In Albert Camus The Myth Of Sisyphus's Argument

Job reacts authentically to the Absurd. Acting authentically is living with the knowledge of and in accordance with one’s infinite freedom.10 However, it is understandable that one could judge Job as anything but free at the end of the story. He ceases his complaints and says to God: “Therefore I will be quiet, comforted that I am dust”. 11 One could argue that Job is relinquishing his freedom and is acting in Bad Faith because he is confining himself to the role of “dust”. Moreover, his submission to God cedes moral authority to another figure, denying his ability to create his own values. However, as Albert Camus’ essay The Myth of Sisyphus explains, Job’s acquiescence to his fate is an act of authenticity because it accepts the futility

Every time Sisyphus reaches the top of the hill, he must let the boulder go and watch it roll back down to the bottom where he will fetch it and resume his eternal task. In a literal sense Sisyphus is not free; he is at the complete subjugation of the gods. His fate is thought of as torture because all his struggles are, in the end, meaningless. However, Camus sees Sisyphus’ fate as triumphant rather than tragic. Camus refers to a moment that he calls “the pause”, in which Sisyphus watches the boulder roll down the hill and begins his descent. Camus believes that in this pause Sisyphus becomes aware that, “there is no higher destiny, or at least there is but one which he concludes is inevitable and despicable. For the rest, he knows himself to be the master of his days”.12 To Camus, the tragedy of Sisyphus’ fate can vanish. He suggests that the crushing reality of the futility and eternality of his condition can be lessened simply by becoming aware that there is no “higher destiny”, or in other words, no escape to a better

The world is comprised of irrationality and meaninglessness even though humans seek order and purpose. This paradox, known as the Absurd, defines the human condition. In the face of the Absurd, one may live like the comforters and act in Bad Faith. The comforters cling to the idea that their world functions rationally. Consequently, they falsely define Job as a sinner in accordance with their logic and deny their own inherent ability to create their own moral code. One should extrapolate from the comforters’ Bad Faith that it is necessary to personally examine preconceived principles that one holds, lest one blindly adheres to a flawed doctrine. Conversely, Job acts Authentically. He sees the meaningless and irrationality of his world and instead of seeking to apply order to it he accepts his fate. In Job’s story there is a lesson for all humanity. Whether or not one believes in God, one cannot doubt that the world is confusing and sometimes appears to be a hopeless place. One grinds out an existence day after day hoping for some sort of validation from the universe only to receive none. In order to cope with this, one should act like Job and Sisyphus. One should acknowledge that one is indeed dust, an individual doomed to push their boulder until death. Having accepted this fate, one will be able imbue meaning into his or her life. The universe may be meaningless, but that does not mean life has to