Tarrou

In this most recent part of the novel, Tarrou has yet again come up as a strong and prominent character. His actions during this most recent part of the novel have shown that he is definitely an important player in the Oran’s recovery. Tarrou realizes the gravity of the plague and has taken it upon himself to make plans for the recovery of Oran such as the recruitment of volunteers in order to help with the current state of affairs. Though it is possible to just force people to do what needs to be done, Tarrou believes that only volunteers are truly worth something because they are the ones that actually want to help.

The actions of characters like Tarrou shift the mood of the novel from before where the story was more focused on describing the inconveniences of the plague to now where the seriousness of the plague is finally getting to people. Tarrou’s activism shows that there is hope for the town in people who care but also emphasize the dire situation they are in, when it falls to the people do take matters into their own hands since the government is idle.  Hopefully, as the novel progresses the efforts of Tarrou will prove to have bigger impact on the situation of Oran and maybe even be key in the elimination of the plague and the opening of Oran’s gates.

Thoughts

I would like to dedicate this blog post to two topics I have been contemplating. The first is the narrator, the fact that he has remained anonymous for the entire story is obviously important and I just wanted to retouch on the subject. The narrator has been a steady character and always has an opinion on what is occurring in town and certain aspects of the current city life. What makes the narrator’s insights in the novel so important is that he keeps himself detached. His commentary is nonbiased and by keeping himself anonymous he can keep his personal experiences from influencing his recounting of the story as much as possible. Obviously nothing is completely without biased, but I think the narrator does a good job of maintaining his objectivity. Thus, the presence of the narrator allows the reader to judge the story on his/her own terms.

The second topic I wanted to touch on quickly was religion. The people of Oran have been stuck in this city with no contact to the outside world and are constantly surrounded by death. The one thing that they all seem to have turned to, as an end of days “why not”, is religion.  I believe the reason for this is that it gives them somewhere to look while they ponder the question “why me?” Lastly, I believe that Camus is also using religion to set Dr. Rieux apart from everyone else in the novel, since he is not religious he can represent yet another view of the current situation in the novel.

Tarrou: A Bold Character

The audience believes that Dr. Rieux is unchanging in his beliefs and perceptions and this could very well be true. However, an old character is brought into the spotlight through new actions and behavior and he, could possible be a new character that can help Oran return back to the conditions it was once in- this character is Tarrou. Tarrou is a reoccurring character that befriends Dr. Rieux during the plague after finding himself lonely. After becoming friend with Dr. Rieux, Tarrou realizes the severity of the plague and begin drawing up efforts or plans to restore his town of Oran. Tarrou also begins configuring ways in which to seek out more volunteers that can contribute to the well being of the society. Furthermore, Tarrou is a character that efficiently highlights the worries of his friend, Dr. Rieux. In this section, it is easy for readers to get lost and become confused with the main character, Dr. Rieux beliefs and desires. However, because of Tarrou is seemingly inquisitive of Rieux’s perceptions, the audience is able to remain connected him. I agree with Lauren Schrager, in that Tarrou serves as a useful transition between the conditions that were described in the novel and the worries of the townspeople. Through Tarrou, Camus gives the audience a better understanding of the fears of the townspeople and that is the death of all the people of Oran. I believe that Jean Tarrou is a useful character to the author that can further emphasize or translate further occurrences in the novel that Camus wants the audience to understand.

Opinions of the Narrator

In this section, the author finally gives insight into the narrator and his opinions beginning with the narrator’s thoughts on the newly introduced characters: the sanitary groups. In the onset of the section, the author addresses that “it is not the narrator’s intention to ascribe to these sanitary groups more importance than they’re due” (121). This excerpt sheds light on the fact that the narrator is a simple-minded man. He believes that significance should only be given to those who truly embody the word service such as Tarrou and the soon to be discovered, Grand. Furthermore, the author acknowledges the narrator’s judgmental attitude and behavior when he states, “the narrator is inclined to think that by attributing over importance to praiseworthy actions, one may, by implication, be paying indirect but potent to the worse side of human nature” (120). This insightful commentary provides the audience with a lead into the preferences of the narrator and his beliefs that will be further addressed in the novel. The author’s comments on the narrator allow the audience to see that the narrator might provide a bias account when he tells the story. When the narrator is discussing the issue of the madness of the townspeople of Oran he mentions that the narrator finds their ignorance laughable and newfound service senseless. Nevertheless, his viewpoints are also helpful because they demonstrate a real persons perspective on the occurrences of the town of Oran. Also, the narrator provides the audience with a mysterious character in the novel- they want to know who is the man behind the words.

Oh God

So, God. A touchy subject with society as a whole. Does God exist? If he does, why does he let all of these people die? Why does he let bad things happen? Excetera. In the Plague, Camus does touch upon this philosophical ground. He presents it throughout the book, but in a conversation between Tarrou and Rieux he bluntly brings the exact question out. Rieux, a doctor, says that he does not believe in God, when asked about the whole sermon. He responds that he does not believe in God. Tarrou then asks him why he helps out people if he does not believe in God. Before getting to Rieux's response I would like to comment on the question. Tarrou is implying that in order to help people out, you need to believe in God. It may be just me but I see this question as like a projection on Tarrous part. He probably only does things for others to accumulate good "karma" or "brownie points" to go to heaven. Ok, so Dr.Rieux answers that. He helps others out BECAUSE he does not believe in God, his reason being that since there is no God, no one will save these people and he must then do so. So in a way, the characteristic of "self-less" is highlighted in Dr.Rieux through this conversation. Although to some people it might look as if he was assuming Gods position within that society. Making the difference between someones death and life.

Death, Mortality, and other neat things

People are dying. The plague is in full swing and some inhabitants of the city of Oran feel that death is the only escape. Some people, like Mme. Rieux seem to accept death, and lose the fear, but others, like the old bean counter man, wanted to live a long life despite the plague and harsh living conditions. Not wanting to die, though, is the problem. I, for one, like Rieux, believe that everyone should struggle when facing death. Life is too precious to just let it go without a fight. In his case, it is his profession to aid people on the brink of death in their struggle to stay alive. I can see how it changed him. Such sights, especially at a time in death is abundant (plague time), would and do change people. Just look at all of those people in Oran working together to do what is logical. This time, the logical thing is to help each other out. People seem selfless, but in reality they are just acting to benefit themselves. The volunteers benefited all of the inhabitants of Oran by disinfecting houses and moving dead people around, glamorous, I know.

On Grand’s Silent Strength

             A transition, as similar to that of Tarrou, is seen in Grand in this part of the novel. This transition, however, is not only limited to these two individuals. The whole town is doing what needs to be done in the face of the plague. It appears that the seriousness of the situation has finally set in and that the town is banding together in response to fight back. This is seen in the number of people who signed up for the volunteer sanitation groups imply because they couldn’t imagine not doing so.

            Grand, previously described as a somewhat eccentric character, displayed an honorable amount of fortitude and courage in this section.  “Grand was the true embodiment of the quite courage that inspired the sanitary groups.” (134).   Grand previously toiled away at his paperwork-riddled job, however, now he has volunteered to serve as something of a secretary for the sanitation volunteers. He responded, when asked to volunteer with a “Why, that’s not difficult! Plague is here and we’ve got to make a stand, that’s obvious. Ah, only if everything were as simple! (134). He volunteered, immediately, selflessly, for he simply could not imagine not doing what needed to be done in this time of plague. He even goes so far as to do his paperwork for the volunteer group in the plague-riddled hospitals - something he does out of his own free will, for he could be doing it at home. However, despite the increased importance and responsibility placed upon him at this time in the novel, he still remains the slightly eccentric man the reader came to know earlier; he still agonizes over the first line in his novel endlessly, never seeming able to perfect it.

Tarrou’s importance

In this section of the novel the townspeople are starting to realize that the plague is a serious threat not only to their happiness and relationships, but also to their lives. Previously, the narrator focused primarily on describing the inconveniences the plague brought to the citizens of Oran through their forced separation from their loved ones. Now, however, the focus of the novel is the overwhelming threat to the population of the town that this plague may pose. Tarrou serves as a useful character, again, to highlight the truly dire situation of the town. Tarrou reflects that, if the plague should be left to progress much farther, there would be no use for the serum or the doctor- foreshadowing that the entire population would be decimated. Tarrou also puts into words possibilities hinted at prior by the relative infectivity of government-mandated precautions. He discusses how the government is useless against the plague – “Officialdom can never cope with something really catastrophic” (124). The government-established sanitary department is, as described by Tarrou “understaffed […] and worked off their feet” (124). Tarrou highlights information for the reader, however he also is extremely important in the novel. He volunteers a solution for the problem facing the sanitation department in terms of efficiency: he volunteers to create a group of sanitation volunteers. At this point in the novel he shifts from an individual who passively observed and commented to one who is actively involved in his surroundings. 

Adaptation of Dr. Rieux

“And he knew, also, what the old man was thinking as his tears flowed, and he, Rieux, thought it too: that a loveless world is a dead world, and always there comes an hour when one is weary of prisons, of one's work, and of devotion to duty, and all one craves for is a loved face, the warmth and wonder of a loving heart.”

Religion and the Plague

"You fondly imagined it was enough to visit God on Sundays" (Camus, 97).

The Mayhem

"Plague had killed all colors, vetoed pleasure" (Camus, 113).

Dukereads - The Plague

Video Discussion 2

A Little Tarrou

Tarrou in his entries continues to propose ways for the citizens of Oran to stop wasting time for however longer the period that they are stuck inside the walls for this quarantine. Tarrou proposes that constant awareness of little details in everyone’s routines in order to help not waste time.

Tarrou is one of the last residents the hotel that he is staying and because of this is constantly engaged in conversation with the manager of the hotel where he reveals his thoughts on how much longer the plague will last, “They say that cold weather stamps out diseases of this type”(115). To this the manager states that is it “never truly cold in these parts” (115). This short conversation serves to as yet another reminder that everyone in Oran is in this for the long haul.

Lastly, Tarrou has a short encounter with M. Othon. M Othon informs Tarrou that his Mme Othon is “under suspicion” for having taken care of her mother who has succumbed to plague. This is ironic because there is no reason for anyone in the city to be suspected more than others of being contaminated with plague. They are all interacting with the same people and have practically the same chances of infection. This isolation of certain people is a vain attempt to show that the leaders of Oran are at least attempting to solve this plague problem and give the people some sort of security.

Predicaments

As the quarantine of Oran shows no signs of ending, the people of Oran seem to be losing all hope of survival. The people seem to be losing all control and many violent incidents had broken loose,” some of our fellow citizens were losing their heads; there had already been some scenes of violence and nightly attempts were made to elude the sentries and escape to the outside world.” (105) These incidents even get so out of hand that attempts to escape are punishable by large amounts of jail time. Daily death reports as opposed to weekly are also not helping calm the people keep their heads cool. Even the man in front of Tarrou’s apartment has stopped coming outside because the cats he enjoyed spitting on had been shot for fear that they carried the plague. The people of Oran also remain uneasy because they seem to want someone else to take care of all their problems while they sit around and complain. Lastly, Rambert continues to represent the overall feelings of the people of Oran. Where he first was desperate to leave the city, convinced his case was unique and he should be allowed to leave, now he seems to have lost hope and looks for comfort around the city in things such as pictures of Paris, his hometown.

Always Dreary

As previously argued by Lauren Schrager, Albert Camus uses character, Joseph Grand to lighten the mood of the novel and provide comedic relief. However, I strongly disagree.  I believe that Joseph Grand is placed in the novel to further emphasize the digression, of the characters, into a state of insanity. Albert Camus portrays Grand as a man who almost looses himself by becoming fixated with the production of a novel.

            In this section of the novel, Dr. Rieux describes Grand as “running off to work on a mysterious project” Albert Camus uses Rieux’s descriptions, of the actions of Grand, to acknowledge that Grand is slowly loosing his sanity and witherwithal due to his absorption on an aimless work. Camus creates Grand, the supporting character, obsessed with the production of his novel to provide an example of one specific individual in the town of Oran. Grand has become preoccupied with the production of the book because he constantly finds himself with nothing to do. Representing the feeling of the individuals of Oran, Camus uses Grand to demonstrate that a man that becomes fixated on something that will provide no pleasure to anyone; the book has no purpose. It is impossible for the book to be published due to the town on lockdown and realistically speaking, Grand is not a writer therefore it is impossible to gain any reknown.

            Albert Camus uses Grand’s fixation to demonstrate a deeper tone in the novel since all men and women are loosing their minds and focusing on things that realistically, cannot succeed.

An Old Character's New Perspective

As author, Albert Camus, commences this section he describes in great detail the behaviors and desperations of the citizens of Oran however, reveals the newly discovered motives of Dr. Rieux at the conclusion. Throughout the beginning of the novel, Dr. Rieux behaved, as a normal doctor should: catering to the sick of Oran. Nevertheless, after a change in his behavior was taken notice by the audience in the last section, his motives were finally discovered in this section.

            Jean Tarrou and Dr. Rieux have become companions, (bonding through their worries) this companionship has allowed Camus to better develop Dr. Rieux and express his sentiments to the audience. It is revealed that though many people of Oran show a deep devotion to religion and the church, Dr. Rieux does not because he has no faith. When Tarrou asks Dr. Rieux why his is behaving in a different manner Rieux explain that it is because of his work. To further emphasize his dejection Dr. Rieux responds that because of his job he has, “subsequently grown more modest. Only, I have never managed to get used to seeing people die” (117).

            Albert Camus uses Dr. Rieux as an indication of all the citizens of Oran. Dr. Rieux’s growing sadness has become deeper due to the death toll. His behavior and sudden shift in character may possibly foreshadow an occurrence that will take place further in the novel including him.

In Oran, people thought that other were going to take care of them, yet they did not feel the need to help anyone else. The concept of a hero is no longer clear, Dr.Rieux, the closest thing to our definition of a hero, was considered to be only a man serving his duties as a doctor. The novel makes it seem as if the real heros are just the people who live, those that succeed at living. Regarding the status of the plague, the people seem to be expecting for the government to find a solution to the plague. They have seemed to accept the circumstances and then assume a passive role to endure the plague. A character which I am very fond of is Grand. there is something inexplicapbly enticing about his pursuit for the perfect words. Like Lauren stated, he does bring a moment of levity amid the  ever so evident darkness of the plague. In my opinion it even sheds some light on the absurdities of the world, well in a small scale. His fixation on finding the perfect words inhibits him from completing the novel as a whole, very much like the people's fixation on their own suffereing inhibits them from working together to help those sick and evade contamination. In addition, a communal ego problem may also come in to play, this can be seen in the father that continues to take his children to eat at the hotel after their mother has been quarantined.

Source: x

This picture, in my opinion, resonates with the idea that was presented in this post. The horse blinders inhibit the horses to look at the big picture, in the same way that the people of Oran are blinded by their own selfish self-pitty. In the picture this comparison is represented in one. The is man "symbolically" wearing the horse blinders.

Squareness not rewarded

The people of the city of Oran wander aimlessly through the city, either missing someone that passed away, or waiting to get infected. It seems that people have come to terms with their doom since most of them are "under suspicion" and they view trying to deny or run away from the plague as a waste of the little time they may have left. It is sad, and very scary to think about the possibility of being stuck in a lackluster town on the highway to hell. They all lived life with no real emotion, they lacked passion and now have to die without a taste of the happiness that comes with defying the rules, or taking a month off. All of their work, their ambition to climb the social hierarchy was all in vain now that they were all going to die, and death took anyone regardless of their socioeconomic background. What they were so busily pursuing their whole lives? Irrelevant, all of it, the money, the jobs, could not save them from the possibility of dying. All that remained relevant were memories and relationships with the people they had around them, two things that were not their fortes.  The attempted escapes were, in a twisted way, funny. How could a person that lived within a "box" their whole life think that they could for the first time break the rules and succeed, not going to happen. These events appear to be wildly out of character and they reflect the level of desperation that the inhabitants of Oran felt.
 

Rambert as a Symbol of the Hopelessness of the Town

            Rambert, as previously described, is eager to get out of this plague-riddled town. He however, is far from the only one. It is observed that several attempts at escape are made nightly, and frequently end in capture and violence.

            His passion to escape Oran’s gates seems to cloud his reason; when told his case of separation from a loved one is not uncommon, he still persists that this fact makes his no more unimportant. He believes that his case, individually, is of the utmost importance – failing to understand that this plague has affected numerous people not simply him. However, after thorough investigations into possible means of escaping the town, he has finally accepted the fact that there is no way out. At this point in the story he falls to listlessness – the same form that has taken over the town, however his came to him later because he was so preoccupied with escape strategies. He takes to sitting in train stations. He does this not out of a hope that he can board a coming train and leave the town- for the trains have long ago been canceled- but in search of a mental escape from the town’s confines. While seated in the train station he would gaze upon the welcoming pictures of foreign places – particularly Paris, his hometown- places that he was prohibited from visiting. There, in that train station “these mental pictures killed all desire for any form of action” (110). The observation of the pictures helps make his forced residency in Oran bearable. However, in his observing these pictures and visiting the places vicariously through them, he in turn embodies the desolation of the townspeople. The situation has grown so bleak in the town that the people have given in completely to a feeling of hopeless imprisonment. These pictures do not serve as a motivation for a travel that they know is impossible- as they formerly did- but rather are sufficient to carry them, mentally, away from their plague-riddled town. As illustrated through Rambert, the residences of the town are so desperate for an escape – but realize they are so helplessly trapped- that even a simple picture can prove sufficient. 

Some Light in the Darkness of the Plague

            As formerly seen, in this novel riddled with suffering and death, comedic relief is necessary. In this section of the novel comedic relief is seen through the previously described as shy character Grand. Doctor Rieux described frequently watching him run off to work on some mysterious project. In this section of the novel that product of all his late-nights is revealed – a book. Grand and Dr. Rieux go out for drinks after a particularly depressing day for Rieux, as the death toll is forever climbing, and Grand – after shooting a glass of straight liquor- begins to lighten up. He becomes outspoken in a way the doctor has never seen before. So outspoken that he finally confides to the doctor that he is a writer and has been laboring tirelessly over his new creation. He describes that he has spent “Evenings, whole weeks, spent on one world, just think!” (103). The irony of his proclamation is that it entices the reader to believe that he has been making real headway in the novel. Grand further defies his previous shyness by inviting the doctor into his apartment to see his latest creation. He dramatically leads up to the moment by pouring himself a drink and asking Dr. Rieux if he would like one. Finally, he sits down and picks up the stack of papers, presumably the novel he has been working on. Even though Grand is being uncharacteristically expressive the reader can tell it makes him nervous, for “the paper shook in his hand and Rieux noticed that his forehead was moist with sweat” (104). After further pause, he reads… One sentence. After all the buildup, Rieux reads the doctor his work- and it is one sentence. This irony serves to lighten the mood of the novel as the plague takes a deadly turn.

Sudden Shifts in Character

As argued by Lauren Schrager, the townspeople of Oran are not afraid of the plague and are still concerned with their “individualistic pursuits”. Nevertheless, I beg to differ. In this section, the individuals of Oran are demonstrating a wide spread panic: the population is beginning to realize that the fever has lasted longer than thought.

            Author, Albert Camus, clearly identifies the townspeople’s sheer anxiety when he notes that, “in normal times the townsfolk of Oran are not particularly devout,” (85) and somehow almost all inhabitants have attended Oran’s “Week of Prayer” and “Weekly Sermon”- religious attempts to resist the plague. In this section, the audience senses a sudden shift in Oran’s people: their newfound trust in God and religion, forcing them to neglect their previous self-interested character. The townspeople’s actions are not surprising however, because it is generally known that many individuals turn to religion during difficult times in their life. Nonetheless, shortly after, the individuals undergo a sudden change in character when they begin believing that there is no way out of this plague-infested environment.

            Camus begins referring to the townspeople as “prisoners” (101) because they are beginning to behave as individuals who are begin punished for a crime. Camus explains that, “some fellow citizens were losing their heads” (97). He later explained that he knew this because there had been scenes of violence’s against public officials and night attempts to, “elude the sentries and escape the outside world,” (97). It is evident that the townspeople of Oran rather face persecution for escaping then conform to living a monotonous life. 

A Foreshadowing Character

In this section, the audience is introduced to Father Paneloux, the Jesuit priest in the town of Oran. Author, Albert Camus, uses Father Paneloux to foreshadow the future of Oran while providing insight into Paneloux’s character, perceptions and beliefs. It is identified that the individuals in Oran are deafly frightened of the sudden end of lives around them. Father Paneloux claims that this is known by their attendance on Sunday’s sermon due to “their attempt at finding God”.

             Following a series of comments and claims that the plague was brought upon due to the townspeople’s lack of prayer and attendance to church, Paneloux foreshadows that by some means God will carry them out of the horrid fever. Paneloux exclaims that, “God is the divine compassion which has ordained good and evil in everything; wrath and pity; the plague and your salvation” (90) and that “Christian hope is granted to alike” (91).

            Albert Camus portrays Father Paneloux as a deceiver. By thoroughly depicting Paneloux’s mannerism when speaking at the sermon, Camus subtly identifies to the audience that Paneloux wants to engrave the memory of the Lord before all the individuals in the town of Oran die. Though the townspeople aspire to gain optimism and hope to live through this crisis by listening to Paneloux’s sermon, Paneloux is clearly aware that there is no method of escaping the fever that has overtaken the town. The reader becomes especially aware of Paneloux’s belief of death when talking about the hand of Lucifer he claims, “no earthly power, nay, not even-the vaunted might of human science can avail you to avert that hand once it is stretched toward you” (89).