The Multilayered Meaning of Camus’ Absurdity as Seen in Caligula and the Stranger

Abstract

Albert Camus’s literary works and philosophical ideas have had a profound impact on the world. After the two world wars, Europe, tormented by the catastrophe of war, was in a climate of resentful reflection, exploration of the future and skepticism about old values. When the old order is shaken and called into question, man’s everyday life becomes a concrete manifestation of absurdity. The world is absurd, is the subjective feeling of many characters in Camus’ books. The term “absurdity”, a key term in Camus’s life, evolved and developed throughout his work. In this paper, it examines two of Camus’s books, The Stranger and Caligula, to analyze the “Absurd Man” in Camus’s work, then introduces The Myth of Sisyphus to explore how Camus confronts the absurdity in his work, in other words, what he advocates as “revolt”. By exploring how Camus deepens and broadens revolt, the paper offers a better understanding of the uplifting power of words in Camus’ literature work.