A New Character

 In this section of The Plague, Albert Camus introduces the audience to a compelling character- Jean Torrau. Torrau is a tourist in the town of Oran and provides the audience with a third-person perspective on the events of “the plague”. It is argued that Torrau is a “comedic character” and is placed in the plot to dispense “humorous occurrences” however I disagree. Camus describes Torrau as “good-humored, always ready with a smile, and an addict of all normal pleasures without their slave” (22); nevertheless, I find his disposition to be his only favorable attribute.

            Jean Torrau is put in the novel to validate Oran’s peculiarity. His mysterious nature and observations of the community characterizes the novel’s theme of mortality. Torrau notes the unusual behaviors of the individuals in the town to stress the inattentive manner in which they perceive the newly found plague. When speaking to a night watchman, he spots a family walking into a restaurant. Immediately, he is drawn to their oddness and closely observes them. Torrau even admits to the night watchman that he finds the family “quite interesting” (26) he then further provides a detailed description of every member of the family. Furthermore, Tarrou observes a neighbor who would “spit vigorously at cats” (24) and goes on to document his neighbor’s delight.

            Jean Tarrou is a character put in the novel to reinforce the abnormalities of Oran. With his thorough observations of Oran’s individuals, the audience is able to gain a better understanding of the individual’s actions and reasoning.