The Misunderstanding Albert Camus Summary - Phoenixofliterature
“The Misunderstanding”
-
Albert
Camus
 |
| "BUT IN THE END ONE NEEDS MORE COURAGE TO LIVE THEN TO KILL HIMSELF" |
In the scene one Martha passionately wants to leave
her native land Europe. Martha says that she seen only wet land, which always
raining and no other opportunities for their survival.
In the scene
two and scene three, Jan enters with his wife Maria into the boarding house.
Old man is standing alone in the room when he seen them that he goes near to
the window and never say anything and leave that place. When Jan notices Maria
follows her to the boarding house and ask her to leave the house but Maria
argues him that she wants to come along with him. Martha’s new guest is none
other than Jan, his brother. She came from Czechoslovakia after twenty years
with his wife Maria. Now he wants to support his family both financially and
emotionally. But he hesitates to reveal his own identity to his family. Maria
advises him to reveal his own identity but Jan refuse to do that. She warns Jan
that his delay of revealing his identity may cause big consequence. Maria asks
him to open up with Martha and mother and persuades him to ask them about their
reunion. But Jan still gets hesitation to talk. This makes Maria angry on him. Jan
tries to convince her but she says that she wants to leave Europe. She feels
that everything seems unhappy faces and miserable place. This makes her to
fear. Maria starts to protest against Jan’s action but he stops Maria when he
overhears a foot steps and hides Maria near the door.
In the scene four, old man crosses the room without
noticing Maria and leaves by the door to the outside. Jan ask Maria quickly
leave the boarding house but she refuse to do that. Maria says that they never
know him without he opens up about his identity. But Jan wants her to leave the
place. Maria says that it has been five years when they married but she never
leaves him at once. Maria says that she likes everything about him and she
loved him whole heartedly but now she has a fear about her separation because
of his search for his family. Jan consoles her and promise Maria to never leave
her. Jan wants an excuse from her for one night. Maria leaves him with the
warning to reveal his self to his mother and Martha.
In the scene five, the old man comes in and widely
opens the doors for the Martha to enter into the room. Martha asks about his
surname and Christian name to enter his details into the register. He lies to
Martha, instead of Jan that he says Hasek Karl as his name. When she asks about
Jan’s professions, he says that he has no profession. Martha replies only the
rich or the poor are not having any profession. Then she asks for a passport
for identification. He says that he is residing in Bohemia and says that he is
from Africa. When Jan talks about Africa where Martha dreams to go and live.
She starts dreaming about the country. Then she comes back to reality. When he
give his passport hesitatingly to her, they are interpreted by the old man in
the door way. She changes her mind and brings the passport to him. Then she asks
about her family details, Jan says that he is married and his family is stayed
in their home in Africa. When Jan asks about her personal life, she slightly
says that they will serve the guest with proper respect. The boarding house is
the place where to stays; it is not a place for entertainment. Other than that
they have nothing to share about their personal life. Jan apologise to her for
asking about unnecessary details. Martha says that their old guests talks about
several things and they mostly talked about their travel politics. Martha says
soon Jan too talk about openly. Jan replies with a hidden meaning, that he is
not much fortunate to have an opportunity to freely talk with her. The scene
five ends with the entry of mother.
In the opening
of scene six, the conversation between Jan, Martha and Mother begins and then
mother ask about the form to fill for their record. Mother takes a register and
look on it and she ask Jan for the reason why did he come to Bohemia such as
health reasons, business or as a tourist. Jan replies her to mark him for
tourism. Jan starts to give some hints to mother that Jan is her son. She is
too old and cannot get his hinds and remember anything. Then mother talks about
her husband who was died many years before, she says that they have no much
time to share their feelings. Then Jan hesitatingly asks about her son. Mother
says it has so many years are passed that she forgets the habit of love even
for her own son. Martha harshly
interpreted in their conversation and says a son who has come to this house
will be treated as same as guest and every man who come to stay in the place
accepts their terms and never ask for anything. Every guest who stayed in their
boarding house paid the rent and gets the key and they never talk about
feelings. It helps them to do their work without any complications. Jan asks
that anyone stays here for a long time. Martha replies that many of their guest
stays for a long and some of them left the other day. Jan says that he has a
plenty of money and he likes to stay.
Martha says if he has no problem for money then she has no problem for
his stay and then Martha gives key of
his room and remembers him that they will ready to bring everything to the
guest but there is no place for sympathy and other feelings. Jan takes the key
and watches Martha goes out. Mother starts to get up out of the chair, and Jan
makes an effort to help her. But mother says that she is strong to get up from
her own self. Then Jan wants to visit his room and mother says that the old man
will show his room and he is waiting in the corridor. Mother asks Jan if he
wants anything for him. Jan thank mother for their welcome in the boarding
house.
In the scene seven, the mother is left alone in the
room. She is thinking and worried about what she is doing now. Then she thinks
about Jan and she wants him to leave that place. If he stays there that she is
not able to sleep. Because Martha plans to kill Jan tonight and mother is also
going to help Martha to throw him into the river. Then she says the man who is
they are going to kill is slowly drown into the water. Suddenly Martha enters
and starts a conversation with mother. She asks mother what she is thinking and
says that they have lot of works to finish. The mother says that she is
thinking about Jan. Martha says mother to think positive. Then Mother talks about Martha’s father. He
also says the same like Martha to be positive. Then Martha says Jan is looking
too self conscious and act like an innocent but whatever it is, Jan will
die. Then Mother says that everything
they have doing for more money. Martha says that they are doing all this
murders not for money but for her dreams to leave their native country. She
wants to free herself from the boarding and live a happy life. Mother suddenly
talks about Martha’s brother and says that she may be forget once like Martha’s
brother forgotten her. When she hear about his brother that she become angry
and her voice changed. Martha says that she has never forgotten her mother like
her brother does. Then Mother asks not to kill Jan tonight and postpone the
murder to another day. But Martha is stubborn in her decision to kill Jan tonight.
The act two begins in the bedroom of Jan in the
boarding house and he is looking at the window. It is early evening and
darkness slowly fills the room. In the scene one, Jan thinking about Maria and
hoping that she will be fine. And then he convinces himself to not to worry.
Martha comes inside the room and gives him clean towels and some fresh water. She
enquires about his convenience and he says everything is comfortable for him.
Then she asks about his return to Africa. Then slowly Martha started talking
about her dream country and Jan describes that Africa is a very beautiful
country, the beaches in that place are deserted, there is no traces of man
anywhere, In the early morning, the criss-cross patterns stretching out along
the sand where the seagull leave their mark. And then he says that country
seems amazing. When Martha hears Jan’s description about Africa that Martha’s
voice are changed enthusiastically. She says that she has heard more about the
country from the travellers. Jan notices the new excitement in her when she is
talking about the Africa. Then Jan looks at her with increasing interest and
says more about the country. In the spring season, Flowers spread open by the
thousand in the white glare of shinning walls, taking walk for an hour in the
hills that surround the town the sweet scent of honey that drifts from
countless yellow roses are catch in the clothes. Then Martha says about spring
in Bohemia only small roses and two buds are there and it also struggles for
the light in a garden to bloom. And she angrily says this type of spring season
is enough for the people in this country because their heart is too closed and
they are deserve to get it. Then she says in this Europe, autumn looks like
springs, and the spring gives misery and it has exhausted all his patience from
her. She says that she like the land where summer sun’s rays falls on the face.
Jan is wondered about the changes in Martha’s speech. Suddenly she notices that
Jan is looking at her and then he says that it is a pleasure to hear Martha’s
sharing her views with him. She gets angry and leaves the place.
In the scene two, after Martha’s leaving that Jan
close his room. He moves across the room, and sits down of the bed. Jan feels
lonely about his stay in the boarding house. He wants to live happily with
Maria and also he wants to take care of his mother and sister. But Martha wants
Jan to leave the place.
In the scene
three, Martha comes with the tray and knocks the door to open. In the scene
four, Martha brings the tea for Jan. She puts the tray on the table and goes
out.
In the scene five, Jan orders for a glass of beer but
Martha brings tea to him. He picks up the cup and prays the god for strength
and happiness. He also wants to go back to Maria to get her love. And then he
drinks the tea. It is poisoned by Martha to kill Jan. When he drinks the tea, loud
noises knocks the door and asks him to open it.
In the scene six, Mother comes in and asks Jan if she
is drinking the tea. Mother did not want him to die. Jan says that he never
asks for a tea but Martha brought it. Mother asks for apologise and says this
is one of their mistakes. She puts the things on the tray and turns to go out.
Jan make excuse to her and says that he have decided to leave the place after
dinner in the evening. He tries to express his feelings. Jan feels that he
became tired of revealing his identity by his hints and now he wants to leave.
He passes his hand across her forehead and begins to look tired. Mother has
some kind of affection toward Jan. But she walks to the door and goes out of
the room.
In the scene seven and eight, Jan watches mother
leaves the place. He makes some attempt at movement but he feels exhausted and
sits on the bed, with elbow on the pillow. Jan wants to come back tomorrow with
his wife Maria and desire to reveal his identity. He wants Martha and mother
became happy. He yawns and more or less lying down and he says few words which
are inaudible. Jan turns over and falls asleep.
After that Martha and Mother slowly opens the door with a lamp in their
hands. The old man also follows them.
In the scene eight, Martha says that he is in sleep.
Mother argues with Martha that she did like her activities of planning to
murder Jan. But Martha says that she wants to comfort their life and convince
her Mother to think about their better future.
Then she searches through his pockets, and pulls out a wallet from Jan.
She counts the money and then she empties all his other pockets. During this
operation the passport falls on to the floor behind the bed. Martha and Mother
did not notice the passport but the old man picks the passport and moves back
out of their way to carry Jan. Martha makes everything ready. Martha says
within a few minutes the river will have reached its height and then that’s the
right time to throw Jan to the river. Mother wants to take rest and she is
thinking about Jan. Mother says that Jan is going to free from all his worries.
He has now enough time to take rest and he sleeps without struggle. He does not
know the difference between sleep and death. He is going to free from his
dreams and without interruption sleeps for a very long time. Martha enters with
a smile and she says that she hear the sound of water is rising in the river.
They both discuss about Jan’s innocence has get his own death as a reward. The
act two ends with Mother decide to along with Martha to carry Jan’s body to the
river.
In the opening of the act three, the old man is
cleaning the room and Martha stands behind the desk, putting up her hair. The
mother walks across the room towards the stage. Martha says the dawn has
arrive, this morning only she feels like alive and can breathe. She asks mother that she is still looking
attractive and beautiful. Mother says ‘crime has its own beauty’. Martha says
this is the morning that she is waiting for so many years, it gives hope for
another life and happiness is waiting for them. Mother needs to take rest and
mother became happy to see Martha happy. The old man appears at the top of the
stairs and comes down towards Martha. He gives her the passport of Jan and then
goes out. He doesn’t say a word. Martha opens the passport and reads without
any reaction. She then gives passport to the mother. The mother takes the
passport, and sits on the table. She spread it wide and reads. She stares at
the page in front of her for a very long time. Mother is shocked and recognised
Jan is her Son. Then she says this would happen one day. She has lived too,
longer than his son. She decided to join with Jan with death. Martha didn’t want to leave Mother and that
makes her alone. But mother wants to leave her and she says ‘when a mother is
not able to understand her son, her function in this world has come to end’.
Martha became outburst and says all these twenty years that he never have a
thought of mother but now mother’s is more for him than his daughter. Martha
tries to convince mother by her words but she turns stubborn in her decision,
but Martha steps in front of her and stops her exist. Martha is the one who is
with mother all those years so she cannot leave her like this but mother have guilt
of their murder. So she leaves, Martha turns slightly and stands downcast, with
her head inclined towards the door. After the long silence, with increasing
passion Martha express that she has left by everyone. No one is there to love her
and she felt lonely all these years. But her brother Jan has everything even
her mother love. He must be forgotten by everyone. He run away from home and
leaving them alone. Martha says Jan has to be died. Martha is the one who
neglected by everyone. She leads his life alone all these years.
In the beginning of the scene three, the door is
knocked by someone. Maria enters into
the boarding and she asks about her husband Jan. But Martha asks her that he
says his wife is stayed in Africa. Maria says that Jan has some reason behind
it but she wants to see him. Martha says no one is staying here. Martha asks
but he says that he is staying in the boarding house. Martha says that she is
waiting patiently everyday alone in a foreign country and now all her patience
has gone away. Then She says Jan is none another than her brother who is run
away from his home twenty years before. Martha replies that she knew the truth.
Maria gets confused and frustrated then ask about Jan again. Martha says that
he is no longer with them. He is dead.
Maria spins round and stands for a moment speechless. Her eyes never
leave Martha’s face. Eventually, she makes a movement in her direction and
smiles. She says that this all were joking and Jan says that Martha liked to do
that when she is a little girl and she says that she likes to upsetting people.
When Maria touches Martha says that ‘Don’t touch me’. Martha reveals the truth
that Jan is died last night and it is nothing common between the two of them
and she is not in the mood of joking. When Maria hears about that she didn’t
believe Martha and she ask for his dead body. Maria makes another move to
Martha. Martha says that last night they give poisoned tea to the Jan. When he
fell asleep and died they then have thrown away him in to the running water of
river. Maria is on the verge of break
down and ask why are they murdered her husband Jan. Martha says that they
killed Jan for a money. Maria says they get the punishment as a reward for
their union to his family. She starts crying and scold Martha for her inhuman
act of killing her own brother Jan. Martha says ‘Don’t judge anything until you
know it all’. Then she says that her mother also died when she comes to know
about the truth that Jan is her son. She says that she shall take the body of
his mother and brother in the running water and buried them side by side. When
Maria hears that she turns in an outburst of hate. She goes near to Martha and
says that she has the ability to kill her with a moment. Martha says that she
is going to die in her own room and takes her own life decision. But she didn’t
want to be like Mother and Jan who dies for the love. Maria says the man whom
she loves has dead and she doesn’t want to hear anything. Martha says that she has
lost his mother and Maria has lost her husband. She is rejected by his mother
and brother and they leave her alone but Jan was loved by everyone and never
rejected by anyone. So more than Jan, Martha has suffered in life. Maria says
that Jan wanted to makes Martha and mother happy. She says that he always thinking and seeking
for their happiness but he gets death as his reward. She says that he has
committed all this crimes for their survival. Mother is the best company of her
and everything she has done only to get comfortable life. But her mother gives
loneliness as a reward for her. She says that she has live alone and she is
going to die alone. Maria says that Martha can die as her wish. Maria can’t
feel any hatred towards Mother and Martha. She is not having strength to love
or hate someone. She says that she can hardly feel the pain in her life and to
make a fight against her pain. But the death of Jan crushed her and throws into
severe pain. Then Martha ask Maria still have a strength to cry for her
husband. Martha says that she is going to cure Maria from her craziness of hope
before Martha dies. Maria staring at Martha in terror and she wants to be
alone. She loudly shouts at Martha to leave her. Martha says Maria, not to
worry about her that she will be leaving the place. Martha wants to take all of Maria’s love and
tears before her leaving. She wants to teach Maria that love is useless and it
is some of accident that happens to the person.
Love is also a biggest mistake. One day things can change as the way
they are. Likewise, one day love leaves from their beloved person and sometimes
it destroys. Martha wants Maria to accept the truth about love. If Maria
refused that love is futile that Martha wants to stay and drag her from the
wrong path. Maria doesn’t care about the
words of Martha. She says that her heart is broken into two pieces and she
cannot bear the pain. Because of Martha that she is the one who killed Jan for
money. Martha turns violently when she hears Maria’s speech. She says that
everything he had is enough of him. He can enjoy his life as how he wish
surrounded by their loved ones and dies with Peace but both Martha and Maria is
leading a life with sufferings and pain and now they are going to die without
peaceful minds. Martha says reality is always hits and everyone has no other
choice than accept it. Maria cannot bear Martha words and cries. She says that
everything Jan wants for his own land to live happily with his happily. But now
he is destroyed by that family. Martha has reached the door and turning round
sharply then she says Jan gets death as a reward for his foolishness. Everyone
has their own rewards even Martha and Maria has their own. Martha says that
they are all fooled by a word of love in this world. But the world has nothing
for them. The whole world is hilarious and now Maria’s innocent husband knows
that. Martha says that everyone gets loneliness in this world that is
permanent. Then Martha says that Maria has the strength to pray. She shall
collect all her strength to pray to the god whom Maria blindly believes and
wish to make her as a stone and her ears deaf that makes Maria happy and frees
her from all his sufferings. If Maria didn’t satisfy with god’s wish that
Martha home is always wide open for her to join with her and find piece. Martha
says that leaves with the god of Maria whom she always believes. Martha goes out.
Maria falls on her knees and pray god that she cannot live in this desert and
she wants god to save her from her pain. In the end of the scene three, the
door opens and the old man appears.
In the scene four, old man arrives with a clear voice
and he is asking that Maria is calling him. Maria turning towards the old man
and asks him to help her. She wants mercy on her but the play ends with the old
man says ‘No’. The play ends with no hope for Maria when she trying to accept
the reality of the world. When she asks someone to help that she gets nothing
as the answer for her suffering.
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