our dear friend mr. albert camus

Albert Camus did not consider himself an existentialist at all.

That's interesting, considering the mind-boggling discussion of existentialism that his short story, "The Guest," prompted. But in the words of Camus himself, "No, I am not an existentialist. Sartre and I are always surprised to see our names linked..."

Instead, Camus considered himself to be an advocate of absurdism, a concept somewhat similar to existentialism. Absurdism is a school of thought that emphasizes the discrepancy between the human search for the meaning of life and the actual possibility of finding such meaning. Put quite bluntly in the absurdist view, this search is absurd-- absolutely impossible. Any attempt will be a failure. But Camus is an absurdist who believes that people need to embrace the impossibility and continue to search for the meaning of life regardless of the futility. He saw himself as an opponent to nihilism, another school of thought that asserts the absolute arbitrary nature of life. 

But existentialism in itself has an element of absurdism. The difference between these two philosophies, though seemingly key to Camus's self-identity, is perplexing and vague. Perhaps this is why people consider him to be an existentialist. 

Regardless, it is readily evident that Camus believes in an inherent meaning of life-- granted it is one that is apparently impossible to decipher. Even so, Camus expresses a sense of hope in his claim that humans should nevertheless continue to explore meaning. Such a sentiment can be found in "The Guest," when the prisoner, no doubt struggling in his own moral issues, makes the choice of going to prison instead of fleeing to freedom, fostering that sense of uplifting hope that this man is pursuing the meaning of his life by addressing his personal guilt and absolving himself of his crimes.