Abstract
Albert Camus, a political activist and intellectual often expressed his philosophical attitudes through fiction and short essays. Camus is primarily known for philosophical position; a form of existentialism, that he portrays in his essays "The Absurd" and "The Myth of Sisyphus". The absurd is a set of beliefs to be adopted towards life in a universe that is devoid of a true or higher meaning when the only outcome will be death. This paper shows how, in the two previously mentioned essays, Camus explores the way in which absurdity appears in life and the consequences of making this discovery. Camus identifies the Absurd not as a source for despair but describes a way to defy meaninglessness and live life through experience.

From the Paper
"The theater of the Absurd is a display of modern life in a universe that is devoid of a true or higher meaning. This existential philosophy illustrated through plays relates a brutal world freed from any notion of divinity. In a world where the only outcome is certain death, there is no moral code, no god and no ultimate purpose. A person is left with a feeling of unease and dislocation, such is the beginning of Absurdity. Harold Pinter's The Birthday Party and Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot are two plays, which explore concepts such as these. Modernist theater features the notion of the absurd; a concept reflective of global attitude at the time in the wake of World War Two and the decline of religious faith."

Tags:beckett, camus, modernist, faith

Abstract
This paper examines the oft-misunderstood "Myth of Sisyphus" by Albert Camus. The paper describes how it is an examination of the right to life in the face of a meaningless world; Camus' "Sisyphus" cuts to the heart of whether or not a life can be worth living if one first admits that there can be no higher purpose. The paper asserts that it is this willingness to stare squarely in the face of meaningless and yet still conclude it is possible to live a happy, fulfilled life that so distinguishes Camus' "Sisyphus" from other philosophical treatises on the same subject.

From the Paper
"This essay will examine the oft-misunderstood "Myth of Sisyphus" by Albert Camus. An examination of the right to life in the face of a meaningless world, Camus' "Sisyphus" cuts to the heart of whether or not a life can be worth living if one first admits that there can be no higher purpose. Camus accepts as a starting point the reality that there is no evidence to support claims that the universe is built with human endeavors in mind, that there is a grand purpose to validate actions and provide meaning for life. It is this willingness to stare squarely in the face of meaningless and yet still conclude it is possible to live a happy, fulfilled life that..."

Tags:camus, myth, sisyphus

Abstract
The paper explores the nature of freedom in absolute and relative terms by focusing on three works of fiction by the philosophical writers Gide, Sartre and Camus. The paper discusses how they depict each writer's understanding of personal freedom, and how beliefs about the degree of freedom that we have affect the way in which we interpret the reality of the world.

From the Paper
"When we ask ourselves what is the nature of freedom, we are effectively asking ourselves; "What is our relationship to the world?" To ask what it means to be free is to ask to what extent we are bound to the world, to what extent we are limited by the world as we encounter it."

Tags:Sartre, Camus, Gide, freedom, reality, absurdity

Abstract
This paper discusses Camus' short story "The Guest" in light of Sartre's existentialism, Nietzsche's nihilism, and Karl Marx's philosophy, Marxism.

From the Paper
"Albert Camus' "The Guest" embodies the existentialism that prevails among the author's works. French existentialism was a philosophy promoted by Jean-Paul Sartre and that Camus found was widely misunderstood as a philosophy of hopelessness. (Wyatt) Sartre defined existentialism as a humanism suggesting that if God does not exist, there is at least one being whose existence comes before its essence, man. He asserted that; "If man as the existentialist sees him is not definable, it is because to begin with he is nothing. He will...""

Tags:Camus, The Guest, short story, existentialism, nihilism, Marxism, Sartre, Nietzsche, Marx

Abstract
In this paper, two anti-heroes in Franz Kafka's story "Metamorphosis" and Albert Camus' novel "The Stranger" are compared and contrasted about their relationship to their societies and to life. The paper discusses their search for meaning in their lives.

From the Paper
"Kafka's "Metamorphosis" is as bizarre a story as any ever written. Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman, wakes up one morning to discover he has been transformed into some kind of monstrous vermin. The genius of Kafka is obvious in his ability to imbue this laughably disgusting idea with such horrible fascination that he has no trouble holding our interest for pages."

Tags:Alienation, Existentialism, Kafka, Camus, Metamorphosis, Stranger, 20th, Century, Writers

Abstract
Often existentialism is equaled with Jean Paul Sartre because he popularized it both as a philosophical question and a literary style. The list of those who joined the existentialist movement is long. This essay compares and contrasts Camus with Sartre drawing on their two works namely, "The Stranger" and "No Exit" respectively.

Tags:existentialism, sartre, camus

Abstract
This paper analyzes two critical interpretations of the novel "The Stranger" by Albert Camus. One considers the protagonist Meursault to be a martyr for the truth, while the other believes the only truth that concerns him is that of his own feelings.

From the Paper
"In his novel "The Stranger", Albert Camus examines the absurd nature of human existence. The novel's protagonist Meursault is Camus' stranger as he is perceived as an outsider or social misfit by the society in which he lives. But many readers and critics ..."

Tags:Camus, The Stranger, Meursault, absurd

Abstract
The paper discusses how Albert Camus develops his theory of the absurd throughout this existential novel, "The Stranger". The paper explains that the novel is based on Camus' belief that there is no meaning or absolute truth in life. The paper demonstrates how throughout "The Stranger," the main character, Meursault, is clearly an unapologetic individual, who is uncaring and moved only through sensory experiences. The paper shows how this is used to reinforce Camus' message that there are only relative truths in life. The paper highlights Camus' belief that what we do, say and believe are only important to us and to those that they affect, but they are otherwise insignificant.

From the Paper
"Absolute truth, according to Albert Camus, does not exist, and it is this theme, along with the absurdity of human existence, that he is attempting to portray throughout "The Stranger." Through the alienated character of Meursault, who is shallow, almost inhuman, and an unrecognizable member of the human race, Camus shows us that our actions do not matter when viewed through the eyes of an eternal universe. What we do, say, and believe, are only important to us, and, perhaps, to those that they affect, but they are not significant, and neither are they Truth. Camus' basic point within this is that the only things that are real are physical experiences.

Tags:existentialism, absurd, Meursault, sensory

Abstract
The paper introduces and analyzes the book "The Stranger" by Albert Camus. Specifically the paper discusses a theme in the book using imagery and symbolism. The paper states that Camus' work has been called a work of absurdest fiction, in that Camus is attempting to illustrate the absurdity of life with his work. The paper also comments that ultimately, the theme of this work is that human life has no meaning, and that all of us will live and die, and the world will continue on without us. The paper notes that his dark and brooding character, Meursault, is the epitome of this meaningless existence, because Meursault is a cold, infinitely unlikable character with little to make him sympathetic or endearing. The paper concludes that it is a dark novel that stays with the reader long after the reading is done.

From the Paper
"From the beginning, it is clear that Meursault is not like most "normal" people. His only thought at the end of his mother's funeral, a time that would be emotional and heart wrenching for most people is "I pictured myself going straight to bed and sleeping twelve hours at a stretch" . He does not feel sorry for himself in losing a parent, or sorry for his mother or her friends, he only thinks of his own comfort and pleasure, another hint that he is callous and unfeeling."

Tags:disassociation, meaninglessness, unsympathetic, character

Abstract
This paper provides a brief biographical account of writer, Albert Camus, and then delves into an analysis of some of his works. Specifically, the paper focuses on three of Camus' novels, "The Stranger", "The Plague", and "The Myth of Sisyphus". The paper explains Camus' philosophical conception concerning the contradiction between man being a rational being but existing in an irrational world, as well as the current of existentialism running throughout the novels.

From the Paper
"Albert Camus was born on the 7th of November 1913 in Algeria from a French father and a Spanish mother. His father died in the First World War (seriously wounded in the battle of the Marne, he died a month later), so that Camus was raised by his mother and never knew his father. Camus spent his childhood in Alger, in his grandmother's house, where he received his first education. Later on, he passed onto to primary school under the tutorship of Louis German, to whom Camus will bear a strong gratitude his whole life and whom he mentioned in his acceptance speech upon winning the Nobel price in 1957. It was German that first encouraged Albert Camus in his studies and who convinced him to pursue a higher education within the Algiers University. During his time at the university, he founded the Th'tre du Travail in Algiers, where his first play, R'volte dans les Asturies, was put on scene. After earning a degree in philosophy, Camus quickly established himself as one of the most notable writers of the 20th century with novels like The Stranger (1946), The Plague (1948) and The Myth of Sisyphus (1955). Writer and novelist, philosopher, leader of the absurd school of thought, playwright, actor and translator, Camus was one of the most important literary figure of the 20th century. His life came to a tragic end on the 4th of January 1960, when he was killed in a car crash together with his friend and editor, Michel Gallimard. Ironically enough, Camus had intended to return to Paris by train, because of his dislike for cars, and a return rail ticket was found in his pocket."

Tags:absurdity, physical, suicide, religion, revolt, conscience, absurd, rats, arab, plague