Philosophy and Famine to Boot
When in the course of human nature, various afflictions that we face in our everyday lives that we oft declare to be annoying or taxing on the conveniences of our lives sometimes hold a valuable message that becomes ingrained in our minds, but we remain ignorant of their values. Albert Camus knows this psychological quandary, and in his novel The Plague, he uses his individual characters as part of a greater whole that, by the end of the novel, exemplifies the logical and moral scenario by that we, the reader, can reflect on and find the true value of our afflictions. Dr. Rieux is a character that seems oblivious to either side of this argument. Obviously, he is taxed by the sudden income of responsibility and leadership with the oncoming of the plague, but he never buckles down with his burden-he is able to withstand and not declare it a tragedy on himself, but he remain
Mere discussion of social activities combine the two, as Tarrou remarks that having a quiet drink "will depend on Rieux. He, without saying it directly, lets the plague take him over through his obsession of leaving Oran. People in Oran begin to think of the two identities as analogous to one another. He equates the plague to the God-smitten plagues of centuries old, declaring that "plague is the flail of God and the world His threshing-floor. Three different characters, each with a different viewpoint as to the benefit of the plague, and each with some amount and degree of ignorance, create only a small part of Camus' existentialist parable. As the plague is strong, Rieux's increasing strength nearly equates him to the plague itself. Finally, the Reverend Paneloux is the only character that actually sees the plague as a good opportunity, a source of irony from an existentialist novel. " (95) It is ironic that Paneloux ends up dying from the plague himself because "[t]he just man need have no fear" (95) , but it can be inferred that the good he needed to do was completed by the time of his death, and the Paneloux needed to be back with God; there was nothing more that he could do. Conversely, Raymond Rambert lets the plague take him over. s ignorant of the emotional power the plague has on him and its capacity for mental strength. " (73) But amongst his internal quarreling and external whininess, the plague has had a good affect on Rambert.
Common topics in this essay:
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Dr Rieux,
Reverend Paneloux,
Oran Rambert,
People Oran,
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Albert Camus,
Raymond Rambert,
throughout novel,
equates plague,
individual characters,
novel plague,
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Acceptance Essays
