Camus existential theory is developed in The Myth of Sisyphus when he explores “the one truly serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide” (Sisyphus 1). Individuals are faced with the question of suicide when they realize that life is dominated by obedience to habitual actions characterized through their mechanical life, and hence question their life’s significance. There are few moments more frightening then that of the sudden realization that there is no profound reason for living. At this moment the walls of ignorance, that once protected you, crumble and the truth of the absurd shines through. With this moment of awareness comes a sense of exile from the people who are still living under the disillusionment that their life has meaning and a lack of familiarity in the world in which you exist. “The Absurd is not in man nor in the world, but in their presence together” (Sisyphus 30). Man is the essential element in this relationsh

The Plague itself does not directly represent the Absurd, but the extreme circumstances it entails provokes the inhabitants of Oran to experience the Absurd by confronting them unexpectedly with death. The plague forces its victims and potential victims to come to terms with the condition of life, not in any superficial intellectual way, but fundamentally. Individuals must realize that their life is absurd and will ultimately have the same ending despite the choices that are made during the plague. In The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus illustrates the meaningless of human existence, and He expands upon this theory in his later novel, The Plague, in which he personifies these reactions to the human condition within the novels’ characters. These reactions can be divided into three subgroups as reactions pertaining to the possibility of living in the absurd: suicide, denial, and hope.

The Plague is separated from The Myth of Sisyphus by the emphasis placed on the theme of community and solidarity. The plague represents an absolute evil and the sanitary crew is the efforts made by individuals to struggle against its power; “no longer were there individual destinies; only a collective destiny, made of plague and the emotions shared by all” (Plague 167). The evolution from the focus on the individual’s happiness to the fulfillment of public service can be seen in the development of the character Rambert. Rambert is an outsider to the town of Oran who was separated from his lover during the isolation of the plague. In the first part of the novel he was consumed by thoughts of escaping and being reunited with his lover. Rambert agrees to work stay and work against the plague despite his option to leave because “Until now I always felt a stranger in this town, and that I’d no concern with you people. But now that I’ve seen, I know I belong here whether I want it or not it or not. This business is everybody’s business” (Plague 209).

Doctor Rieux could not explain why he was fighting the plague instead of pursuing his own happiness “for nothing in the world is it worth turning ones back on what one loves. Yet that is what I’m doing, though why I do not know” (Plague 209). The explanation for his actions can be found in Camus faith in mankind. The faith in man differs from the Christian belief in that it is firmly anchored in the present, but they both require a ‘leap of faith’ almost inexplicable. Camus renounces the humanism ideology as too optimistic and unable to deal with absolute evils like the Nazis, but his values in the plague are entirely centered on man, his worth, his potential, and his misfortune. Dr Rieux “feels more fellowship with the defeated than with the saints. Heroism and sanctity don’t really appeal to me, I imagine. What interests me is being a man,” (Plague 255) and he considers this the highest goal a man can attain. Camus ideal man is that of the Doctor who is a man fighting against all odds to affirm the dignity of the human presence. Once the plague is over Camus remains a ‘humanist’ who always assumes that a person is good and decent until it is proven other wise, ‘there are more things to admire in men then to despise” (Plague 294). The relationship of the sanitary crew, Rieux, Tarrou, Rambert, and Grand, shows that if men approach each other with this attitude they will discover happiness in their solidarity.

Some topics in this essay:
Myth Sisyphus, Sisyphus Camus, Plague Camus, Doctor Rieux, Rieux Camus, Plague Sisyphus, Dr Rieux, Rambert Rambert, Rieux Tarrou, Rambert Grand, myth sisyphus, ordinary people, doctor rieux, myth sisyphus camus, sisyphus camus, plague camus, fighting plague, realize life, sanitary crew, plague plague, opinion ordinary,