Exploring the common traits exhibited by individuals in the face of disaster.
1. Introduction
2. Characters
3. Plot and Summary
4. Review
5. Conclusion
Introduction
The masterpiece "The Plague" deals with humans confronting their fate in the midst of a tragic whirlwind of an epidemic, facing reality squarely in the face. It portrays the choices humans make in the face of an unavoidable catastrophic destiny. Written by French author Albert Camus and published in 1947, it sold over 600,000 copies by 1960, earning the title of a bestseller. It is also hailed as a classic of the disaster novel genre.
Set in the small town of Oran on the northern coast of French Algeria, the sudden outbreak of plague highlights the helpless nature of humanity in the face of epidemics, making it a compelling read for those who have experienced diseases such as SARS, MERS, and COVID-19.
Characters
The protagonist of this work is Dr. Bernard Rieux. The story unfolds from his perspective. He has a sick wife.
Joseph Grand, a civil servant in Oran, is another character. He had a wife who left him, leaving him to live alone. Rieux and Grand endure various hardships in opposition to the plague.
Jean Tarrou is somewhat of a rebellious figure from an upper-class background. He joins Rieux's health team to assist him.
There is also Raymond Rambert, a journalist from Paris who came to Oran for a story but gets stuck in the city due to the plague; Cottard, who takes advantage of the chaotic situation caused by the plague to engage in smuggling and profit-making schemes; and Father Paneloux, the priest of Oran, are among the main characters.
Plot and Summary
The backdrop of this work is the city of Oran, a French colonial city in North Africa in the 1940s. Oran, a beautiful port city, suddenly starts witnessing dead rats scattered everywhere, even in the apartment where Dr. Bernard Rieux lives. The apartment concierge dismisses the rat corpses as a prank initially.
However, the situation takes a grim turn as the rat corpses multiply and are found in large numbers throughout the city, causing an unsettling atmosphere. One day, a journalist named Rambert visits Rieux to investigate the poor sanitation conditions in Oran, but Rieux dismisses him, telling him to investigate the mass deaths of rats.
Meanwhile, elderly residents, including the concierge in Rieux's apartment, start dying of a mysterious illness, leading Rieux to receive a call from Grand, a municipal official he knows. Grand reports that a neighbor named Cottard attempted suicide, prompting Rieux to become acquainted with Cottard.
As the suspected epidemic spreads throughout the city, Rieux demands action from the municipal health authorities. Initially dismissive, the authorities eventually decide to close the city as the disease spreads. Citizens become increasingly anxious and depressed, and the city descends into silence.
Rambert, who previously visited Rieux, claims he has no connection to Oran and seeks a way to escape the city. He attempts to contact guardsmen to smuggle him out of the city but faces difficulties. Tarrou, a newcomer, offers to help Rieux organize a health team to combat the plague.
Meanwhile, Father Paneloux exacerbates people's anxiety by preaching that the plague is God's punishment for the world's corruption. As summer arrives, the plague intensifies, and citizens become exhausted and increasingly anxious.
As September approaches, the plague shows no signs of abating. Rieux and the medical staff, including Tarrou, suffer from severe fatigue, while people become increasingly indifferent to plague-related news. However, profiteer Cottard continues to take advantage of the plague for personal gain.
Rambert, now part of the health team, continues to seek a way out of Oran but ultimately decides to stay and help combat the plague after spending time with Rieux and realizing the importance of solidarity. One day, the son of a judge dies from the plague, leading to a confrontation between Rieux and Paneloux about whether the disease is divine punishment. Paneloux later joins the health team but succumbs to the plague.
Later, Rieux and Tarrou explore a camp on the outskirts of the city and build a bond while discussing various topics. However, despite their efforts, the situation remains grim. Even Grand, a municipal official, contracts the plague, but fortunately, he survives.
As winter approaches, the plague's momentum gradually wanes, and the rats, previously hidden, become increasingly noticeable as they succumb to mass death. With the death toll decreasing, citizens regain their vigor, while Cottard, who profited from the epidemic, becomes despondent. He approaches Rieux and suggests that even after the plague ends, it will take time for life to return to normal.
Meanwhile, Tarrou falls ill with the plague and slowly succumbs to death, and Rieux receives news that his wife, who was receiving treatment in another city, has died.
Eventually, the plague is completely eradicated, and people are engulfed in a festive atmosphere. However, Cottard is arrested after attempting to shoot people. Observing the end of the plague, Rieux reflects on the possibility of another epidemic like the plague occurring at any time.
Reflection
The novel revolves around Rieux, who is both a narrator and protagonist, but it also depicts various people facing the plague. Rieux portrays frontline medical staff in the epidemic response, Grand represents administrative officials supporting this effort, Rambert is a journalist covering the story, Tarrou represents ordinary citizens, Paneloux represents the clergy, and Cottard embodies opportunistic behavior amidst the crisis. Initially, each character responds differently as the plague spreads. Rieux and Grand demonstrate dedication in their respective roles as healthcare workers and public servants, while Rambert attempts to flee the city.
However, as time passes and the situation worsens, they all unite to combat the plague. Rieux, Grand, and Tarrou take the lead in organizing the sanitation efforts, while Rambert and Paneloux eventually join them, demonstrating solidarity in the face of an unavoidable fate. The reason they could come together like this is perhaps because in the face of the plague, an insurmountable barrier, everyone realized they shared a common destiny. In such circumstances, individual fates became insignificant, and a collective fate emerged.
With that, individual destinies no longer existed,
and there was nothing but a collective history of the plague and emotions felt universally.
As the story progresses, Rieux reflects on the idea that individual destinies no longer exist, and only emotions shared by the collective remain. This prompts contemplation about humanity's periodic encounters with epidemics throughout history. The novel ends with the cessation of the plague, bringing relief to the citizens of Oran after a year of suffering. However, Rieux, who endured the hardships at the forefront of the plague, reacts with composure rather than joy.
Listening to the jubilant cries from the city, Rieux reflects on the fragility of this happiness, aware that it could be threatened at any moment. He suggests that while the plague bacillus may have retreated for now, it could resurge unpredictably in the future, indicating that the story's conclusion is not simply a triumph over hardship but also a warning. The novel reminds us that while epidemics eventually end, they may return, emphasizing the need for preparedness and vigilance. This serves as a poignant reminder, particularly in light of recent events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
The plague is indeed a terrifying disease, but it is merely one of the many difficulties we encounter throughout our lives. At the end of the novel, a elderly patient receiving treatment from Rieux says,
What's plague after all? Life, that's all, nothing more.
Indeed, humans face numerous challenges throughout their lives. Hardly anyone walks a smooth path from birth to death. In retrospect, despite the numerous trials and tribulations, people often live through those times of hardship lamenting why such trials come their way. This sentiment extends beyond individuals to societies and humanity as a whole. Enduring such adversity and overcoming it is how we progress.
Although the plague disappears, such hardships can always return at any time. The protagonist Rieux's composure during the outbreak and its conclusion prompts us to reflect.
There is one character in this story who stands out from the others—Cottard. While everyone else shows solidarity by joining the sanitation efforts or participating in the healthcare response, Cottard moves in the opposite direction. This novel depicts the stages of pre-plague tranquility, the rampant spread, and the recovery after its cessation. Accordingly, most people react in accordance with the progress of the plague, but Cottard instead resorts to violence against others. Of course, the reason is simple: he profited from the plague situation and was desperate when it ended.
Cottard's character symbolizes something clear. Regardless of the phenomenon or policy, there are always winners and losers. There are always those who benefit and those who suffer. He represents the beneficiaries, taking advantage of the situation.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the backdrop of the story is set decades ago, in a time when societal and medical systems were considerably less advanced compared to today. However, the behavior of people and the progression of the epidemic bear striking similarities to the present day. It may be natural for everyone to exhibit the same reactions in the face of an unavoidable disaster. It's said that the novel's depiction of the behavior of the citizens of Oran is remarkably similar to the actions people have taken since the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, leading to a resurgence in sales. Perhaps, macroscopically speaking, we are living within the repetitions of history without even realizing it.
