The Stranger and the Myth of Sisyphus Why That’s Absurd! Essay Example

The Stranger and the Myth of Sisyphus? Why That’s Absurd! Paper The Stranger and The Myth of Sisyphus? Why That’s Absurd! Before the mid-twentieth century, â€Å"tragedy† was a special word reserved, as Aristotle wrote, only for those in power. Modernist literature (spearheaded by Arthur Miller’s Tragedy and the Common Man), however, muddied the waters — depicting many different types of people as tragic heroes. Among the first of these so-called commoner tragic heroes was Albert Camus’ Meursault. Like the classically tragic Sisyphus in ancient Greek mythology, Meursault goes through a crisis, is punished in an absurd manner (he is sentenced to death not for killing a man, but for being insufficiently gloomy after his mother’s death) and yet eventually accepts his fate. The Myth of Sisyphus, a philosophical essay written in 1942 by Albert Camus describes the absurd and existentialist elements of the classic Greek legend. In the myth, Sisyphus is punished by the Gods; he is condemned to roll a rock up a hill (until the weight overwhelms him and the rock rolls back down the hill) for all of eternity. We will write a custom essay sample on The Stranger and the Myth of Sisyphus? Why That’s Absurd! specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Stranger and the Myth of Sisyphus? Why That’s Absurd! specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Stranger and the Myth of Sisyphus? Why That’s Absurd! specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Within his 120-page essay, Camus compares Sisyphus’ amaranthine task to the jobs many modern men and women have in factories and offices. â€Å"The workman of today works every day in his life at the same tasks, and this fate is no less absurd,† Camus writes. â€Å"But it is tragic only at the rare moments when it becomes conscious† (Camus 77). This interesting view of Camus has been duplicated time and again by other writers, and with good reason. He accurately pinpoints the absurdity of the repetitive modern life and elaborates further on the concept of absurdity in existentialism (in the quoted essay as well as numerous other works). Indeed, Camus believes Sisyphus is absurd (and tragic) because of his apparent indifference — his acknowledgement of the futility of his task and the acceptance of his fate. Camus ponders over what Sisyphus must be thinking on his way down the hill (for the billionth or so time), and concludes that his absurd resignation has rendered him content. â€Å"Happiness and absurd are two sons of the same earth,† Camus writes. â€Å"They are inseparable† (77). â€Å"One must imagine Sisyphus happy,† Camus later elaborates (78). Similarly, Camus depicts Meursault as reasonably happy after he receives his sentence. Indeed, Meursault is at ease sitting in his jail cell. As he mentally prepares himself for execution, Meursault thinks, â€Å"As if that blind rage had washed me clean, rid me of hope; for the first time, in that night alive with signs and stars, I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world. Finding it so much like myself—so like a brother, really—I felt happy and that I was happy again† (Camus 122/123). He not only accepts his fate, but greets it as a brother — sickly; or rather, absurdly. Throughout the whole book, in fact, Meursault seems frighteningly indifferent. Even after his girlfriend Marie proposes to him, Meursault appears detached and apathetic. These facets of The Stranger (which befuddle many readers) certainly contribute to the tragedy of the story. In accordance with the rules of tragedy in existentialism, both Sisyphus and Meursault encounter absurd crises. Consequently, both receive horrific punishments — punishments that would cause the average person significant stress. Even with their crises and punishment, however, both Sisyphus and Meursault accept the low-number and off-suit cards they were dealt, perhaps even taking them willingly. Both of their stories are, accordingly, tragedies (in the modern sense if not as defined by Aristotle). The Cabot Literary Glossary defines a tragic hero as â€Å"a character who experiences an inner struggle because of a character flaw; that struggle ends in the defeat of the hero† (â€Å"Cabot Literary Glossary†). Sisyphus and Meursault both have very obvious flaws — Sisyphus disrespects the Gods and Meursault kills the Arab — and both become conscious of their punishments. They are surely tragic heroes as defined both by Camus and existentialism in general. Existentialism in general is a principle based on the fact that people have free will and are ultimately responsible for their own choices. Existentialism also examines emotions and one’s essence versus one’s existence. It is further evident that tragedy not only fits into but is an integral part of existentialism. Tragedy deals entirely with the flaws one possesses and the choices one makes with regard to the flaws. Both Meursault and Sisyphus are brought down by their flaws, and both make the very apparent (and perhaps unusual) choice to disregard the obvious feelings of despair and, as they say, put on a happy face. This is central to both their essence and their existence. Even today, some seventy or so years after its completion, Camus is widely considered to be one of the leading existential writers with regard to absurdity. This branch of existential writing holds, basically, that anything can happen to anyone; in essence, bad things can befall good people. Rather, the absurd world in which we live can plummet anyone into tragedy. Camus’ signature character, Meursault is one of the all-time greatest examples of an absurd and tragic hero for his indifference and personality in general. Sisyphus too experienced a catastrophe and suffered a similarly absurd fate. Most significant of all, both react in a similar manner: with contentment. Works Cited â€Å"Cabot Literary Glossary. † cpsia. k12. ar. us. Web. Accessed 21 Dec. 2010. cpscia. k12. ar. us/Curriculum/Parent%20Guides/Hyperlinked%20%20Cabot%20Parent% 20Guides/Glossary. doc. Camus, Albert. The Myth of Sisyphus, and Other Essays. New York: Vintage, 1955. Online, PDF. Camus, Albert. The Stranger. New York: A. A. Knopf, 1988. Print.

Why Are You Applying to This School?

Why Are You Applying to This School?One of the most important things that a prospective student must know is why they are applying to this school. This may be the first part of the essay, the most important part of the essay, or the only part of the essay to look at, but if it is the first part then it is the first part that the student will use to determine if this is the right school for them.After the campus visit and the first interview, a decision has to be made to decide whether or not to accept the offer, as not doing so can cause a lot of harm and damage to the student's future. If the answer is yes, then one of the first things that the student must do is develop an idea of why they feel that they would benefit from this school.Essays must be written with an eye toward content and must be written with an eye toward impact. The essay is not just a piece of paper that has to be able to contain the information needed to help the student make a decision. Essays should be written so that the reader can gain something out of the content.A lot of students go on an expensive ride just to get the services of their parents. Students should realize that in most cases they will pay a premium to get what they want when they wanted it and more.Schools vary widely in their reputation. There are some very good schools that turn people away that are considered to be scams. If you have found the school you want to attend, it is imperative that you think of ways to help people determine if the school is legitimate or not.The reason can be given for the school and the student should remember that this reason can change and continue to change. For example, there are times when the reasonis that the school offers a better education for the student to have. In other cases the reason may be that the student found out that there are things in the school that are not right and will teach the student a lesson.Every time a student gets an offer for a school, they should remember that there are many, many factors that come into play in making that decision. When a student is looking for an institution to attend, they must look for the best school for them that will provide them with the education that they need.