“The Myth of Sisyphus,” by Albert Camus, addresses the importance of choosing to find value in life despite life being meaningless due to the inevitability of death, or in other words, absurd. Through the motif of consciousness and the paradox of powerlessness and rebelliousness, that convey the idea that consciousness and rebellion are interdependent, Camus suggests that consciousness of the absurdity of life allows the tragedy of the situation, that life is meaningless, to be transformed into power: the power to be free, the power to choose, and the power to rebel against death by choosing to live. Ultimately, Camus stresses that while, in a larger sense, life may seem meaningless, it does not mean that life does not have value. Moreover,
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The myth of Sisyphus, according to Camus, is “tragic only at the rare moments when it becomes conscious” (377). Camus further states that Sisyphus “knows the whole extent of his wretched condition” and that “the lucidity that was to constitute his torture at the same time crowns his victory” (377). The repetitious diction that relates to the concept of awareness, such as “conscious,” “knows,” and “lucidity,” stresses that Sisyphus acknowledges his situation – that his efforts to roll his rock is entirely meaningless. However, it must also mean that Sisyphus is in control of his actions – contrary to the belief that Sisyphus must roll his rock – because in Camus interpretation, Sisyphus does have a choice. Sisyphus can decide to let the rock roll on top of him and commit suicide, decide to believe that his suffering will end by having false hope, or Sisyphus can decide to embrace his situation as is; it is the latter that Sisyphus chooses and it is by choosing the latter that Sisyphus emerges “victorious.” In other words, when Camus says “the lucidity that was to constitute [one’s] torture at the same time crowns [one’s] victory,” he means, if one is conscious of their plight and aware their struggle is futile, it allows them to transform what would seemingly be a circumstance worthy of despair into motivation to …show more content…
Sisyphus is described as “powerless” as well as a “proletarian of the gods”; however, Sisyphus is simultaneously described as “rebellious” (377). Sisyphus, who may be considered strong and mighty compared to other humans, is small and insignificant in relation to the grand scheme of the universe and life. Yet, Sisyphus, no matter how irrelevant he truly is, constantly revolts against his absurdity by choosing to continue his struggle and choosing to live. This revolt perpetuates the absurd, and in turn, the absurd allows revolt; both absurdity and rebellion are needed to maintain meaning and value in a meaningless world. It is only through this feeling of helplessness, along with consciousness, is one able to rebel. Additionally, through this constant rebellion, one, although unable to avoid it, is able to be superior to their fate by choosing to live in that moment. Moreover, the paradox that is presented refers to the idea that one cannot rebel until they are conscious of their powerlessness (their meaningless); however, in order to be conscious of the absurdity of life, one must rebel. Although seemingly impossible, Camus illustrates that the struggle for rebellion and consciousness is worth it because “the struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart” (378). This
The myth of Sisyphus, according to Camus, is “tragic only at the rare moments when it becomes conscious” (377). Camus further states that Sisyphus “knows the whole extent of his wretched condition” and that “the lucidity that was to constitute his torture at the same time crowns his victory” (377). The repetitious diction that relates to the concept of awareness, such as “conscious,” “knows,” and “lucidity,” stresses that Sisyphus acknowledges his situation – that his efforts to roll his rock is entirely meaningless. However, it must also mean that Sisyphus is in control of his actions – contrary to the belief that Sisyphus must roll his rock – because in Camus interpretation, Sisyphus does have a choice. Sisyphus can decide to let the rock roll on top of him and commit suicide, decide to believe that his suffering will end by having false hope, or Sisyphus can decide to embrace his situation as is; it is the latter that Sisyphus chooses and it is by choosing the latter that Sisyphus emerges “victorious.” In other words, when Camus says “the lucidity that was to constitute [one’s] torture at the same time crowns [one’s] victory,” he means, if one is conscious of their plight and aware their struggle is futile, it allows them to transform what would seemingly be a circumstance worthy of despair into motivation to …show more content…
Sisyphus is described as “powerless” as well as a “proletarian of the gods”; however, Sisyphus is simultaneously described as “rebellious” (377). Sisyphus, who may be considered strong and mighty compared to other humans, is small and insignificant in relation to the grand scheme of the universe and life. Yet, Sisyphus, no matter how irrelevant he truly is, constantly revolts against his absurdity by choosing to continue his struggle and choosing to live. This revolt perpetuates the absurd, and in turn, the absurd allows revolt; both absurdity and rebellion are needed to maintain meaning and value in a meaningless world. It is only through this feeling of helplessness, along with consciousness, is one able to rebel. Additionally, through this constant rebellion, one, although unable to avoid it, is able to be superior to their fate by choosing to live in that moment. Moreover, the paradox that is presented refers to the idea that one cannot rebel until they are conscious of their powerlessness (their meaningless); however, in order to be conscious of the absurdity of life, one must rebel. Although seemingly impossible, Camus illustrates that the struggle for rebellion and consciousness is worth it because “the struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart” (378). This