Date of Award

5-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

College/School

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department/Program

English

Thesis Sponsor/Dissertation Chair/Project Chair

Adam Rzepka

Committee Member

Lois Oppenheim

Committee Member

Patricia Matthew

Abstract

This thesis examines the usage of absurdist literature, particularly a selection of works by Albert Camus, and their relevance to bibliotherapy. The three selected works are his novels The Plague and The Stranger, as well as his essay The Myth of Sisyphus. By analyzing these works through a psychoanalytic lens and with the consideration of generational theory, utilizing absurdist literature as an alternative “medicine” in times of crisis, especially in instances where immediate medical aid is not available, is shown to be beneficial. This thesis also uses the recent COVID-19 pandemic as a model for global crises and explores the universality of the feelings of loneliness, isolation, anxiety and exile. Incorporating evidence from recently published psychological reports of post-pandemic symptoms such as increased dissociation helps to demonstrate the necessity for bibliotherapeutic resources, specifically in young adults. Ultimately, this thesis argues that with literature that is highly identifiable, cathartic, introspective and universal, readers can build mental resilience in difficult situations, and the works aforementioned by Albert Camus are of particular usefulness within this criteria.

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