Directions: Please choose one of the following topics and write a coherent, concise, clear essay that follows MLA conventions (12 point Times New Roman font, double-spacing, with 1” margins). The essay will need to be 10-12 pages in length. Ideally, Microsoft Word works better than Google Docs. IF you choose to use Google Docs, please pay extra close attention to your formatting. You will need to have quotes from primary and secondary sources (5-7) that will support your thesis. As you should have learned in ENG 101, primary sources will be those quotes coming from Camus’ works, while secondary sources will come from outside, supporting sources such as the essays from the Journal of Camus Studies. Each essay, not each journal, counts as a credible source.
Your thesis statement needs to state clearly your position on one of the above topics. You will want your thesis to be clear and focused so that your reader knows exactly what you will be analyzing, as well as the purpose of your paper. Remember that you are not just presenting a thesis and supporting details, but rather you are using this opportunity to “teach” me about your topic. The better that you support your thesis, the stronger your essay will be, and the more likely that you will have “taught” me about your subject. You will need a Works Cited page (and this will not count towards your overall page requirement). Keep your verbs in present tense and, as always, if you have any questions do not hesitate to ask me. Remember that I am your audience, so do not take it for granted that I know everything that you are writing about. All essays must be submitted in PDF format. Finally, you will want a conclusion that sums up your main ideas.
By now, we have spent the better part of two-thirds of the semester investigating Camus’ philosophy of the absurd; it’s relevance in twentieth-century literature, its early forerunners, and how one character seems to epitomize all that is absurd. Your final essay will be to explore one of the following topics in relation to Camus’ absurdist philosophy and the final novel published before Camus’ death:
Throughout the majority of Camus’ works the author is concerned with, in one way or another, the philosophy of the absurd. Therefore, it is up to you to enlighten me on the ideas of Camus’ absurdist philosophy by finding examples in “The Guest” OR “The Adulterous Woman”. For this topic, you will need to perform outside research: focus on setting up his absurdist philosophy with “The Myth” and then go into your analysis. Remember that the essays from the JCS is your safest and best bet for supporting material.
One of the underlying themes in “The Guest” or “The Adulterous Woman” is the perception of a lack of ethics or morals. Please examine, and argue, whether or not Balducci, the Arab, OR Janine is ethical/moral, and if being an absurdist has anything to do with the individual’s casual indifference. Remember to begin the essay with a definition of ethics and morals: try looking at the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy for clear, coherent definitions.
There is an unsupported, but interesting idea that Camus intended for Janine and Marcel to be an extension of Marie and Meursault IF they had moved to Paris, stayed together, and Meursault did not kill the Arab. Write and argumentative/persuasive essay in which you support or deny this claim.
Choose your own topic and clear it with me first! IF you do not clear it with me, you WILL receive an automatic 0 on the assignment.
