Camus' philosophical essays, plays, short-stories, and novels present the absurdity of the world, the necessity of consciousness, the ubiquity of death, and the inevitability of personal obligation. Camus' philosophical concerns are particularly captivating in his early principle works: The Stranger, Caligula, and The Plague.

The Stranger incarnates Camus' idea of "the absurd." Meursault is a stranger in a world that functions by groundless expectation and illusory dogmatism. The mundanity of his life is erupted when he inexplicably shoots a man on an isolated beach. During the interlude between his conviction and execution, Meursault achieves a level of consciousness that enables him to establish personal meaning despite his incomprehensible circumstance. Caligula personifies Camus' notion of consciousness and rebellion. Caligula, the Emperor of Rome, immerses himself in a self-defining mission to conquer the inherent meaninglessness of life. Caligula attempts to work through the logical consequences of his epiphany by achieving the impossible and by brutalizing his subjects. The Plague embodies Camus' belief in an inevitable obligation – the exercise of choice. Bernard Rieux, Jean Tarrou, and Father Paneloux are among the residents of Oran, Algeria who are assailed by plague. Rieux demonstrates the ability to shape one's life by personal conviction rather than the capriciousness of external circumstance. Tarrou explains that plague is inherent to all humanity, and the cure is to live by the dictates of awareness and choice. Paneloux is immersed in a crisis of faith that reveals the essentiality of a substantive foundation for choice.

Like himself, Camus' characters are trapped in a struggle for metaphysical equilibrium. They live in the midst of absurdity, yet they cannot cease striving to establish meaning for their lives. Through Meursault, Caligula, Rieux, Tarrou, and Paneloux Camus draws his readers into a complex, yet relevant pursuit.