Albert Camus Argumentative Essay

Children often develop an urge to go against social norms and expectations when they are faced with the issue of growing up and maturing. The reason behind this rebellious behavior is widely debated upon among thinkers and scholars, one of which is Albert Camus, a twentieth century philosopher and writer who argued that the reason behind adolescent rebellion lies in the fact that young children often have tendencies to maintain their usual habits and innocence while avoiding the responsibility of the harsh reality of adulthood, which is exemplified in J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye, in which the main character, Holden – disillusioned by the cruelty of the world – attempts to protect both his own and others’ innocence. While some may support Camus’ claim through the reasoning that children do not want to bear the burdens of living life as an adult, many often neglect the reality that this defense mechanism will frequently contribute to seclusion from their community. As some may think of adulthood as a period of stress and overwhelming responsibility in our own society, similarly, the narrators of “On Turning Ten” by Billy Collins and The Catcher in the Rye see the grown-up world as something that should be avoided in order to prevent troublesome circumstances or incidents. In Collins’s poem, the narrator, …show more content…
However, the validity of Camus’ claim is questioned when different factors are brought in; specifically, the end result of the rebellious acts which are often negative. The truth of the matter is that eventually, through the accumulation of resistance, the individual, as well as the community that surrounds them, will wind up