Job: A Christian Sisyphus? Humor and the Triumph o f Humań Experience
Abstract
Over the past decades humor and laughter have come to be accepted as serious topics in academic research and a number of diverse theories on humor and the role of laughter have been developed. These theories, however, consider laughter mainly in its daily aspects or in normal life situations. Starting ffom Albert Camus’ concept of the happy Sisyphus, this paper considers whether the figurę of Job, who seems to inhabit a comparably absurd situation, could also be considered as happy, even laughing. The paper concludes with a distinctive reading of the divine words found at the end of The Book of Job that ma> be fundamental in linking Sisyphus w.th Job.
Keywords:
Sisyphus, Job, Camus, absurd, happiness, laughterReferences
Alcaeus 1999, Fragments, Paris: Les Belles Lettres.
Google Scholar
Apollodoro 1998, Biblioteca, Milano: Mondadori.
Google Scholar
Bergson Henri L., 1911, Laughter: An Essay on the Meaning of the Comie, I -ondon: Macmillan and Co.
Google Scholar
Camus A., 1959, The Myth of Sisyphus - and Other Essays, New ork: Vintage Books.
Google Scholar
Cardinali M., 2002, U Dio Inseguito Viaggio alla scoperta della fede nella poesia di David Maria Turo Ido, Roma: Edizione Pro Sanctitate. dei Bonsignon G., Ovidio Methamorphoseos vulgare. Printed in Venice by Zoane Rosso for Lucantonio Zonta on MCCCCLXXXXVII a di X del mese di Aprile, Libro IV, Capitolo XXXI, De Sisypho.
Google Scholar
Frost R., 2002, A Masąue of Reason. In Lathem Edward Connery, ed., The Poetry oj Robert Frost: The Collected Poems. New York: Henry Holt.
Google Scholar
Gilbert Stephen W., 1996, Etymologies of Humor: Reflections of the Humus Pile, Sincronla, Winter, (available at: http://sincronia.cucsh.udg.mx/etymolog.htm).
Google Scholar
Hartley J.E., 1988, The Book of Job. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
Google Scholar
Heschel A.J., 1955, God in Search ofMan -A Philosophy of Judaism, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Google Scholar
Homer, 2006, The Odyssey, Arlington: Richer Resource Publications.
Google Scholar
Igino, 1998, Favole, Lecce: Argo Editore.
Google Scholar
JungC.G., 1984, Answer to Job. London: Routledpe, (original edition, Jung, Carl G.,Antwoord op Job, Rotterdam: Uitgeverij Lemniscaat, 1998.)
Google Scholar
Kast V., 1991. Sisyphus: The Old Stone — A New Wav, A Jungian Approach to Midlife Crisis. Einsiedeln: Daimon Verlag.
Google Scholar
Morreall J., 1983. Taking Laughter Seriously, Albany: SUNY Press.
Google Scholar
Pausania, 2003, Descrizione della Grecia, Milano: Mondadori.
Google Scholar
Sophocles, 2003, Tragedie e Frammenti. Filottete, Milano: Mondadori.
Google Scholar
Sutherland R., 2004, Putting God on Trial: The Biblical Book ofJob, Trafford: Victoria.
Google Scholar
Teognide, 1989, Elegie, Milano: Rizzoli.
Google Scholar
Vanheeswijck G., 1993, Lachen om de wereld. Dwarsliggers in het Europese Denken, Kapellen. Pelckmans.
Google Scholar
Van Hooreweghe H., 1998, Inleiding. In Jung, Carl Gustav, Antwoord op Job. Rotterdam: Uitgeverij Lemniscaat, pp.7-20.
Google Scholar
Wharton J.A., 1999, Job. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press.
Google Scholar
Whedbee W., 1977, The Comedy ofJob. - Polzin, Robert and Robertson David (eds.) “Studies in the Book of Job”, Semeia, 1 (1977), pp. 1-44.
Google Scholar
Statistics
Downloads
License
1. Copyrights to published works are held by the University of Opole (to the collective work) and the Authors (to individual parts of the collective work that have an independent meaning).
2. Only previously undistributed works can be published in the scientific journal "Stylistics".
3. The University of Opole does not restrict the possibility of the author's further dissemination of his work on condition that the scientific journal "Stylistics" is indicated as the original place of publication and the consent of the University Publishing House.
4. Consent to the publication of the work in the scientific journal "Stylistics" is tantamount to granting the author a non-exclusive license to the University of Opole, including the right to use the work without territorial restrictions and time limits in the following fields of exploitation:
a) within the scope of recording and multiplication of the work - production of any number of copies of the work in whole or in part using a specified technique, including printing, reprography, magnetic recording and digital technique, introduction of the work into computer memory and computer networks,
b) within the scope of circulation of the original or copies on which the work has been recorded - circulation, lending or hiring of the original or copies,
c) within the scope of dissemination of the work in a manner other than specified in item 2 - making the work or its abstract available on the Internet by enabling the recipients to access the work on-line or enabling them to download the work to their own device that makes it possible to read it, placing the work in electronic databases that disseminate scientific works, including in particular the CEEOL database (Central and Eastern Online Libray) and the abstract in English in the CEJSH database (The Central Europaen Journal of Social Scienes and Humanites).
d) within the scope of creating and distributing dependent works created using the work - using them in the fields of exploitation specified in points 1-3.
5. The author is not entitled to compensation for granting the license to the work.
6. The author agrees that the University may grant further permission to use the work (sublicense) in the fields of exploitation specified in par. 2 paragraph 4.
7. The author agrees that, in connection with the distribution of the work, his or her personal information, that is, name, affiliation, and e-mail address, may be made public.
