The Absurdity of Man Essay -- essays research papers

Absurdity is defined as that which is contrary to reason clearly untrue, paradoxical or ridiculous. It is often a topic in existentialist literature relating to life. This subject is prevalent in Camus The extraterrestrial and The Myth of Sisyphus. Camus depicts absurdity rescue about happiness or numbness in each of these literary works. In The Myth of Sisyphus, it is made clear that Sisyphus is aware that his existence is absurd. He is sentenced to an eternity of rolling a boulder up a swallow up mountain only to let it roll back down when it reaches its peak. His cataclysm lies in the fact that he is conscious of the extent of his own misery. What makes his essay very absurd is that he knows that there is no death at the end of it. The last sentence in this essay is in itself absurd, subsequently describing the dilemma that Sisyphus eternally faces, Camus exclaims, One must imagine Sisyphus happy. This paradox is upheld because Sisyphus is leave refusing to recognize tha t there is nothing to hope for, and that he must give-up the ghost solely with what is known. Sisyphus redemption is seen in his ongoing struggle against the absurd. In The Stranger, Meursault does not realize his absurd situation until the end of the novel. It is illustrated, however, in his indifference toward life and lack of emotion throughout. In the beginning of the novel, Meursault is seen as a detached observer of life who is devoted to appreciating sensation. His physical wants and needs surmount his reason and...