Albert The Absurd Camus Essay -- Essays Papers

Albert The Absurd Camus â€Å"Albert Camus is one of the most likeable and approachable of the mid-twentieth-century French authors† (Brosman 10).This is quite a compliment for Camus, but most would agree. In France, Albert is known for his many books, two which have made the French best-sellers list. His works are often read and studied in French secondary-school class rooms, introducing a countless number of students to his pieces each year. Camus also holds the high honor of receiving the Nobel Prize for literature in 1957 (Boak 346). His wide popularity has made his name known in North America as well. Just what is Albert Camus so popular for one might ask? The answer would be his approach to his work— the underlying beliefs of Existentialism or the theory of the absurd that characterizes his pieces (Wyatt 1).1 All of Camus’ works incorporate this strong sense of the individual having freedom of choice, and thus complete control over his own outcome. He acknowledges no help or contr ol from higher powers, just simply focuses on the individual; consequently, creating a sense of alienation. Albert Camus’ attraction to and his use of Existential beliefs began from his own life circumstances. Albert Camus was born on November 7, 1913 to his parents Lucien Auguste Camus and Catherine Sintà ¨s Camus. Albert was born in Mondovi, Algeria, a French colony until receiving independence in 1962. His father grew up an orphan due to being the youngest of five children. His mother sent him to an orphanage to lighten her load; Lucien never forgave his mother and family for this treatment (â€Å"Albert Camus† 113). Lucien served in World War I and was killed during fighting when Albert was still an infant (Lazere 72). After his father’s death, the ... ...Savage. Albert Camus. Vol. 8. Detroit: The Gale Group, 2001. 9 vols. â€Å"Albert Camus.† Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 30 Sept. 2004. 8 Oct. 2004. . Boak, Denis. â€Å"Camus.† The McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Biography. 1973 Cruickshank, John. â€Å"Camus, Albert.† Britannica Biography Collection 1 – 3. MAS Ultra-School Edition. EBSCO. Lakeshore High School Lib., Stevensville, MI. 12 Oct. 2004. Lazere, Donald. The Unique Creation of Albert Camus. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1973. MacDonald, Paul S. â€Å"Albert Camus.† The Existentialist Reader. Ed. Paul S. MacDonald. Routledge: New York, 2000. 144 – 183. Thody, Philip. Albert Camus 1913 – 1960. 2nd ed. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1962. Wyatt, C.S. Existentialism: An Introduction. 6 Jun. 2004. 16 Oct. 2004 .