Question

Identify the work from which the following excerpt has been taken:
\(\textit{"In a universe that is suddenly deprived of illusions and of light, man feels a stranger. He is an irremediable exile .... This divorce between man and his life, the actor and his setting, truly constitutes the feeling of Absurdity."}\)

• A. Frantz Kafka’s The Trial
• B. Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot
• C. Albert Camus’ The Myth of Sisyphus
• D. Harold Pinter’s The Homecoming

Hint:

Albert Camus’ \textit{The Myth of Sisyphus} is a fundamental text in existential philosophy, focusing on the absurdity of life and the human struggle to find meaning in an indifferent universe.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understand the context of the quote

This excerpt captures the essence of the "absurdity" in the human experience, a central theme in the philosophy of Albert Camus. The quote describes a sense of alienation and the feeling of being estranged from life itself, which is a key idea in The Myth of Sisyphus. In this philosophical essay, Camus argues that life is inherently absurd and that humans are constantly searching for meaning in a universe that offers no clear answers.

Step 2: Analyze the options

Now, let's analyze the options:

• (A) Frantz Kafka’s The Trial is known for its themes of alienation and bureaucratic absurdity, but the quote’s direct reference to "Absurdity" and the "divorce between man and his life" fits more closely with Camus’ exploration of existential themes.
• (B) Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot also addresses absurdity, but the focus of the quote here is more directly related to Camus’ philosophy of the absurd.
• (C) Albert Camus’ The Myth of Sisyphus directly deals with the absurdity of the human condition and the alienation described in the excerpt. Camus writes about the sense of meaninglessness in life and the human attempt to find meaning, perfectly reflecting the themes in the excerpt.
• (D) Harold Pinter’s The Homecoming explores psychological tension and familial conflict, but it does not focus specifically on absurdity in the existential sense described in the excerpt.

Step 3: Conclusion

Given the philosophical context and the use of the term "Absurdity," the correct answer is (C), The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus, which focuses on these very themes of existential alienation and absurdity.