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Resurrecting the Absurd Resurrecting the Absurd: Contemporary applications of the mechanics of style in Albert Camus’s L’étranger By Serge Anthony Larocque (100836153) A thesis and creative component submitted to the Department of English at Royal Holloway, University of London in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Practice-based PhD in Creative Writing 2018 1 Declaration of Authorship I, Serge Anthony Larocque, hereby declare that this thesis and the work presented in it is entirely my own. Where I have consulted the work of others, this is always clearly stated. Signed: Serge Anthony Larocque Date: September 9, 2018 2 Abstract This thesis considers the communication and appropriation of Albert Camus’s philosophy of the Absurd through works of literary fiction, and addresses two questions: What elements of style did Camus use in L’étranger to facilitate the understanding and appropriation of his absurdist ideas, and how can these elements be applied or modified to suit a contemporary audience? This thesis argues that this literary mode transcends historical boundaries, and that the philosophical ideas which are at the forefront of absurdist fiction can help readers navigate the turmoil of their lives. This thesis also argues the importance of following a particular literary style when writing in this genre, which champions the use of a stream of consciousness-style narration, short and simple prose, and establishing a lack of emotion throughout the text. Lastly, this critical piece argues for the use of a specific type of main character, who embodies or represents the philosophical notion of Camus’s revolt through his behaviour and beliefs, as well as through his physical and psychological profile. To exemplify my contentions, I have produced a work of absurdist fiction which adheres to the arguments and ideas presented in this thesis. Smoke Rings, my novel of absurdist fiction, stands as an example of contemporary absurdist fiction. Its aim is to entice readers to appropriate Camus’s absurdist notions, and ultimately to evaluate their lives in accordance with Camus’s absurdist maxims. 3 Table of Contents Critical Component INTRODUCTION 5 CHAPTER 1 – THE ABSURDIST CHARACTER 10 CHAPTER 2 – THE MECHANICS OF STYLE 29 CONCLUSION 53 BIBLIOGRAPHY 58 Creative Component SMOKE RINGS – S. A. LAROCQUE 67 4 Introduction Albert Camus published L’étranger in 1942. I read it for the first time in 2004, in 9th grade French class in Ottawa, and I have been rereading it on a regular basis ever since. This short novel explores the philosophical concept of absurdism by following a portion of the main character’s life from a first-person perspective. But what exactly is absurdism, and what makes it stand out vis-à-vis other philosophical movements? Broadly speaking, ‘the Absurd’ is the dichotomy between seeking meaning in one’s life in a world which does not offer any. It is a belief premised on the position that existence is chaotic and indifferent towards us, an existential state of affairs in which absurdist philosophy presents itself as a way for people to understand and navigate their otherwise meaningless lives. In Le mythe de Sisyphe (published in the same year as L’étranger), Camus outlines the problem and argues that once a person becomes aware of their absurd condition it is very difficult to disregard it. So, Camus offers us three options to deal with the Absurd. The first is to commit suicide. However, in doing so one is simply removing themselves from the equation, and the Absurd triumphs. The second is to attribute the entirety of inexplicable or upsetting thought or emotion associated with the Absurd to a concept, to make you feel better about it.1 Camus calls this “Philosophical Suicide”, and it disregards the issue of the Absurd altogether. The third option, and Camus’s working solution to the problem, is to revolt against the Absurd.2 This 1 For example, someone attributing all negative elements associated with the Absurd to the realm of God or religion. Camus sees this as a way of avoiding the responsibilities associated with living an authentic life in the face of the Absurd. 2 Albert Camus, Le mythe de Sisyphe. (Paris, Gallimard 1942). Rpt (Mesnil-sur-l’Estrée, Folio Essais 2008), 187. For general discussions of absurdism and literature, see Johanna Gavins, Reading the Absurd. (Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press 2013) 220, and Michael Y. Bennett (ed), Cambridge Introduction to Theatre and Literature of the Absurd. (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press 2015) 173. For a more specific discussion of 5 concept, which will be explored at greater length throughout this critical commentary, argues for an individual to defiantly take charge of their life and extract as much meaning from existence as possible. “Si l’absurde annihile toutes mes chances de liberté éternelle, il me rend et exalte au contraire ma liberté d’action. Cette privation d’espoir et d’avenir signifie un accroissement dans la disponibilité de l’homme.”3 Existentialism, especially Sartrean Existentialism, posits a similar idea to Camus’s revolt. I go on to explore some of Sartre’s existential ideas in the pages to follow, but one key difference between absurdism and existentialism is that Sartre argues that once one becomes aware of their meaningless existence and complete freedom, one is required to act upon it for the greater good of mankind. Sartre was in several senses a more politically-engaged thinker than Camus, and his strategy for finding meaning in an otherwise meaningless world was to take political action. Camus’s philosophy, on the other hand, is more personal and promotes self-fulfillment above all else. Finding meaning in life is different for everyone, he argues, and can’t always be attained through political and social movements. How does this relate to literature? The more I read Camus’s literary works alongside his philosophical essays, the more I noticed his ability to embody his philosophy through his characters and settings. Sartre’s La nausée reads more like an essay than a novel, and when it came to me engaging in my own creative praxis I found the philosophical messages of his novel less germane than was the case with the works of Camus; especially L’étranger. Every time I Camus and Sartre on absurdism and existentialism see John Foley, Albert Camus: From the Absurd to Revolt. (Montreal, McGill-Queen's University Press 2008), 239, and Arthur Paul Schlipp (ed), The Philosophy of Jean-Paul Sartre (La Salle – Illinois, Open Court 1991) 751. 3 Albert Camus, Le mythe de Sisyphe, 82. “By annihilating my chances to eternal freedom, the Absurd gives me complete freedom of action. This privation of hope and of future signifies an increase in the availability of man [to take action and find meaning].” Personal translation. 6 reread this powerful short novel, I enter into a deeper appreciation of those aspects of Camusian style which not only help me understand absurdism, but also help me reflect the character’s thoughts and attitudes towards existence onto myself. A dozen rereads of L’étranger later, I was convinced that Camus’s style of writing played a role in establishing the conditions for the appropriation of absurdist truths in fiction. This idea forms the basis of this critical commentary, and the short novel submitted alongside this thesis. The two questions I seek to answer in this thesis are: What elements of style did Camus use to facilitate the understanding and appropriation of absurdist ideas in L’étranger, and how can they be applied or modified to suit a contemporary audience? The existing critical literature on the subject proved to be thinner on the ground than I had expected. Few sources since the 1940s directly address my two aforementioned questions– after detailed research I only found three academics who discuss specific elements relevant to my thesis questions. Armand Renaud wrote about Camus’s literary style in the late 1950s, and his work was helpful in developing a section of this commentary’s second chapter. Richard Lehan, writing in 1960, and Sylvie Servoise, writing in 2013, were the only two academics to discuss Camus’s use of first-person narrative (which we will explore at length later in this commentary). As the research progressed, I noticed a pattern in scholarly articles and books concerning Albert Camus and L’étranger. In the 1940s, 50s and 60s, much of the literature surrounding my research topic was philosophically focused. Academics such as Victor Brombert, Thomas Hanna and Jacques Maritain4 wrote primarily on the absurdist messages of Camus’s works of fiction, and didn’t dwell on style. More contemporary sources tend to study 4 See: Victor Brombert, “Camus and the Novel of the ‘Absurd’”, Yale French Studies, 1 (1948), 119-123; Thomas Hanna, The Thought and Art of Albert Camus. (Chicago, Gateway Edition 1966), 264; and Jacques Maritain, “From Existential Existentialism to Academic Existentialism”, The Sewanee Review, 56:2 (1948), 210-229. 7 Camus and read L’étranger from a political perspective. Edward Said’s Culture and Imperialism (1993) and David R. Ellison’s Le dernier Camus et la Méditerranée in Albert Camus, contemporain (2009) are testaments to this trend in Camusian studies. Other contemporary writings concerning Camus’s L’étranger are in the form of newspaper publications5, which praise Camus’s short novel and argue for its contemporary relevance. If journalists such as Sarah Bakewell can publish a hefty tome entitled At the Existentialist Café: Freedom, Being and Apricot Cocktails (2016) arguing the importance and relevance of Camus, absurdism and the existentialists today, why then is no one considering Camus’s stylistic expression of absurdism in fiction? Due to the lack of sources addressing my specific thesis questions, I began my investigation by returning to the philosophy which shapes L’étranger.
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