Introducing Camus

by David Zane Mairowitz and Alain Korkos

Louis Germain

Germain was Camus’ primary school teacher who got him to go to high school (p. 24).

Communism

It never occurred to me that Tunisian Communists might have been associated with other maghrabian groups. (p. 30).

It’s also interesting that they switched from being anti-capitalist/anti-colonialist to being anti-fascist.

L’absurde

p. 39. “[Camus] doesn’t even miss or desire God.” More radical than I am.

L’étranger

“Meursault” == “mer” + “soleil”

Le Mythe de Sysyphe

The chapter on Kafka was published only after the war as an appendix because the Nazi censors wouldn’t have allowed a book about a Jewish writer to be published.

Camus insisted that he was not an existentialist.

Beauty

Quote (p. 92) that I don’t understand.

La Révolte

p. 121: “…If a slave says”no,” he does not so merely against his master, but for his master as well.”

p. 131. Interesting discussion of Camus’ use of the word “revolt” and how he uses it partly to signify moderation.

p. 134. Camus criticizes Hegel because he elevated history above actual people. Hegel made a religion from history.

p. 135. Problem of revolution: it leads to new tyranny.

p. 136. How the notion of revolt was criticized.

Albert Memmi (b. 1920)

It says he was Algerian! (p. 148).

Wikipedia, etc., say he was Tunisian.

L’Exil et le royaume

This is one of his last works!!

L’Hôte

Ambiguous word (p. 156).