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1. Life
y
 
 born on November 7, 1913
y
 
fath
er: 1914, died o
f 
s
h
r 
ap
nel wounds su
ff 
ered
y
 
only
th
ing C
a
mus ever le
a
rned
a
 bou
t
 
h
is
fath
er -- violen
t
ly ill
aft
er wi
t
nessing
a
 
 p
ublicexecu
t
ion « novel
 L¶Etranger 
.
y
 
moved
t
o Algiers w
h
ere
th
ey lived wi
th
 
h
is m
at
ern
a
l uncle
a
nd gr 
a
ndmo
th
er in
h
er cr 
a
m
 p
ed second-
f 
loor 
apa
r 
t
men
t
in
th
e working-cl
a
ss dis
t
ric
t
o
f 
Belcour 
t
.
y
 
C
a
mus¶ mo
th
er = illi
t
er 
at
e,
 pa
r 
t
i
a
lly de
af 
,
a
nd
aff 
lic
t
ed wi
th
 
a
s
 p
eec
h
 
 path
ology, workedin
a
n
a
mmuni
t
ion
fa
c
t
ory
a
nd cle
a
ned
h
omes
t
o
h
el
 p
su
 pp
or 
t
 
th
e
fa
mily.
y
 
h
ig
h
sc
h
ool ye
a
rs C
a
mus --
a
vid re
a
der (
a
 bsorbing Gide, Prous
t
, Verl
a
ine,
a
nd Bergson,
a
mong o
th
ers), le
a
rned L
at
in
a
nd Englis
h
,
a
nd develo
 p
ed
a
li
f 
elong in
t
eres
t
in li
t
er 
at
ure,
a
r 
t
,
th
e
at
re,
a
nd
f 
ilm.
y
 
a
go
a
l-kee
 p
er): ³I le
a
rned . . .
that
 
a
b
a
ll never 
a
rrives
f 
rom
th
e direc
t
ion you ex
 p
ec
t
ed i
t
.T
hat
 
h
el
 p
ed me in l
at
er li
f 
e, es
 p
eci
a
lly in m
a
inl
a
nd Fr 
a
nce, w
h
ere nobody
 p
l
a
ys s
t
r 
a
ig
ht
.´I
t
w
a
s
a
lso during
th
is
 p
eriod
that
C
a
mus su
ff 
ered
h
is
f 
irs
t
serious
atta
ck o
f 
 
t
uberculosis,
a
dise
a
se
that
w
a
s
t
o
aff 
lic
t
 
h
im, on
a
nd o
ff 
,
th
roug
h
ou
t
 
h
is c
a
reer.
y
 
1933 C
a
mus enrolled
at
 
th
e Universi
t
y o
f 
Algiers ± 
 ph
iloso
 ph
y
y
 
 L¶Etranger 
(
Th
e Stranger 
),
 p
ublis
h
ed in 1942
t
o
fa
vor 
a
 ble cri
t
ic
a
l res
 p
onse, including
a
 leng
th
y
a
nd
 p
ene
t
r 
at
ing review by Je
a
n-P
a
ul S
a
r 
t
re.
y
 
 Le Myt 
h
e de Sisyp
h
e
(
Th
e Myt 
h
of Sisyp
hu
 s
),
h
is
 ph
iloso
 ph
ic
a
l
a
n
at
omy o
f 
suicide
a
nd
th
e
a
 bsurd,
a
nd joined G
a
llim
a
rd Publis
h
ing
a
s
a
n edi
t
or,
a
 
 p
osi
t
ion
h
e
h
eld un
t
il
h
isde
ath
.
y
 
In
th
e l
at
e 40¶s
 La Peste
(
Th
e Plag 
u
e
),
a
n
a
llegoric
a
l novel
a
nd
f 
ic
t
ion
a
l
 pa
r 
a
 ble o
f 
 
th
e N
az
i Occu
 pat
ion
a
nd
th
e du
t
y o
f 
revol
t
,
y
 
In 1951
h
e
 p
ublis
h
ed
 L¶HommeRevolte
(
Th
e Rebel 
),
a
re
f 
lec
t
ion on
th
e n
at
ure o
f 
 
f 
reedom
a
nd rebellion
a
nd
a
 
 ph
iloso
 ph
ic
a
l cri
t
ique o
f 
revolu
t
ion
a
ry violence.
y
 
In 1956, C
a
mus
 p
ublis
h
ed
 La C 
hu
te
(
Th
e Fall 
),
th
e s
h
or 
t
, con
f 
ession
a
l novel, w
h
ic
h
 un
f 
or 
t
un
at
ely would be
th
e l
a
s
t
o
f 
 
h
is com
 p
le
t
ed m
a
 jor works
a
nd w
h
ic
h
in
th
e o
 p
inion o
f 
 some cri
t
ics is
th
e mos
t
eleg
a
n
t
,
a
nd mos
t
under-r 
at
ed, o
f 
 
a
ll
h
is books.
y
 
J
a
nu
a
ry 4
th
o
f 
1960, C
a
mus died
t
r 
a
gic
a
lly in
a
c
a
r 
a
cciden
t
 
y
 
U
 p
on
h
e
a
ring o
f 
C
a
mus¶ de
ath
, S
a
r 
t
re wro
t
e
a
moving eulogy in
th
e
 France-Observate
u
r 
,s
a
lu
t
ing
h
is
f 
ormer 
f 
riend
a
nd
 p
oli
t
ic
a
l
a
dvers
a
ry no
t
only
f 
or 
h
is dis
t
inguis
h
edcon
t
ribu
t
ions
t
o Frenc
h
li
t
er 
at
ure bu
t
es
 p
eci
a
lly
f 
or 
th
e
h
eroic moral courage and³s
t
ubborn
h
umanism´ w
h
ic
h
 
h
e broug
ht
 
t
o bear agains
t
 
th
e ³massive and deformedeven
t
s of 
th
e day.´
 
 
2
.a. Fic
t
ion
 
Th
e Stranger 
(1942) ± From i
t
s cold o
 p
ening lines, ³Mo
th
er died
t
od
a
y. Or m
a
ybe yes
t
erd
a
y; Ic
a
n¶
t
be sure,´
t
o i
t
s ble
a
k concluding im
a
ge o
f 
 
a
 
 p
ublic execu
t
ion se
t
 
t
o
ta
ke
 p
l
a
ce bene
ath
 
th
e³benign indi
ff 
erence o
f 
 
th
e universe,´ C
a
mus¶
f 
irs
t
 
a
nd mos
t
 
fa
mous novel
ta
kes
th
e
f 
orm o
f 
 
a
 
t
erse,
f 
l
at
,
f 
irs
t
-
 p
erson n
a
rr 
at
ive by i
t
s m
a
in c
ha
r 
a
c
t
er Meurs
a
ul
t
,
a
very ordin
a
ry young m
a
n o
f 
 unrem
a
rk 
a
 ble
ha
 bi
t
s
a
nd unemo
t
ion
a
l
aff 
ec
t
w
h
o, inex
 p
lic
a
 bly
a
nd in
a
n
a
lmos
t
 
a
 bsen
t
-mindedw
a
y, kills
a
n Ar 
a
 b
a
nd
th
en is
a
rres
t
ed,
t
ried, convic
t
ed,
a
nd sen
t
enced
t
o de
ath
. T
h
e neu
t
r 
a
l s
t
yleo
f 
 
th
e novel ± 
t
y
 p
ic
a
l o
f 
w
hat
 
th
e cri
t
ic Rol
a
nd B
a
r 
th
es c
a
lled ³wri
t
ing degree
z
ero´ ± serves
a
s
a
 
 p
er 
f 
ec
t
ve
h
icle
f 
or 
th
e descri
 pt
ions
a
nd commen
ta
ry o
f 
i
t
s
a
n
t
i-
h
ero n
a
rr 
at
or,
th
e ul
t
im
at
e³ou
t
sider´
a
nd
a
 
 p
erson w
h
o seems
t
o observe every
th
ing, including
h
is own li
f 
e, wi
th
 
a
lmos
t
 
 path
ologic
a
l de
ta
c
h
men
t
.
5
. P
h
ilosop
h
y
³More
a
wri
t
er 
tha
n
a
 
 ph
iloso
 ph
er.´(Assessmen
t
 
 p
enciled on C
a
mus¶ disser 
tat
ion by
h
is disser 
tat
ion
a
dviser.)
y
 
To re-em
 pha
si
z
e
a
 
 p
oin
t
m
a
de e
a
rlier, C
a
mus considered
h
imsel
f 
 
f 
irs
t
 
a
nd
f 
oremos
t
 
a
 
w
riter 
(
u
n ecrivain
). --
 jo
u
rnalist,
hu
manist, novelist,
a
nd even
moralist 
.
y
 
H
owever, uncom
f 
or 
ta
 ble iden
t
i
f 
ying
h
imsel
f 
 
a
s
a
 
 p
h
ilosop
h
er 
.
T
h
emes and Ideas
.
 i.
T
h
e Absurd
y
 
C
a
mus
ha
s been used
t
o ex
 p
l
a
in e
 p
isodes o
f 
 
Seinfeld 
 
a
nd
Th
e Simpsons
 
y
 
i
t
is l
a
rgely
th
roug
h
 
th
e
th
oug
ht
 
a
nd wri
t
ings o
f 
 
th
e Frenc
h
-Algeri
a
n
a
u
th
or 
that
 
th
econce
 pt
o
f 
 
a
 bsurdi
t
y
ha
s become
a
 
 pa
r 
t
no
t
only o
f 
world li
t
er 
at
ure
a
nd
t
wen
t
ie
th
-cen
t
ury
 ph
iloso
 ph
y, bu
t
o
f 
modern
 p
o
 p
ul
a
r cul
t
ure
a
s well.
y
 
W
hat
 
th
en is me
a
n
t
by
th
e no
t
ion o
f 
 
th
e
a
 bsurd?
y
 
Con
t
r 
a
ry
t
o
th
e view conveyed by
 p
o
 p
ul
a
r cul
t
ure,
th
e
a
 bsurd, (
at
le
a
s
t
in C
a
mus¶
t
erms)does no
t
sim
 p
ly re
f 
er 
t
o some v
a
gue
 p
erce
 pt
ion
that
modern li
f 
e is
f 
r 
a
ug
ht
wi
th
 
 pa
r 
a
doxes, incongrui
t
ies,
a
nd in
t
ellec
t
u
a
l con
f 
usion.
y
 
a
s
h
e
h
imsel
f 
em
 pha
si
z
es
a
nd
t
ries
t
o m
a
ke cle
a
r,
th
e absurd expresses a fundamen
t
aldis
h
armony, a
t
ragic incompa
t
ibili
t
y, in our exis
t
ence
.
y
 
In e
ff 
ec
t
,
h
e
a
rgues
that
 
th
e
a
 bsurd is
th
e
produc
t
of a collision or confron
t
a
t
ionbe
t
ween our
h
uman desire for order, meaning, and purpose in life and
th
e blank,
 
indifferen
t
³silence of 
th
e universe.´
(³T
h
e
a
 bsurd is no
t
in m
a
n nor in
th
e world,´C
a
mus ex
 p
l
a
ins, ³bu
t
in
th
eir 
 p
resence
t
oge
th
er. . . i
t
is
th
e only bond uni
t
ing
th
em.´)
y
 
So
h
ere we
a
re:
 p
oor cre
at
ures des
 p
er 
at
ely seeking
h
o
 p
e
a
nd me
a
ning in
a
 
h
o
 p
eless,me
a
ningless world.
y
 
T
h
e
a
 bsurd
a
rises
f 
rom
th
e
h
um
a
n dem
a
nd
f 
or cl
a
ri
t
y
a
nd
t
r 
a
nscendence on
th
e one
ha
nd
a
nd
a
cosmos
that
o
ff 
ers no
th
ing o
f 
 
th
e kind on
th
e o
th
er. Suc
h
is our 
fat
e:
we in
h
abi
t
aworld
th
a
t
is indifferen
t
 
t
o our sufferings and deaf 
t
o our pro
t
es
t
s
.
In Camus¶ view
th
ere are
th
ree possible p
h
ilosop
h
ical responses
t
o
th
is predicamen
t
.
T
woof 
th
ese
h
e condemns as evasions;
th
e o
th
er
h
e pu
t
s forward as a proper solu
t
ion.
1.
 
Our 
f 
irs
t
c
h
oice is blun
t
 
a
nd sim
 p
le:
p
h
ysical suicide
. C
a
mus rejec
t
s
th
is c
h
oice
a
s
cowardly
. A renunci
at
ion o
f 
li
f 
e, no
t
 
a
 
t
rue revol
t
.2.
 
th
e
religious solu
t
ion
o
f 
 
 p
osi
t
ing
a
 
t
ranscenden
t
world
o
f 
sol
a
ce
a
nd me
a
ning beyond
th
e Absurd. -- ³
p
h
ilosop
h
ical suicide
´
a
nd rejec
t
s i
t
 
a
s
t
r 
a
ns
 pa
ren
t
ly
evasive
 
a
nd
f 
r 
a
udulen
t
. An
anni
h
ila
t
e reason
, w
h
ic
h
in C
a
mus¶ view is
a
s
fata
l
a
nd sel
f 
-des
t
ruc
t
ive
a
s
 ph
ysic
a
l suicide.3.
 
th
e only
a
u
th
en
t
ic
a
nd v
a
lid solu
t
ion is sim
 p
ly
t
o
accep
t
absurdi
t
y, or be
tt
er ye
t
 
t
oembrace i
t
, and
t
o con
t
inue living
. « b/c
th
e
a
 bsurd is
a
n un
a
void
a
 ble, indeed de
f 
ining,c
ha
r 
a
c
t
eris
t
ic o
f 
 
th
e
h
um
a
n condi
t
ion,
th
e only
 p
ro
 p
er res
 p
onse
t
o i
t
is
f 
ull, un
f 
linc
h
ing,cour 
a
geous
a
cce
 pta
nce. Li
f 
e,
h
e s
a
ys, c
a
n ³
be lived all
th
e be
tt
er if i
t
 
h
as no meaning
.´
The Myth of Sisyphus
« Doomed
t
o e
t
ern
a
l l
a
 bor 
at
 
h
is rock,
f 
ully conscious o
f 
 
th
e essen
t
i
a
l
h
o
 p
elessness o
f 
 
h
is
 p
lig
ht
, Sisy
 ph
us never 
th
eless
 p
us
h
es on «
a
n icon o
f 
 
th
e
spiri
t
of revol
t
 
a
ndo
f 
 
th
e
h
um
a
n condi
t
ion.
T
o rise eac
h
day
t
o fig
ht
a ba
tt
le you know you canno
t
win, and
t
odo
th
is wi
th
wi
t
, grace, compassion for o
th
ers, and even a sense of mission, is
t
o face
th
eAbsurd in a spiri
t
of 
t
rue
h
eroism
.
ii.
th
e
spiri
t
of revol
t
 
y
 
W
hat
is revol
t
?
y
 
Sim
 p
ly de
f 
ined, i
t
is
th
e
S
isyp
h
ean spiri
t
of defiance in
th
e face of 
th
e Absurd
. «i
t
is
a
s
 p
iri
t
o
f 
o
 pp
osi
t
ion
a
g
a
ins
t
 
any
 
 p
erceived un
fa
irness, o
 pp
ression, or indigni
t
y in
th
e
h
um
a
n condi
t
ion.
y
 
Rebellion in C
a
mus¶ sense begins wi
th
 
a
recogni
t
ion o
f 
bound
a
ries
a
nd limi
t
s
that
de
f 
ineone¶s essen
t
i
a
l sel
fh
ood
a
nd
th
us mus
t
no
t
be in
f 
ringed ± 
a
s w
h
en
th
e sl
a
ve s
ta
nds u
 p
 
t
o
h
is m
a
s
t
er 
a
nd s
a
ys in e
ff 
ec
t
³
th
us
fa
r,
a
nd no
f 
ur 
th
er, s
ha
ll I be comm
a
nded.´
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