Re: Camus Questions -- Mimetic Theory and Literary Study

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Date Posted: 08:58:08 03/29/08 Sat
Author: Caitlin
Subject: Re: Camus Questions
In reply to: CS Holden 's message, "Camus Questions" on 07:30:46 03/27/08 Thu

While reading your post I also questioned Camus' take on mythology. I'm not sure that the hero must be conscious as much as the reader has to be conscious. After all, tragedy is prescribed by the reader/writer/critic, isn't it? A hero could be completely unaware of his situation, continually pushing that rock up the hill without ever realizing how futile it is, but as long as the reader is conscious of the situation the story is considered tragic.

As for how his statements coincide with mimetic theory, I think that you're correct in stating that he has traces of it, but it doesn't quite fulfill it. I think the cyclical nature of mimetic theory is found in Camus' statements, but the consciousness of the hero is a different thing. Isn't the hero supposed to be the mass in the myth? They are the ones that are supposed to be helping, but they are supposed to be unconscious of what they are really doing i.e. fulfilling the scapegoat mechanism. What do you think?

I'm thinking that mimetic theory can be applied in a wide and general way, but I think specifics of it are hard to prove in any single piece of literature.

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Replies:

Re: Camus Questions -- Kiernan, 11:02:52 03/29/08 Sat