AP+Albert+Camus

__HISTORICAL by Taylor Rosenow__ Albert Camus, author of acclaimed novel //The Stranger//, found inspiration for his novel in the true events of his life and time period. France invaded Algeria in 1830, and the city of Algiers along with other coastal areas became under French control. Camus, a Frenchman, lived in France after this period of imperialist expansion and his wife lived in Algeria. He was able to move there with her when France was liberated in 1944. Camus had many experiences in Algeria, and it became a great inspiration for his literary works. It was even a common setting for his characters. He grew up with a religious family, but never seemed to have any great faith. “ Camus seems to have been a natural-born pagan who showed almost no instinct whatsoever for belief in the supernatural. Even as a youth he was more of a sun-worshipper and nature lover than a boy notable for his piety or religious faith” (Simpson). At an early age, he already had no belief in the “supernatural”. This, along with his fascination with different philosophies led him to implement absurdism in his writing. Much of his writing focuses on the rebellion of the people against not only others but the absurd. The idea of the absurd, which was popular during this time, is a constant problem for Camus’s characters. It is the idea that there is no great meaning behind life or its events. They are constantly battling the depressing notion of the absurd. Camus became an author who was often associated with this philosophical notion. There were many societal influences on Camus’s writing as well. During his life he found that things such as the death penalty, suicide, and the alienating affects of mass civilization all provoked a strong reaction within him. These themes can all be found in his works. Due to his exploration of interesting topics and natural talent to write, Camus had ascended to an internationally recognized novelist, essayist, philosopher, and champion of freedom by the end of his career. (Simpson)

Works Cited Simpson, David. “Albert Camus (1913-1960)” iep.utm.edu. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 21 Mar. 2005. Web. 13 Oct. 2011. “Albert Camus-Biography.” Nobelprize.org, n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2011. “The Stranger Historical Text.” //bookrags.com//. BookRags, n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2011.

__CULTURAL by Hunter Kennedy__ Albert Camus wrote //The Stranger// in France, in 1942. During this time in France there was a resistance movement, which Camus participated in. This meant that while World War II was going on resisted the German Nazi’s, and exercised this resistance sometimes in violent way, but in other times through the publication of secret newspapers. Camus moved to France just as the war was about to get started, and found that he was drawn to a specific culture; which was based around not conforming. The idea not conforming is something that seems to define the culture that Camus surrounded himself with. Camus was influenced by his culture and also contributed to it through his writing, “He found instant fame and was widely and wrongly considered a major representative of the emerging existentialist movement” (BookRags.com). Camus influenced the culture of the existentialist, and became on icon for this “movement.” Clearly he was also popular because it says, "instant fame" indicating that his ideas were pretty well accepted by the public. Camus’s ideas about existentialism are evident in his writing, such as, “I can refute everything in this world surrounding me that offends or enraptures me, except this chaos, this sovereign chance and this divine equivalence which springs from anarchy. I don't know whether this world has meaning that transcends it” (Hoffman). Camus helped cultivate ideas about the meaning of life. He formed almost a culture all to his own beliefs about absurdity, relating to freedom and destiny. Although this culture, and view of the world initially started as a something that he shared with many people, the view grew and continues to grow in popularity. As his past experiences and culture influence the future. Works Cited "Albert Camus Biography | BookRags.com." //BookRags.com Study// //Guides, Lesson// //Plans, Book Summaries and More//. 2011. Web. 13 Oct. 2011.

Hoffman, Louis. “Existential Quotes.” //Existential Therapy.// 2009. Web. 13 Oct. 2011.

"The French Resistance." //History Learning Site//. 2000. Web. 14 Oct. 2011.



__ AUDIENCE by Chantal Pelzer __

Albert Camus, author of The Stranger was born into poverty in Mondovi, France. He joined the French Communist Party in 1935, his reasoning being to "fight inequalities between Europeans and 'natives' in Algeria" (Camus). Camus strongly supported equal rights and was even considered by some to be a pacifist. The Communist Party is a known for fiercely promoting equal rights and privileges for everyone. Thus, Camus (being born into poverty himself) wanted to reach out to people who were born into the same situation he was brought up in. Camus actually had a rocky relationship with Communism throughout his life, later turning to Socialism. His real concern the entire time was for the lower working class and poor. Later in his life, Camus was considered to be a “threat to national security” (Tameri) while living in Algeria and promoting equal rights for all citizens and being the founder of The Workers’ Theater (created to present socialist plays to the Algeria’s working population). This caused Camus to be exiled to Paris, where he arrived shortly before the Nazi army had taken over France. He had to see the beaten morale of both the soldiers and citizens of his very own country, which left him pessimistic and isolated. He wrote, “Paris is dead. The danger is everywhere. You go home and wait for the alert signal or whatever. I get stopped constantly in the street and asked for my ID: charming atmosphere” (Camus). His exile into Paris was the reason he wrote completed drafts of The Stranger and other works. This sparked his interest in philosophy, politics, and his theory on The Absurd, which he wished to share with the public. During WWII he joined a resistence group known as “Combat”, which wrote a newspaper by the same name. Camus himself wrote for the paper and smuggled it to the public, spreading his message to citizens under control of Nazi Germany that each life was sacred and deserved the same justices and freedoms as any other. Through his life, Albert Camus was always one in support of justice and equality between the lower and upper class. He has always shown a softer and more understanding to the lower working class and those in poverty, dedicating his entire life to both educate and inspire them.

Works Cited "Albert Camus Biography | BookRags.com." BookRags.com Study Guides, Lesson Plans, Book Summaries and More. 2011. Web. 12 Oct. 2011.

"Existential Primer: Albert Camus." //www.tameri.com.// Existential Primer. 2010. Web. 13 Oct. 2011

Aim - Alli Griffin

The Absurd - an idea that life has no meaning because the only certainty is death. Enter Albert Camus. His theory is that individual lives and human existence in general have no rational meaning or order. The idea that humans know that they will eventually die forces them to believe that their life has no meaning. “… Camus's notion of the absurd and of its acceptance with ‘the total absence of hope, which has nothing to do with despair, a continual refusal, which must not be confused with renouncement - and a conscious dissatisfaction’” (Huss). This “notion” that Camus had was the idea that he is trying to spread through his works. This idea that there is a complete “absence of hope” is the aim of his pieces. The “aim” was to get people to recognize the ideas of the Absurd. He wanted people to know his beliefs and to understand that there is no point in trying to create meaning where there is not any. “The term Absurdity describes humanity's futile attempt to find rational order where none exists” (Shingler). A “futile attempt” is a strong way of saying that there is no point in trying for something. Camus accepts the ideas of Absurdism and he promotes them in his writing. His purpose is to spread those ideas to his readers. Works Cited:

Huss, Erik. //Albert Camus – Biography.// Nobelprize.org. Website. 12 October 2011.

Shingler, David. “Existentialism and The Absurd.” Empire High School. Tucson, AZ. 15 August 2011. PDF Presentation.