HW due 10/19: The Stranger

October 16, 2015 By

1. The Stranger–Read and annotate Chapters 1-3 of Part II. Keep in mind, the novel is a philosophical vehicle for Camus’ philosophy of the absurd.

2.  Advance notice: THE STRANGER ESSAY
First Draft due Tuesday, Oct. 26 (YOU MUST INCLUDE A WORKS CITED PAGE)
Final Draft due Thursday, Oct. 29
3 page literary/philosophical analysis of The Stranger. You are expected to use The Myth of Sisyphus as a complement to your discussion.  How does Sisyphus help us to understand Camus’ philosophy as communicated through Meursault?  IMPORTANT: While Sisyphus is used to give some form to the discussion (i.e. helping to shape the thesis), the discussion is focused on analysis of The Stranger.  While not necessary, I would encourage you to research Camus further to give you further context.  Folks, I expect this essay to demonstrate great thematic/philosophical control of  both texts.  Waiting till the night before is probably not a good idea.  Your reading responses and annotations should prove to be quite beneficial here.  This should be typed in font size 12 (times new roman  or arial).  You should have a title!!!  The title should reflect your thesis.

HW12C due 3/27: Nietzsche

March 23, 2015 By

Remember, the ultimate goal of this course is to create a thematic tapestry reflecting the human condition of the Western world since the Industrial Revolution.  Keep that in mind as we read the fiction of the course and consider how the fiction may reflect the philosophical principles explored throughout the course.  Ultimately, your PBA amounts to a literary analysis through an existential/psychoanalytical lens.  It is imperative that you have a keen understanding of both the literature and the philosophy to create a happy marriage at the end (your PBA).  So, consider how the philosophy of  the course may work (often in concert) to shape our literary conclusions.

1. The Stranger Essay (UPDATED DEADLINES) Be prepared to work on your first draft in class tomorrow!

First Draft due THURSDAY, MARCH 26th
Final Draft due MONDAY, MARCH 30th
3 page literary/philosophical analysis of The Stranger. You are expected to use The Myth of Sisyphus as a complement to your analysis of The Stranger.  Consider: How does Camus use Meursault and his struggle to illustrate his commentary on the human condition/absurdity? While this is an essay focused on The Stranger, you are expected to use The Myth of Sisyphus to help shape your argument. So, consider: How does Sisyphus help us to understand Camus’ philosophy as communicated through Meursault?  IMPORTANT: While Sisyphus is used to give some form to the discussion (i.e. helping to shape the thesis), the discussion is focused on exploring Camus’ message and how he develops that message. While not necessary, I would encourage you to research Camus further to give you further context.  Folks, I expect this essay to demonstrate great thematic/philosophical control of  both texts.  Waiting till the night before is probably not a good idea.  Your reading responses and annotations should prove to be quite beneficial here.  This should be typed in font size 12 (times new roman  or arial).  You should have a title!!!  The title should reflect your thesis.  If you have any questions, please email me.

2.  Friedrich Nietzsche: (The Nietzsche reading is now due Friday!) Print, read and annotate the following sections: Middle, Later, and Final Writings.  Again, this printout should be placed in your binder…
3. Thus Spoke Zarathustra–(Also due Friday) Read and annotate this excerpt from Nietzsche’s Zarathustra. The reading is located in the packet. 

4. (Due Monday, March 30th) Carl Jung(Print, Read, and Annotate)–Hermann Hesse’s Steppenwolf is the manifestation of Jungian influence (as well as Nietzsche among other influences), so it is imperative that you be familiar with Carl Jung. In the reading focus on the following: collective unconscious, anima/animus, mother archetype, shadow, complex, ego, self, persona. As we read Steppenwolf, you will be expected to make connections to Carl Jung.
3. Steppenwolf–If you are interested in purchasing your own copy of Steppenwolf, here is a link to the version used in class. 

Word to the wise: Stay on top of the reading so as not to fall behind… If you fall behind here, recovery becomes a near impossibility.

HW12C due 3/23: Schopenhauer and Essay

March 20, 2015 By

1. Schopenhauer, “On the Suffering of the World” and “On the Vanity of Existence”–Located in the rear of the packet, Schopey Wopey’s essays brings us back to one of the more common themes of the term. Read and annotate the text. This is a short text so hop to it!

2. The Stranger Essay (UPDATED DEADLINES)
First Draft due THURSDAY, MARCH 26th
Final Draft due MONDAY, MARCH 30th
3 page literary/philosophical analysis of The Stranger. You are expected to use The Myth of Sisyphus as a complement to your analysis of The Stranger.  Consider: How does Camus use Meursault and his struggle to illustrate his commentary on the human condition/absurdity? While this is an essay focused on The Stranger, you are expected to use The Myth of Sisyphus to help shape your argument. So, consider: How does Sisyphus help us to understand Camus’ philosophy as communicated through Meursault?  IMPORTANT: While Sisyphus is used to give some form to the discussion (i.e. helping to shape the thesis), the discussion is focused on exploring Camus’ message and how he develops that message. While not necessary, I would encourage you to research Camus further to give you further context.  Folks, I expect this essay to demonstrate great thematic/philosophical control of  both texts.  Waiting till the night before is probably not a good idea.  Your reading responses and annotations should prove to be quite beneficial here.  This should be typed in font size 12 (times new roman  or arial).  You should have a title!!!  The title should reflect your thesis.  If you have any questions, please email me.

The Stranger Essay by RC

August 26, 2014 By

The Hour of Consciousness: Understanding God’s Judicial System

Albert Camus’ The Stranger juxtaposes the importance of God’s morality and the impact it has in the judicial system of an absurd reality, in which social code is rigid and behavior that strays from protocol is subject to scrutiny. In presenting this environment, Camus emphasizes a universal morality, swayed by God and superimposed over an individual’s unique perception of the world, such as Meursault, the protagonist. Others condemn this tragic hero to an unfortunate fate, validated by the belief that because an atheist is subordinate in the eyes of God, he must gradually come to understand the ubiquity of this singular morality. Much like Meursault, in Albert Camus’ The Myth of Sisyphus, Sisyphus is condemned to a fate he cannot control due to the social constructs of an absurd reality. Only when Sisyphus has reached the top of the hill with his boulder does he amount to what Camus calls, “the hour of consciousness”: essentially, the understanding of the absurdity of life. Camus’ placement of biased judicial figures gradually strengthens Meursault’s understanding of absurdity, illuminating the importance of the “hour of consciousness” in both articulating and refuting God’s ubiquitous morality. [Read more…]

The Stranger Essay by JK

August 26, 2014 By

Meaningless Joy: Finding Happiness Through Albert Camus’ Message in The Stranger

            In Albert Camus’, The Myth Of Sisyphus, Gods condemned Sisyphus to ceaselessly roll a rock to the top of a mountain. If the rock rolled back down the mountain, Sisyphus pushed it up again. While Sisyphus’ punishment sounds both pointless and tragic, Camus does not believe so. He believes that, “one must imagine Sisyphus happy” (The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus 123). Camus articulates that Sisyphus’ finds happiness through his ability to accept and rise above his hopeless and frivolous fate. He argues, “If this myth is tragic, that is only because its hero is conscious… Sisyphus, powerless and rebellious, knows the whole extent of his wretched condition. (The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus 121). While Sisyphus’ consciousness makes his story tragic, it also provides him with joy: “The lucidity that was to constitute his torture at the same time crowns his victory… All Sisyphus’ silent joy is contained therein. His fate belongs to him” (The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus 121-3). The Gods wanted to punish Sisyphus with a fate worse then death, eternal and meaningless labor. However, Sisyphus found happiness in accepting his fate. In The Myth Of Sisyphus, Camus depicts a man who transcends his absurd condition to find happiness in an otherwise futile and hopeless life. Camus, The Stranger, provides readers with a similar message. In The Stranger, Meursault, like Sisyphus, is forced to bear a hopeless fate, death. Just as Sisyphus transcends his meaningless fate, so Meursault transcends his. Camus argues, using Meursault as a parallel to Sisyphus, that one can still find happiness in futility, by rejecting God and hope, accepting ones temporal existence, and embracing the present. [Read more…]

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