by Philosopher Albert Camus was born on November 7, 1913 in Mondovi, Algeria. His parents were doctors who lived the first ten years of his life in Paris where he attended school before returning to Algeria to work as an elementary school teacher from 1934-1936. In 1936, Camus got accept into medical school, and by the time of his death, he had achieve considerable success as a medical doctor and literary critic.
In addition to having a career as a lawyer and then medical doctor, Camus also enjoy writing short stories that were most famously publish in “Algeria Chronicle” (1942) which helped him gain public recognition.
About Albert Camus
Albert Camus (1913-1960) Algerian born French Philosopher, Author and Nobel Prize Winner. While still in Law school, Camus published a collection of poetry and in 1937 was awarded the first prize for his first novel, “The Stranger”. During World War II he joined the French resistance where he wrote a number of anti-fascist articles and was editor-in-chief of two newspapers. He continued writing after WWII with works such as: “The Plague” (1947), “The Rebel” (1951), “The Fall” (1956) and “A Happy Death” (written in 1956 but not published until 1957).
Life of Camus
Birth
Albert Camus was born November 7, 1913 in Mondovi, Algeria. In his first 10 years, his parents moved to various towns across the country where Camus attended school until 1936 when he left for Paris for medical school.
Education
While still in law school, Camus published a collection of poetry and in 1937 was awarded the first prize for his first novel, “The Stranger”. During World War II he joined the French Resistance where he wrote a number of anti-fascist articles and was editor-in-chief of two newspapers.
In 1940, Camus was drafted into the French Army and joined an artillery regiment.
Camus’s first marriage to Francine Faure ended in divorce after three years in 1943. In 1945 he married Simone Hié who would bear him twins, Catherine and Jean.
Writing Novels
After the war Camus devoted his time to writing novels and essays. In 1947 Camus published “The Plague” , the most successful of his early works. And in 1950, he wrote his third novel,”The Rebel” which caused a storm of controversy because of its attack on capital punishment (which was resumed in France in 1948) as well as on organized religion and other institutions that are considered to be representative of humanistic values.
In 1952, Camus published “The Fall” which was less successful than his previous works. In 1956 he won the Nobel Prize for Literature and wrote a shorter version of “The Rebel” which was published as a book entitled “Philosophy of the Absurd”.
Camus married again in 1957 to Francine Faure but divorced again in 1958. His last work, “A Happy Death” was written in 1956 but not publish until 1957.
His Philosophy
About Existentialism
According to Albert Camus, Existentialism is a philosophy that is based on the human condition. And the way in which people must live within it…
“I believe that man is condemned to be free; that this is his natural state, and when he embraces servitude he does so instinctively and unconsciously.”—Albert Camus
Camus’s ideas on writing came from the influence of Jean-Paul Sartre, who was a prominent Existentialist philosopher. In particular, Sartre’s ideas about writing helped Camus greatly in developing his own style. Sartre suggested that writers should not be afraid to shock their readers with unusual or extreme ideas or emotions.
About Absurdism
Absurdism is a philosophy that holds that the human condition is absurd. That no grounds exist for finding ultimate meaning.
Camus’s Absurdism is the result of his belief that man faces a senseless world “in which the mind, no matter what its powers of comprehension, is condemn to be frustrate.”
This view on life permeates Camus’s writing and has resulted in his being called a “philosopher of the absurd”.
How Absurdism Relates to The Stranger and The Plague
In “The Stranger”, Camus used absurdity to represent Meursault’s reactions to society as he constantly experienced alienation.
In “The Plague”, Camus used absurdity to represent the inability of the doctors. And people to stop the spread of plague.
About Revolt
“Revolt, contrary to revolution, is not a doctrine; it is an attitude.”—Albert Camus
In “The Rebel”, Camus explores the concept of rebellion and how it applies to human existence.
The book also holds importance in that it explains some of the ideas behind Camus’s famous works: the absurd and revolt.
About Writing Style
“In his writing, he has no message, only a need – the need to express what he believes are the unutterable truths about life.”—Frederick Brown
Camus’s writing style does not conform to that of many other writers. In particular, his did not follow the strict rules of grammar and punctuation. In addition, he placed emphasis on passages and sentences rather than on entire paragraphs or chapters.
Camus’s style was heavily influence by the work of Franz Kafka and Raymond Queneau.
His Legacy
In 1965, Camus was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for his “unique synthesis of philosophical reflection. And patriotic passion, which has inspired writers and readers around the world.”
In 2009, Time Magazine named Albert Camus as having one of the 100 most influential people of all time.
Awards presented to Campus
He got nobel prize in peace, literature and sociology in 1957, nobel prize in literature the same year.
Inside Contents
