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

The Stranger and The Myth of Sisyphus? Why That’s Absurd! Before the mid-twentieth century, “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.

Within his 120-page essay, Camus compares Sisyphus’ amaranthine task to the jobs many modern men and women have in factories and offices. “The workman of today works every day in his life at the same tasks, and this fate is no less absurd,” Camus writes. “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).

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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. “Happiness and absurd are two sons of the same earth,” Camus writes. “They are inseparable” (77). “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, “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 “a character who experiences an inner struggle because of a character flaw; that struggle ends in the defeat of the hero” (“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 “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.