are in power therefore the 'rench ha%e power o%er them# In realit! the nati%es could rise up and ta"e bac" power o%er their land# (alducci mentions tal" of a re%olt but at that time one has not been put into motion# (alducci also mentions that there are onl! a do)en of the 'rench police in char*e to patrol throu*h the whole territor! at +l Ameur# ,b%iousl! there are more than a do)en nati%es and if the! were to trul! rise up and or*ani)e a re%olt the! would win# Instead the! ta"e a more passi%e approach at least for !ears# +%en amon*st (alducci and -aru there is a sort of hierarch!# (alducci and -aru ob%iousl! ha%e some histor! between them because (alducci appears friendl! towards -aru e%en as he is *i%in* him the $order& to ta"e the Arab to the police station in Tin*uit# +%en thou*h -aru refuses to ta"e the Arab to the police station he still is in power o%er the Arab# The Arab does whate%er -aru tells him to and -aru is *i%en a re%ol%er in case he needs to control the Arab for an! reason# In the end we see that power is onl! where the people thin" it is# The! belie%e that the power lies with the 'rench which is wh! the Arab feels the need to turn himself in to the police e%en when he is *i%en the option to escape# Perhaps he also turns himself in out of fear of the 'rench# .e probabl! fears that -aru is possibl! tric"in* him and his punishment could be worse if he tries to escape or that he will be shot in the bac" if he tries to *o in a

different direction then Tin*uit# The whole stor! is about the notion that the 'rench are in power# There are some more subtle hints li"e when (alducci is ridin* a horse up to the schoolhouse and the Arab is on foot and tied up# (alducci is literall! hi*her up therefore he is in power o%er the Arab# Also the Arab is called $the Arab& rather than bein* *i%en an actual name li"e e%er! other character in the stor!# /hen the Arab and -aru *o to bed -aru ma"es the Arab a ma"eshift bed on the floor whereas if it were somebod! li"e (alducci -aru would ha%e probabl! *i%en up his bed# At the %er! least he would ha%e let (alducci sleep on the little couch in his room# There are more ob%ious parts li"e -aru bein* *i%en a re%ol%er to control him and bein* the one to direct the Arab e%er! step of the wa!# It0s ama)in* how a few men can be in control o%er so man! people 1ust because the! sa! the! are# All it would ta"e is someone to lead a re%olt and the notion of power would be *one as well as the nati%es would be in power a*ain#