Sisyphus as Hero

Camus chose Sisyphus — condemned by the gods to roll a boulder uphill forever, watching it roll back down each time — as his symbol of human existence. Most people see Sisyphus as a figure of despair. Camus saw him as triumphant.

The critical moment is when Sisyphus walks back down the hill. He knows the boulder will roll down again. He knows his effort changes nothing. And he chooses to continue anyway. That conscious choice in the face of futility is the rebellion. Camus wrote: "One must consider Sisyphus happy."