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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What temptation does Camus suggest is hardest to overcome?

2. From what does the writer wish to liberate his universe?

3. What binds a man to the absurd?

4. What 'two worlds' does Kafka present in his novels?

5. What would be a synonym for the phrase 'fecund rumination' (p. 93 of the Penguin Edition)?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Camus describe the Church's treatment of heretics?

2. What were Sisyphus's sins against the gods, for which he was punished?

3. According to the quotation from Nietzsche, what vital function is performed by art?

4. What does Nietzsche mean when he says 'Great problems are in the street'?

5. What is Camus' attitude to Galileo?

6. According to Camus, what must we take into consideration when reading the works of Franz Kafka?

7. How does Camus account for the promiscuity of don Juan?

8. What is The Trial about?

9. In mentioning the Diary (p. 100 of the Penguin edition), to what does Camus draw attention?

10. How does Camus view the novel as an artistic endeavor?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Camus' work has within it much that is lyrical in its description of place. Choose a short passage from either his essay on Algiers, Oran or Tipasa and analyse its literary qualities. You will need to comment on word choice, sentence structure, use of imagery and symbolism in the passage. Look also for scenic and emotional contrasts.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay that deals thoughtfully with the following:

In an absurd world, is not philosophy itself absurd? If life has no meaning, why have learned people--over many centuries from Ancient Greece to the present--devoted so much time to discussing it? Might they not have been better occupied?

In other words, you will be demonstrating that philosophy is a necessary activity for mature humanity.

Essay Topic 3

'Philosophy is simultaneously important and unimportant.' Can you explain the apparent paradox in this statement? You should make close reference to Camus' absurdist beliefs as expounded in The Myth of Sisyphus. You might like to consider what other paradoxes appear in this work and discuss the possibility of these being resolved.

(see the answer keys)

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