In "The Myth of Sisyphus," what is Sisyphus’s “hour of consciousness”?

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In this essay, Camus explores the significance of the mythical figure of Sisyphus, who was punished by the gods for his crimes and sent to the underworld, where he was destined to push a massive rock up a hill for eternity which would constantly roll back to the bottom of the hill, and then he would have to start again. What is fascinating about this essay, however, is the way that Camus explores the "hour of consciousness" of Sisyphus, which he defines as the time Sisyphus is able to walk down the hill after the rock has fallen and before he begins pushing it again:


The hour of consciousness is such an important concept for Camus because it gives him hope of being able to surmount the problems of being human in an existentialist universe which is either profoundly indifferent or extremely hostile to the suffering of man. The "hour of consciousness" is therefore something to try to attain as a coping strategy so that humans can be "superior" to their fate as we toil away at meaningless tasks we are destined to work on for our entire lives. 


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