Syllabus for Existentialism Independent Study
READINGS:
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“The Myth of Sisyphus” – Albert Camus
The Stranger, Albert Camus
“Absurdity and the Meaning of Life” – Matthew P. Kundert
“A Perfect Day for Bananafish” and “Teddy” – J.D. Salinger
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
“Metamorphosis, the Mechanisms of Repression, and the Evolution of the
Unconscious in European Literature” – Eric S. Rabkin
Daily Schedule:
March 18:
following:
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Read “The Myth of Sisyphus” by Albert Camus and respond to the
How does Camus define “the absurd hero”?
In what way(s) does “that return, that pause” interest Camus?
What does Camus mean when he states, “If this myth is tragic, that is because
its hero is conscious”? Why is everyday life often not tragic?
How is “happiness” obtained in an absurd world, according to Camus?
March 20: Begin The Stranger. Read Part 1, chapter 1 and respond to the following:
1. What matters to Meursault? What does not?
2. How does he perceive things?
3. How do you feel about him at this point, and why?
4. How does Meursault exhibit an existentialist philosophy in chapter 1?
March 21: Continue The Stranger. Read Part 1, chapter 2 and prepare 3 analytical
questions for the chapter. Discuss them with a partner and formulate some possible,
supportable responses.
March 24: Continue The Stranger. Read Part 1, chapter 3 and respond to the
following:
5. How is Meursault behaving?
6. What are his recent trains of thought?
7. Do we learn any more about him as a man?
8. How do you compare to him?
9. Are Meursault’s comments understandable or baffling to you?
10. What gives value to the lives of Salamano and Raymond? Are they
existentialists? How do they compare with/contrast to Meursault?
March 26: Continue The Stranger. Part 1, chapters 4-6 and respond to the following:
11. Did your opinion of Raymond and Salamano change after this reading?
12. What do you make of Salamano’s reaction to his lost dog? Why does he feel so
lost, even though he admitted to hating his dog? What comment is Camus
making through Salamano about the state of being human?
13. Why does Meursault kill the Arab? Does he seem like a murderer? Did his
actions seems predictable or surprising to you?
14. Does MM know right from wrong?
15. If MM is an existentialist, what might this suggest about morality?
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Complete “Morality Questionnaire.”
March 27: Research Soren Kierkegaard’s and Jean-Paul Sartre’s feelings about
morality. Cite your sources. Then, identify places in The Stranger where these
philosophies are embraced or denied.
March 28: Read “Absurdity and the Meaning of Life.” Then look at selected paintings
(Magritte, DeChirico, Dali) and consider:
 How do these artists explore the question, “What is the meaning of life?”
 How do these interpretations reflect or deny what Camus is suggesting in The
Stranger?
April 1: Read Part 2, chapters 1-3 and respond to the following:
16. What does it mean to be insensitive? Callous? Why is MM so indifferent to the
suffering of others? Is MM callous, or is there evidence in Part 1 of an alternative
theory?
17. Is MM merely keeping a “stiff upper lip”?
18. What do MM’s lawyers and the magistrate expect from MM? What do these men
and their expectations represent?
19. Why does society need MM to grieve for his mother? Why does MM refuse to
“play the game,” and at least pretend to care?
20. What aspects of prison life does MM find difficult? What do they have in
common?
April 2: Part 2, chapters 4 and 5 and respond to the following:
21. Look at Meursault’s quotes on death and discuss his perceptions on it. What is
he realizing? When does it hit home? How do we know? Does he change?
April 3: Read Salinger’s “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” and “Teddy.” Compare and
contrast Seymour and Teddy with Meursault. How does Meursault’s mode of existence
compare to or contrast with Seymour’s? Teddy’s?
April 7:
Complete “Anticipation Activity” for The Metamorphosis. Read Part I of
The Metamorphosis and respond to the following:
1. What is the effect of Kafka's matter-of-fact assertion of the bizarre incidents with
which the story begins? How does Kafka keep the way it came to pass from
becoming a major issue in the story?
2. What is the relationship between realism and fantasy in this story? What are
some details that make the fantastic story credible?
3. What are Gregor's concerns in section I? To what degree do they differ from what
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would matter to him if he had not been transformed into an insect?
Why does Gregor dismiss the idea of calling for help when he tries to get out of
bed?
What seems most important to members of his family as he lies in bed?
How do you view the reactions of Gregor's parents to their first view of his
metamorphosis? What circumstances in ordinary life might elicit a similar
response?
What is the significance of the view from Gregor's window?
Trace Gregor's adaptation to his new body. In what ways do the satisfactions of
his life as an insect differ from the satisfactions of his life as a traveling salesman?
When Gregor's father pushes him back into his room at the end of section I, why
does Kafka call it "literally a deliverance"?
April 8: Read Part II of The Metamorphosis and respond to the following:
10. How does Grete treat Gregor in section II? Is he ill?
11. What are Gregor's hopes for the future? Is there anything wrong with those
hopes?
12. For a time, Gregor is ashamed of his condition and tries to hide from everyone. In
what way might this be called a step forward for him?
13. What conflicting feelings does Gregor have about having the furniture taken out
of his room? Why does he try to save the picture? What might Kafka's intention
be in stressing that it is on this occasion that Grete calls Gregor by his name for
the first time since his metamorphosis?
14. Why does Gregor's father behave as he does when Gregor "breaks loose"? Explain
the situation that has developed by the end of section II.
April 9:
Complete analysis of graphic adaptation of novel by Peter Kuper. Also,
read “Metamorphosis, the Mechanisms of Repression, and the Evolution of the
Unconscious in European Literature” by Eric S. Rabkin and identify the different phases
of metamorphosis throughout the history of literature. How is the third phase, as
represented in The Metamorphosis, distinctly modern?
April 11: Read Part II of The Metamorphosis and respond to the following:
15. How does the charwoman relate to Gregor? Why is she the one who presides over his
"funeral"?
16. Compare the role of the lodgers in the family with Gregor's role. Have they supplanted
him? Why does Gregor's father send them away in the morning?
17. How does Gregor's condition deteriorate by the end of the story, in his environment and
within himself?
18. How does Gregor's family behave at the end of the story? What are your reactions to the
events and atmosphere at the end?
19. What symbolic objects or other details appear in the story? Do they have connections
with earlier mythologies or legends or literature?
April 14:
FINAL ASSESSMENT OPTIONS:
1) Analytical Essay: How does Gregor Samsa’s condition/situation
compare to/reflect Meursault’s in The Stranger? Do both embrace
existentialism? How would Nietzsche view them? (Are they Master
Souls? Slave Souls? Passive or active nihilists? Do they lead authentic
or inauthentic lives?)
2) Comic Strips with Process Essay (instructions attached)