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.