Sally Duff-Outside Reading: Albert Camus

In Albert Camus’ book The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus discusses the absurd.  He talks about the absurd man as someone who has no regard for rules.  He does whatever he wants and does not think about consequences.  Camus thinks that it is ridiculous to look forward to the future, to tomorrow, because being in the future is being closer to death.  And death, to Camus, is the worst thing.  I think Joel in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind reflects this.  He does not worry about the future.  He does what he wants in the moment.  When he decides to erase his memory, he’s not thinking about the consequences, he just wants to stop hurting.  When he decides to get back together with Clementine he also is not thinking about the future.  He’s not thinking about the fact that they’ve already failed.  He’s only thinking that he likes Clementine and right now it feels right, so he follows his instinct.