The Meaning Of Greatness

2 Pages 466 Words

Greatness can de defined in many ways, however to be truly great you simply need acceptance. Bernard Malamud’s main character in The Assistant Morris Bober exemplifies this humble greatness while refuting mislead ideals of pompous greatness.
Camus’ The Myth of Sisyphus mirrors Morris’ ideal of greatness through the silent acceptance of one’s destiny. Morris lives a very simple, bleak like. He gets up at the same time every morning, sells the same products to the same customers, takes the same breaks, does the same chores, worries about the same bills from the same store and his family every single day. Nothing has changed much. However despondent a life Morris lives however, he never fails to help out those who are worse off than him. “He found a penciled spot on the worn counter, near the cash register, and wrote the sum under ’Drunk Womnen’. The new total now came to $2.03…” ( Malamud, 2). Even when Frank confesses to holding Morris up, he reveals that, “This I already know, you don’t tell me nothing new.” (Malamud, 188). Morris found his greatness through his acceptance of his humble life much like Sisyphus from Camus’ The Myth of Sisyphus.
“At each of those moments when he leaves the heights and gradually sinks toward the lairs of the gods, he is superior to his fate. He is stronger than his rock.”(Camus, 230). Only through accepting one’s fate humbly with understanding like Morris and Sisyphus can one become “stronger than his rock”.
It is evident in Morris’ demeanor that not only does he hold Camus’ ideals among greatness, but that he openly refutes Carlye’s ideals as well. Carlye’s On Heroes and Hero-Worship blatantly contrasts Morris Bober’s views on greatness with its ideals that greatness is rooted in recognition and distinguishment. Carlye believes that “One comfort is that Great Men, taken up in any way are profitable company.” (Carlyle, 237). This however is not tr...