Preview

Albert Camus The Myth Of Sisyphus

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1452 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Albert Camus The Myth Of Sisyphus
In the preface of his essay, The Myth of Sisyphus, Albert Camus states that the story is “A lucid invitation to live and to create, in the very midst of the desert. “ I agree with this statement as I believe that life is meaningless unless we create our own meaning. The world is merely arbitrary effects of causes that manifest and create life as we know it. When Camus says that the myth of Sisyphus is an invitation to live and create, he is saying that from this story we can learn to live on although life is meaningless, and create meaning in life as Sisyphus does. He was given a destiny which he was forced to live by, but still gave it meaning even though he was not doing anything that truly meant anything to anyone but himself. I agree with Camus statement, as i believe that meaning is different to everyone, and that the only way to live a life …show more content…
There is the average middle-class American who finds meaning in having the newest pair of Nike sneakers to show off, and then there is the person making those shoes in a sweatshop, completely unaware of the fashion world in America, who finds meaning in seeing her children eat, as it is a struggle to put a meal on the table. You could offer this person a free pair of Nike sneakers, but the brand would probably be irrelevant to this person, as it has no meaning to her. So The Myth of Sisyphus shows us that no matter the circumstances we live under, it is all about the meaning you give to your life. It does not matter if you are religious or not, rich or poor, have everything you want or are stuck doing something against your will, it is all about how you perceive it. Sisyphus was able to overpower the rock that was supposed to be weighing him down, because he created meaning out of it. The myth inspires us to live on through our struggles, and create meaning out of

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Both Nietzsche's "The Madman" and Camus' "The Myth of Sisyphus" have absurdist elements. While "The Madman" deals mainly with a man who professes that "God is dead" and the effects of that death to a group of people, "The Myth of Sisyphus" entails an analysis of the effects of a man forced to roll a rock up a mountain and watch it roll back down for eternity. Throughout their texts, both authors make the argument that despite life being meaningless, we must continue to search for meaning. However, the authors' arguments diverge when it comes to the matter of what is needed to live out a meaningful existence; while Nietzsche believes that we need some illusion, such as a God, to embrace the absurd, Camus believes that we must reject such illusions…

    • 753 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    2. Sisyphus is considered absurd because he believed that “what is right” is better and more important then what authority claims. He also preferred life over death, the earth as opposed to the afterlife, he has a passion for life. His passion for life also leads to hatred of death, and his scorn for the gods. Sisyphus’ attitude towards his fate is that he becomes one with his task, his makes the rock his own. His consciousness and lucidity of what he is doing allows him to see his fate as something other than hopeless and futile, he is stronger than the rock. Sisyphus makes his fate a human matter, not one the gods can control.…

    • 1143 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Camus discusses his opinions and philosophy in both “The Plague” and “The Myth of Sisyphus” which partly reflect my own personal ideology. In “The Myth of Sisyphus” the character is alright with his predicament, and is at peace with it, which demonstrates how Camus believes you should deal with crisis. I do not believe in this way of thinking, as I think that people should fight with as much strength as they can. This way the people can stay hopeful, and help end the crisis. In Camus “The Plague” I support the actions of Dr. Benard Rieux as he spends almost all of his free time trying to help those around him. Even though he has a wife outside of the closed city of Oran, he does not let that distract him from his work and continues to…

    • 211 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Most people when trying to understand why things happen, ask the question: why? And most of time the answer to this question never ceases to include an individual's viewpoints, beliefs and feelings. For it is these very things that shape how others see the world. He lives an emotionless, removed man in a world filled of people who value the very things he deems unimportant. The culture of people around him, are ones who need explanations for why things happen or why things don’t happen. However, the main character of Albert Camus’s The Stranger, Monsieur Meursault sees no purpose in the…

    • 748 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Greek mythology shows that ancient Greek gods took terrible revenge on those who opposed or displeased them. When Tantalus, son of Zeus, displeased the gods, he was condemned to float for eternity in a beautifully lake. If he bent to drink from the clear, sparkling water, it recedes from him, if he reached for the luscious grapes hanging overhead. They stayed just out of reach. Sisyphus displeased the gods by telling their secrets he was taught the meaning of frustration. His task for all the years of eternity were to roll a huge, heavy rock up a steep hill. When he had almost reached the top, the rock would invariably break loose and roll to the bottom, poor Sisyphus had to start again. Arachne bragged that she could weave more skillfully…

    • 167 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the novel The Stranger by Albert Camus, the protagonist Meursault is a man who is indifferent to major events in his life which would deserve a "proper" reaction according to society. Also, the decisions he makes in his life are done carelessly and without a second thought about whether what he is doing is good or bad. As a result, Meursault is a stranger to society because of how differently his view on life is based on how he approaches certain aspects of life. Eventually, death is what connects Meursault to the society he was estranged from.…

    • 540 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    What do you consider to be a hero? What traits should a hero have? My hero is Odysseus. In The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus proves to be a true epic hero through his intelligence, bravery, and loyalty.…

    • 354 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    It’s important to complete actions that can change one’s fate, but also equally important to demonstrate self-control. Without the urge of indulging in our desires, there would be no test of our moral and physical ability for characters like Odysseus to show his growth, and self-control and even a character like Lazarus who is hunted down show moral characteristics to demonstrate that too. While Odysseus and Lazarus are not perfect men, they both show how they struggled and overcome their flaws to learn a moral lesson from the gods and the threat of mortal or god is a dangerous challenge to face as well.…

    • 607 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A hero is somwone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself- Joesph Campbell. Odysseus is an an optimal hero in both the physical and metal sense. In the physical sense he is a tremendus hero, because he was challenged to all these extreme dangourous adventures; he umexpectly walks out alive after questioning for ten years long and facing the most extraordinarily dangerous creatures and people. Why would Homer set up this whole exciting experience with all the strange comings that Odysseus has to go through, if this was not to show that this stong and intelligent man is a great hero of the Greek world? What will a strong itelligent hero of greek times look like?…

    • 702 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Odysseus is an epic hero because of all the challenging obstacles he had to overcome. He is strong and brave by never giving up, but rather determined to fulfill his accomplishments as a young and adventurous man. Odysseus was also very cunning, knowing how to create and form the ideal way to sabotage the Trojans. Such a bold hero and great father that seeks to win the 10 year war with the Trojans and succeeds. Although, weaknesses lye in every man as a human necessity and even this 'Hero' has one.…

    • 531 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    An epic hero is a figure of great, larger-than-life stature where his most remarkable traits are those valued by his culture. The Odyssey by Homer, tells a fascinating story of king Odysseus, who takes a twenty year journey in order to return to his home of Ithaca after his great victory in the Trojan War. After many years of life risking danger, is Odysseus really considered an epic hero? What makes a true epic hero? Odysseus’ pride, intelligence, and courage are the exact traits found in an epic hero.…

    • 955 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Odysseus In The Odyssey

    • 343 Words
    • 2 Pages

    A critical event in anyone’s life can change people way of thinking and/or reacting, like Odysseus. In the book the Odyssey, we learned the story about the great warrior Odysseus, who was trying to go home, from a long and brutal war against Troy. He was a great fighter who demonstrated his strength and power in the Trojan War, but his prideful, hubris, and impulsive personality, made his journey back home be extremely long. Throughout most of the story of the Odyssey, there are many examples that demonstrate how Odysseus reacts to certain situation, and how his personality and the way he is, gets him in a lot of trouble. His whole voyage allowed Odysseus to see the outcomes of his reactions, which help him change from being an impulsive person, to a person that strategically plans his actions and waits for the right time to act upon them. The difficult, tedious, and long journey that Odysseus went through just to get to his home town in Ithika, changed him, for the better.…

    • 343 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Odysseus: A Greek Hero

    • 130 Words
    • 1 Page

    The Greeks idea of a hero is very different from the idea of a hero today. The Greeks saw heroes as someone that was more than life, someone who battled monsters and gods, who did the impossible and went on dangerous quests. Odysseus is one of these heroes. He is a greek hero from the story the odyssey, this man was said to be half god half man, he out tricked the trojans only to find himself on a 20 year trip filled with monsters and gods. He shows leadership “‘friends have we never been in danger?’” (?) and cunning. He defeats the cyclopes and resisted the siren's song. but like every hero in the greeks mythology he has a fatal flaw. Achilles had his heel and odysseys had…

    • 130 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    King Odysseus: A True Hero

    • 1735 Words
    • 7 Pages

    To consider someone a hero, he must boast certain characteristics that are harder to detect in an average person, such as being humble, merciful, loyal, and a great leader. King Odysseus of Ithaca survived the Trojan War. While most of his other men returned to their native lands immediately following the war, it took Odysseus ten years to journey home because of his lust for other women and desire to prove he was superior to everyone. Odysseus and his group of shipmates faced countless obstacles, which claimed the lives of more men as their journey went on. Not only did his procrastination kill off his men, but his mother as well, who longed to see him and gave up when she realized she would never see him again. Through the many actions Odysseus took on his trip home, including murder…

    • 1735 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the Epic, Odyssey by Homer Odysseus has to save his men and get them home. Odysseus is a modern day hero hero. He qualifies for the job because first he is brave, cunning, and determined. He made smart decisions and knows how to get out of sticky situations. Second he is brave and he is ready for whatever comes his way. Although the ancient greeks consider odysseus a hero epic hero, according Modern day to Ethos and Logos he fails to measure by modern standards.…

    • 465 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays