In the narrative, he is an absurd hero who does not try to escape his fate. From his point of view, the story of Sisyphus, who was punished by Gods and had to spend an eternity rolling a huge rock up the mountain, is another proof of it (Camus, “The Myth of Sisyphus” 107). In this way, Camus uses this Greek myth to underpin his theory regarding the need for a struggle on the way to happiness. The second character, Sisyphus, in contrast to Meursault, experiences a struggle of a physical nature which has similar effects on him. Hence, his struggle is reflected by an apathetic attitude towards life due to inability to enjoy it. Thus, for instance, his girlfriend, Marie, is the initiator of their communication from the very beginning when she asks if Meursault wanted to marry her (Camus, “The Stranger” 41). It is explicitly seen not only in the occasional conversations as in the example above at his mother’s funeral but also in relationships. The first step to happiness, which is struggle, for him, is reflected in the failed attempts to understand others and socialize with people. Moreover, he is annoyed by the people he meets on his way, such as the talkative caretaker in the facility where his mother died (Camus, “The Stranger” 7). The first character, Meursault, is a person who has little interest in his surroundings. Therefore, the achievement of happiness by Meursault and Sisyphus implies the struggle, the loss of hope, and the subsequent acceptance of meaningless of life, and they pass through these stages in the specified order.
In this case, the most prominent examples of novels presenting Camus’ views on the subject are “The Myth of Sisyphus” and “The Stranger,” and their main characters have a row of similarities in the way they are trying to find their paths. In other words, inevitability is synonymous with happiness, and it is added to the idea of absurdity of life (Daniel). The philosopher emphasized its importance from the perspective of the search for meaning and the necessity to refuse from it to become truly happy (Daniel).
The achievement of happiness is a recurrent theme in the works of Albert Camus.
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