Utter Desperation

The excerpt begins with the town officials of Oran proclaiming “a state of plague”.  With the announcement of the fever, the individuals of Oran do not express much concern. However, it is the methods of protection that bring the townspeople to utter dejection.  The narrator begins by discussing the loneliness felt by all the residents of Oran.  With the end to the mail service, the townspeople are at a lack of communication with family members outside of the town. It is now where the citizens realize they took for granted all family members and loved ones. Due to the suffering, the citizen’s grow to ignore the affects of the plague and hope for the day the doors of Oran will reopen.

            “This ruthless, protracted separation enabled them (the citizens) to realize that they could not live apart (from loved ones), and in sudden glow of this discovery the risk of the plague seemed insignificant,” (64). The narrator explains that it is the state of “unknowingness” that brings the citizens to a state of misery. In this state, the townspeople of Oran ignore the dangerous effects of the plague. The narrator uses rhetoric like “fallen” “aimless” “distress” and “sterile memories” throughout this section to emphasize the emotions of the citizens.

            With the death toll increasing, the residents of Oran are at a loss for worry and long for the day in which they will be reunited with love ones. In this section, the narrator emphasizes that their awareness can hurt them in the future.