“The Plague” by Albert Camus is about a small town named Oran that becomes infected with a strange disease. Dr. Bern and Rieux, the protagonist, has the job of trying to figure out what is causing the disease and how to cure it. There is no real antagonist in this story, except for perhaps the disease itself. The story starts with rats coming out into the opening and dying. At first, Dr.
Rieux doesn’t pay attention to the rats, but Raymond Rambert, a journalist, asks for Dr. Rieux’s opinions on the problem. Later on, when Dr. Rieux goes to visit M. Michel, he finds out that he has a strange disease that causes his body to swell up. The public begins to worry as several other people suffer from this disease as well.
Dr. Rieux worries that the disease may be contagious so he insists that the people suffering from it be quarantined, but the officials are not willing to cooperate. Upon further discussion, Rieux and Dr. Castel decide that the disease is probably the bubonic plague. Joseph Grand, a civil servant, is in charge of calculating the deaths and he reports that the number of deaths is on the rise. Meanwhile, Rieux sends a request over to Paris for plague serum.
While he waits, he decides to check on Cottard, who attempted to kill himself. Rieux finds Cottard extremely paranoid, but doesn’t know why. The deaths continue to rise until the officials finally admits that the plague is a problem and quarantines the town. The citizens of Oran start to feel like prisoners in the town.
The Essay on The Plague Black Death
The Black Death caused a widespread death rate over the eastern and western parts of Europe during the fourteenth century. Not only did the Black Death take a devastating toll on human life, it also played an important role in shaping European life in years to come. The Black Death came in three forms, the bubonic, pneumonic, and septicemic. Each form killed people in it's own vicious way. All ...
They aren’t allowed to leave the city or even send mail out and they obsess over their own misfortunes. Rambert, the journalist who asks for Rieux’s help earlier on, wants to leave to meet up with his wife. When he asks the officials to let him leave, they refuse and Rambert becomes desperate. Summer approaches in Oran and the heat makes conditions even worse. Trying to escape from the town is punishable by jailing and the citizens don’t even feel pity for their friends that have contracted the plague. Jean Tar rou sets up a plan to have volunteers for the sanitation league.
He believes that it’s everyone’s job to help fight the plague. Meanwhile, Rambert continues to look for ways to escape the city. Cottard, the ex-criminal, is involved in smuggling people out of the city and Rambert gets him to help escape. Rambert’s escape is delayed by several misfortunes and he decides to remain in the city. The plague continues to strike the city and eventually, they are forced to cremate the dead.
Dr. Castel develops a serum to combat the plague, but the first batch proves to be ineffective. Joseph Grand becomes ill with the plague too, but makes a quick recovery. In fact, the amount of deaths from the plague starts to decline. Dr.
Castel’s serum appears to be working and the plague seems to be waning. Rambert’s wife comes to Oran to meet with him after the town’s gate open. The plague is over and Rieux reveals himself to be the narrator of the book.
