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Meursault: Camus' Absurd Hero, 2003.
An analysis of the character of Monsieur Meursault as the absurd hero in Albert Camus' "The Stranger".
959 words (approx. 3.8 pages), 1 source, MLA, AU$ 44.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses how in "The Myth of Sisyphus," Camus identifies the absurd hero who can survive amidst chaos. The absurd hero neither conforms to social rules, and religion as a means to deny the chaos, nor chooses suicide as a means to escape it. In particular, it looks at how Camus exemplifies his hero as Monsieur Meursault in the novel "The Stranger" and how Meursault shows every characteristic of the absurd hero. It examines how he revolts, is free and passionate, but never explains his actions nor those of others.
From the Paper
"A third characteristic of an absurd hero, as stated by Camus, is that of passion. Camus describes passion as the pursuit of a life rich with diverse experience, the counter to what the French refer to as "metro, boulot, dodo," subway, work, sleep. Meursault lives his life full of experiences. He goes swimming with friends (19-20, 34, 47). He attends movies with Marie and his friend Emmanuel (20, 34). He can be seen hopping on a truck for fun with Emmanuel (25-6). Meursault is not completely wrapped up in his work. He has a rich life with many experiences, not the least of which being killing a man and discovering the beauty of life while in prison."
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"Theatre of the Absurd", 2002.
A study of four works by "Theatre of the Absurd" playwrights.
1,600 words (approx. 6.4 pages), 4 sources, MLA, AU$ 67.95
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Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to discuss Absurdist (Existential) theatre and four works by ?Theatre of the Absurd? playwrights. The works used are "Victoria Station" by Harold Pinter, "The Zoo Story" by Edward Albee, "The Philadelphia" by David Ives and "Sure Thing," by David Ives. Specifically, it discusses hopelessness and meaningless as a base plot for the ?Theatre of the Absurd? and how these two concepts reveal themselves in the works.
From the Paper
"All four of these plays are by authors considered to write for the "Theatre of the Absurd" movement, which began in the late 50s. It is a movement concerned with the absurdity and absolute pointlessness of life. Many playwrights participated, including Samuel Beckett, Harold Pinter, Eugene Ionesco, Jean Genet, and Edward Albee. "The 20th century's most popular non-realistic genre is absurdism. The root 'absurd,' connotes something that does not follow the roots of logic. In the Absurdist school of drama, this holds true. Existence is fragmented, pointless. There is no truth so the search for truth is abandoned in Absurdist works. Language is reduced to a bantering game where words obfuscate rather elucidate the truth. Action moves outside of the realm of causality to chaos. Absurdists minimalize the sense of place. Characters are forced to move in an incomprehensible, void-like realm" (Sosnowski)."
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Suicide: A Existential Nihilist Solution To The Absurd, 2002.
An essay on Albert Camus' theory on suicide and its relation to the absurd.
758 words (approx. 3.0 pages), 1 source, AU$ 35.95
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Abstract
An existentential nihilist paper on Albert Camus's essay on "An Absurd Reasoning." The paper focuses on Camus' major theme of absurdity with its relation to life and suicide. The paper uses quotes from Camus and examines the concepts of society and its ideal ethics.
From the Paper
"Existential nihilist philosopher and 1957 Nobel Prize winner for literature, Albert Camus wrote an essay entitled ?An Absurd Reasoning,? where he suggests suicide is a solution to the absurd. As horrifying as it may sound and as absurd as it may seem, surprisingly, there is logic to his rather depressing theory. Due to society?s concept and interpretation of suicide, Camus theory may and most likely be ignorantly disregarded. However, the purpose of this essay and perhaps also the impact may in doubt be able to reach upon and grasp further than the concepts of society and their ideal ethics. In order to grasp Camus theory, one must not understand but rather identify absurdity with its own parallel connection to the self. Without a reason to live and the absurdity in the pursuit of meaning, a simple conclusion may be drawn rather than sought, where suicide is the solution to the absurd."
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Comparing The Absurd, 2002.
Compares two essays (by Nora Eptron and Shirley Abbott) relating to absurdity.
650 words (approx. 2.6 pages), 2 sources, AU$ 33.95
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Abstract
This paper will compare and contrast the two essays: "A Few Words About Breasts: Shaping Up Absurd" by Nora Eptron and "The Importance of Dissimulation" by Shirley Abbott.
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Oedipus and the Absurd Life, 2003.
An argument against the views of Robert Cohen's argument in "Oedipus and the Absurd Life".
690 words (approx. 2.8 pages), 2 sources, MLA, AU$ 30.95
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Abstract
This paper disagrees with Robert Cohen's argument in "Oedipus and the Absurd Life" that Oedipus is a bullheaded, unschooled primitive and his persistence brings about his downfall. The primary source is Sophocles' "Oedipus Tyrannus."
From the Paper
"In Robert Cohen's Oedipus and the Absurd Life, Cohen's estimation of Oedipus in Oedipus Tyrannus is frequently harsh. As Cohen writes Oedipus is stubborn, bullheaded, frequently stupid, often rude and admittedly and unashamedly..."
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Absurdity in 'The Outsider', 2003.
A discussion of how the theme of an absurd universe relates to characters in Albert Camus' classic novel 'The Outsider'.
2,015 words (approx. 8.1 pages), 0 sources, AU$ 81.95
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Abstract
Description of the concept of aburdity and its history as a literary idea. Broad analysis of how character of Meursault embraces this view of an absurd life. Specific analysis of key incidents which highlight this in the text.
From the Paper
"Absurdism is a literary idea that began to grow in the 1920s and prospered as people sought to explain the wars and hardships that plagued the world at that time. Its basic principle is that life doesn?t matter. People are powerless to really change their lives or the lives of others, and so humanity is basically useless. No matter how brilliantly or terribly we live our lives, whether we are a doctor or a murderer, we will eventually die and be left with nothing. The world is therefore meaningless, but humanity is constantly trying to explain its own existence. People are searching for something they can never possibly find. It is an absurd search."
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Absurdity and Camus, 2002.
Explores how Albert Camus uses absurdist philosophy in two of his works.
1,703 words (approx. 6.8 pages), 7 sources, MLA, AU$ 70.95
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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 theatre 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 theatre 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."
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Absurdity in Literature, 2004.
An in-depth look at the similarities between "Mrs. Dalloway" by Virginia Woolf and Albert Camus' essay, "The Myth of Sisyphus".
5,255 words (approx. 21.0 pages), 0 sources, AU$ 166.95
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Abstract
Albert Camus, in his essay "The Myth of Sisyphus", defines the absurd as the collision between man and the world, resulting in the discrepancy between what one wants and what one gets. The resulting anxiety leads to the individual's confrontation with nothingness and with the impossibility of finding justification for the choices he or she must make. The paper provides an in-depth look at how Virginia Woolf's novel, "Mrs. Dalloway" depicts the absurd through narrative terms strikingly similar to those explored by Camus in "The Myth of Sisyphus".
From the Paper
"For Clarissa, the manifestation of the absurd is a subtle but profound flickering of light within the depths of the inner life, but for Septimus the hollow caverns of his war-torched soul, reflect an inferno of absurd terror and beauty. Septimus embodies the ideal of the absurd man, the protruding edge slicing through the fine film of reality. His experiences of crystallized beauty, sublime surrealism, and visionary spells isolate him in a silenced world. Part of the world but distinctly separate from it, Septimus combats convention and proportion, symbols of excessive rationality prescribed to the world as cures for the malady of the absurd."
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Cultural Change in the Light Of Absurdity, 2002.
Explores J. Tanizaki's work, "Diary Of A Mad Old Man", on cultural change during the 1960s in Japan.
4,900 words (approx. 19.6 pages), 12 sources, AU$ 227.95
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Abstract
A paper on "Diary of a Mad Old Man" by J. Tanizaki, which discusses absurdity as it accompanies the author's notes on Japanese cultural change in the 1960s and according to what seems to be strongly Freudian themes.
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Happiness and the Absurd, 2005.
This paper provides a critical analysis of Camus's retelling of the "Myth of Sisyphus".
1,000 words (approx. 4.0 pages), 1 source, MLA, AU$ 45.95
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Abstract
In this article, the writer notes that in the essay "Myth of Sisyphus" Albert Camus writes, "One must imagine Sisyphus is happy." This paper cites existential evidence in an attempt to back up such a seemingly outlandish statement. This essay offers a brief synopsis of the work while analyzing and diving into the philosophy behind the 'Myth of Sisyphus' by applying existentialism, the human condition and absurdity to the myth.
From the Paper
"In his allegorical retelling of the myth of Sisyphus, Camus likens the human condition to that of Sisyphus (who is condemned to the ceaseless and seemingly purposeless task of pushing a rock up a hill). Camus offers both a critique of the self-condemning meaningless toil of our own lives, but also points to our only freedom and salvation, or our "conscious" freedom (i.e., our ability to choose), as the answer to it. My only contention with Camus's parallel is the fact that Sisyphus is enslaved to this ceaseless task by fault of his own. For Sisyphus, it is a punishment, but what is it that we are being reprimanded for? Why am I here now, enduring this scrutinizing rollercoaster ride of highs and lows? After closer dissection of his essay, one must find their self in opposition to Camus's depiction of the human condition; unlike Sisyphus, we have done nothing to justify the conditions of such torture."
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International Justice: Not Necessarily Destined for Absurdity, 2002.
Why international jurisprudence should avoid claims of universality, and focus on arbitration and crimes against humanity in small or defeated nations.
930 words (approx. 3.7 pages), 2 sources, AU$ 42.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the role that international jurisprudence plays in conflicts between nations, and how the role of the international courts is being abused by nations, who want to use the reaps of war, rather than negotiations, to settle their disputes.
From the paper:
"The ICJ reveals itself as impotent even when adjudicating against weaker nations, as illustrated by its farcical order that Iran free its American hostages taken after the Embassy was stormed (Meyer 127). Whether with great powers or less powers, international jurisprudence is helpless to resolve conflicts in which one party merely desires to exploit its power.
Where both parties are mutually interested in an arbitrated solution to a dispute, however, international jurisprudence is useful."
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Albert Camus and the Struggle Against Absurdity, 2002.
This paper looks at the works and philosophy of Albert Camus and the path with which one can defy meaninglessness and live life through experience.
1,072 words (approx. 4.3 pages), 4 sources, MLA, AU$ 47.95
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Abstract
This paper is an exploration of the philosophical position of existentialism, giving backgrounds on the early existentialists in post-war France. The writer looks at the literary works that influenced existentialism such as Camus' "The Outsider" and "The Myth Of Sisyphus".
From the Paper
"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. In the two previously mentioned essays, Camus explores how absurdity appears in a 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."
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Albert Camus, 2002.
A discussion of absurdity in the philosophy of Albert Camus in light of the criticism of Thomas Nagel.
1,400 words (approx. 5.6 pages), 2 sources, AU$ 68.95
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Abstract
This paper will interrogate the arguments of Camus, with respect to the question of absurdity, in light of the criticism of Thomas Nagel. It will be argued that - for all its flaws and fundamental pessimism - Camus' understanding of absurdity allows us the capacity for meaningful human action; a quality denied by the ironic approach of Nagel.
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Irony in ?A Modest Proposal? by Jonathan Swift, 2002.
This paper shows how the author of the book utilizes irony as a tool to make the absurd a possibility.
886 words (approx. 3.5 pages), 1 source, MLA, AU$ 40.95
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Abstract
This paper describes how the author takes irony to the extreme. Rather than write a direct essay criticizing Ireland?s treatment of its poor, Swift realizes that irony and parody are much more effective tools. Consequently, he develops an absolutely absurd ?solution? to Ireland?s poverty problem and bends reason to persuade his readers directly that his proposal that Ireland?s wealthy eat the poor babies is a possible one, and indirectly that Ireland?s treatment of the poor may as well be cannibalistic in its cruelty.
From the Paper
"This is arguably the most successful passage in the piece. In one fell swoop, Swift professes his sincerity in suggesting that eating babies would give pleasure to the rich and that Swift himself is exempt from this proposal. He does this by combining the reasoning device of sincerity discussed above with another example of lulling the reader into submission: the public good of the country, advancing the trade, providing for infants and relieving the poor are all worthy goals to attain. But Swift tacks on ?giving some pleasure to the rich? to the end of that list, and as readers, we at first swallow that ?benefit? as well, but on a double-take, realize that giving pleasure to the rich is not one of our duties, it just seems that it is given society?s ills."
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?The Old Man with Enormous Wings?, 2005.
Examines the casual acceptance of the absurd in this story by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
919 words (approx. 3.7 pages), 1 source, MLA, AU$ 41.95
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Abstract
Gabriel Garcia Marquez's short story, "The Old Man with Enormous Wings," might, from a plot summary, appear to be a light fantasy story. However, through closer examination, this paper shows that it is actually a very realistic piece of culturally accurate, albeit speculative, fiction. This story is very realistic because it shows the casual and reasonable way in which people are capable of accepting and integrating the absurd into their daily lives, acknowledges the lack of faith or curiosity which has perverted much of modern religion and does all this without stepping outside the lines of realistic occurrence.
From the Paper
"The casual naturalization of the miraculous may be a modern phenomena; at least it is certain that its effects on religion are relatively new -- for this naturalization has made it so that most religions no longer expect the supernatural and that much of science treats the occurrence of the supposedly supernatural with quiet disregard and the assurance that it has "natural causes" such as fraud. In Marquez's story, the local priest Father Gonzago writes to the Vatican for their opinion on the winged man. They respond with questions, but appear to dismiss his questions generally. This might seem odd. However, if one looks at worldwide reports of miracles (such as weeping Mary statues, stigmata sufferers, the existence of a girl in a coma who can heal people, or sightings of the Virgin or Christ), then one will notice that the Catholic Church has consistently sent inquiries into the subjects with a skeptical eye, and does not generally accept the truth of these miracles."
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West Virginia Dropouts, 2004.
A discussion of the absurdity of the West Virginia law concerning dropouts.
1,702 words (approx. 6.8 pages), 3 sources, MLA, AU$ 70.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how, in 1989, a law was passed in West Virginia stating that any child younger than eighteen who drops out of school will not be allowed to have a driver's license. It explores how there are many different situations and circumstances that the individual could be involved in which could cause him or her to have to drop out of school, how, oftentimes, these situations are totally legitimate, how some situations are beyond help or control, and how no individual should be punished for responding to them.
From the Paper
"The percent of poverty in the state of West Virginia in 1999 was 17.9% , that is 315,794 people out of 1,801,916 (MapStats). This is a huge number, and many of these people would need to send their children to work in order to help earn money. Some students must thus drop out in order to work and help provide for his or her family. The matter of getting a job instead of attending school is not only a matter of choice, or liberty, but it is also a matter of survival. In this situation, transportation is crucial. If these teenagers are old enough to work, then chances are they are old enough to drive. The job location may be too far to walk, and a license is necessary."
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