A reading of the works of Duhamel in light of those of Camus suggests a strong influence on the latter by the former. By the time Camus began his literary career, Duhamel was already a well established and respected author, with whom most educated French people would have been familiar. This thesis posits the idea that, long before Camus named the absurd in 1942, Duhamel had already explored many of the themes that would form the subject matter for 'Le Mythe de Sisyphe' (1942) and 'L'Homme révolté' (1951). Not only are these two essays crucial in understanding the evolution of Camus' thought; they can be shown to be essential road maps for identifying themes of absurdity and revolt in the works of the earlier writer; Duhamel. Features common to the protagonists of both authors - the gratuitous acts committed by both Salavin and Meursault and their ambivalent responses - suggest a strong link between them. If Meursault's actions can be explained by 'Le Mythe de Sisyphe', then perhaps Duhamel's Salavin and Laudrel can be illuminated by the very same essay. If Duhamel's Laurent Pasquier embodies some of the qualities of Dr Rieux, then perhaps he might also be considered a rebel in what would become the 'Camusian' sense. Themes of absurdity and revolt permeate Duhamel's entire literary output; while Duhamel's Salavin and Camus' Meursault are quite different personalities, they both follow a path infused with a sense of the meaninglessness of existence, tinged with nihilism and which culminates in an ethical rebellion in the face of the certainty of death. It is these convergences, similarities and parallels which form the basis of this project and which, to date, have not been thoroughly explored by critics. In other words, there has been no detailed comparative analysis of the works of these two authors. It is this gap in the critical canon which this thesis seeks to rectify.

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the life and times of Lieutenant Shirase Nobu, in order to identify some of the factors responsible for the fact that his is a name that was once famous throughout Japan and yet is now almost entirely forgotten. For some explorers, fame has endured, and the glory that was theirs in their own time has lasted long after their deaths. For others, however, it has been an ephemeral status that soon faded. It is argued in this thesis that heroes are a product of the historical milieu in which they lived, as much as they are a product of their own deeds, and that changes in society can eclipse heroic status even within the lifetime of the hero. The historical period known as the Heroic Era of Antarctic exploration, which occurred from the end of the nineteenth century into the first decades of the twentieth, has become a topic of growing fascination for layperson and scholar alike. Despite this interest, Shirase Nobu, a Heroic Era Antarctic explorer once celebrated in Japan and whose name was known around the world, was forgotten even in his homeland almost as soon as his expedition was over, and his story still remains largely unknown even in that country. Although Shirase's story is a fascinating one, it is not the purpose of this thesis to rehabilitate a forgotten Japanese historical figure. Nor does this thesis investigate the "waves and troughs" in Shirase's fame over the past century, or attempt to explain why they have occurred, or are now occurring. Instead, this thesis is restricted to an investigation of factors that made Shirase famous, and, more specifically, the factors that swiftly put an end to that fame. At the same time, it is hoped that this thesis may function as a first stage in integrating into the wider field of Antarctic historical studies an event which has to date largely been ignored, and thereby serve as one small step towards giving the East a more eloquent role on the Anglo-centric stage of Antarctic exploratory history as it now exists.