The Plague Summary

Summary On “The Plague”

In the book, “The Plague,” the author, Albert Camus, solidifies the importance that evil has in bringing people a newfound hope/ faith. The book is set in at the location, 194-Oran which is a French port on the Algerian coast. The town is plain. The author believes the people may care more for money than their own happiness. The people don’t take time to process the world around them. The main character is Dr. Bernard Rieux, often referred to in the text as Rieux. Over time, the town gradually finds an increase in death rates of the rat population. This is quickly linked to a epidemic in humans, which is suspected to be the plague. Consequently, after the Plague is linked to rat deaths, the town goes into quarantine.
The people are separated from their loved ones and the outside world. Along with this, the traffic and food supply then become regulated. However, a ray of hope can be seen when, because of the quarantine people go out more they visit cafes and bars more regularly. It’s important to note that although the people did begin to do this they weren’t used to socializing because of their lives before the plague, so in result communication was difficult. We are then introduced to Rambert, who has a wife who is stationed in Paris and who he misses dearly. Moreover, we learn the difficulties of Dr. Rieux’s job which relies on him not getting associated with his feelings. This then prepares us for the character of Father Paneloux who is spiritual and whose job requires him to use his feelings. In the text, there is one scene in which Tarrou (Dr. Rieux’s best friend) speaks to Dr. Rieux and says, “It’s something that a man of your sort can understand most likely, but, since the order of the world is shaped by death.”(Camus 114) Meaning that he witnesses death not as a symbol but as an aspect that happens to everyone and is inevitable and that this is because he is overexposed to death in his profession. Nevertheless, the death rates continue to increase. The people of the town then become aggravated with isolation and result to rebelling. This does nothing. The author then notes that during the plague funerals were quick processes, which is strange because usually in a “normal” sense funerals are long ceremonies in which we grieve but because of the plague, they have no time to grieve. Notwithstanding, we then witness the reactions of Dr. Rieux and Father Paneloux when they watch a child die. The child causes their beliefs to conflict when coping with the child’s death afterwards.
Consequently, during this same time Tarrou and Rambert visit a camp (A haven for the sick). When visiting this camp they recognize how strange it is that life and death sit a wall between each other. They are referring to the people walking/driving outside the stadium versus those who are waiting for death within the stadium. Accordingly, we learn about Tarrou’s past in which he reveals to Dr. Rieux saying he had indirect conduct with people’s deaths. Tarrou then asks Rieux a notable question, “Can one be a saint without God?”(Camus 119) After this we then again get a glimpse at hope as we watch them build their friendship amongst the chaos of the plague. However, just after that, Rieux has to watch Tarrou die and get news of his wife’s death as well. Ordinarily, the people of the town are then able to reunite with their loved ones but they are in denial to the change the plague had on them. They all now shared, “Love, exile and suffering,” (Camus 278) because of the plague. The Plague brought the people newfound hope and faith because when faced with the plague they continued to believe and hope for the future despite what the condition was at the moment in which they hoped. The people never gave up and held on to what they wanted to live for
the most in order to survive. For the priest it was faith so he died with the crucifix in his hand and for Rambert it was his wife, so he kept up his courage so he could see her again. In the end they all fought battles to stay alive amongst the evil and in some cases the evil one but in others it was surpassed by pure hope and faith in the future or forces from another world.