A critical analysis of Albert Camus`s : The Stranger and The Myth of Sisyphus from post-colonial and religious perspectives

Abstract

This thesis, entitled “A Critical Analysis of Albert Camus’s L’Etranger (The Stranger, published in 1942) and Le Mythe de Sisyphe (The Myth of Sisyphus, published in 1942) from Post-Colonial and Religious Perspectives,” concerns itself with the discussion of Albert Camus’s The Stranger and The Myth of Sisyphus. These two works have been chosen for critical examination due to their philosophical interconnection. The major thematic preoccupations contained in these writings, such as the Absurd morality and existentialism as well as underlying motifs of The Stranger like colonialism, are brought into focus and discussed at length in this research. The critical discussion encompasses analysis of the Absurd hero whose life is founded on the moral principles expounded in The Myth of Sisyphus. In the course of the study, some interesting analogies have been established between Camusian absurd man and Nietzscheian superhuman; both have much in common in terms of their moral outlook and attitude towards life. Special treatment is given to the theme of colonialism which is so pronounced in The Stranger. The discussion of the morality of the Absurd directs this study towards some metaphysical issues including the relationship between God and human beings, as well as the individual’s worldly and spiritual goals. This research points out the deficiencies of the Absurd philosophy and the detrimental consequences of nihilistic vision. The thesis traces the links between Camus’s own life and the ideas that these two works contain, and pays particular attention to his philosophical outlook and his stand towards the Algerian problem.