Summary of THE MYTH OF SISYPHUS

The Myth of Sisyphus is a philosophical essay by Albert Camus published in 1942. It revolves around the story of Sisyphus, a man in Greek mythology who is cursed to forever rolling a boulder up a mountain, only to see it roll back down to the bottom each time. The essay examines the absurd condition of mankind, and presents a possible, yet pessimistic, resolution. Through an analysis of the myth Camus posits that the only way for the individual to cope with the meaninglessness of life is to embrace the absurdity of their own mortality and consider Sisyphus's relentless toil to be his own noble purpose. Despite the fact that he will never reach his goal, Camus argues that it is this eternal striving which gives life its meaning.