View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. How are myths given life?

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

3. What is Camus' view concerning the idea that the artist can be detached from his work?

4. Why did the gods view Sisyphus' punishment as particularly dreadful?

5. In what way is a modern worker similar to Sisyphus?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Camus say is tiresome about the human heart (p. 115 of the Penguin edition)?

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

3. Why is Sisyphus completely appropriate as the absurd hero?

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

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

6. Why is the fame of a writer likely to endure and that of an actor not to do so?

7. What two views of Sisyphus are mentioned by Camus?

8. What is Camus' basic criticism of phenomenology?

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

10. What does humanity need to do in order to understand the world?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

'Fame is the spur that leads men on'. Discuss. There are different kinds of fame you could consider. You might consider that perhaps the pursuit of fame is a way some people confirm the significance of their lives. What are the gains to be had through fame? These could be material, but also perhaps spiritual--depending on the type of fame enjoyed.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay in which you define philosophy and discuss its significance. You might like to refer to the way certain philosophers have influenced politics, science and society in general. Comment on the extent to which the study and/or discussion of philosophy enriches life and broadens human understanding.

Essay Topic 3

Account for Camus' interest in the work of Russian writer Dostoevsly. For what reasons does Camus choose to refer frequently to this novelist? To what extent is an appreciation of Dostoevsky required to understand Camus' position on The Absurd?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,034 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample