Video Discussion

War & Plague have in common Death

This whole plague stricken Oran reminds me of a war zone. I can not help but imagine Oran, as one of these cities under attack, with dead bodies stacked up waiting to be buried, people desperate to get out, and even plans of attack by the leaders in secretive meetings. It is much too close for comfort. Maybe that is Camus's strategy to relate to his audience. Many have not suffered through a plague, but wartime is a very exploited theme. Most humans know what war is and what war looks like. By employing war like elements, descriptions and constant connections between wars and plagues, Camus is facilitating the immersion of the reader into the life of a plague ridden city. The plague also has a mood similar to that of a war where death, despair and negativity hangs in the air.

Where it all goes down

So, without completely ignoring what is currently what is happening with the plague, let's refresh on the setting. Oran, the wonderful little town in Algeria. It is bleak, it is stagnant, and nothing really changes. I can imagine, by Camus's sentence of "the seasons are discriminated only in the sky," that holidays are not even that celebrated. Life just goes on in a monotone manner for the inhabitants of Oran. In addition, this lackluster town in Northern Continental Africa, is located in a plateau in the middle of a mountain range. Oran is literally blocked out by natural barriers from the rest of the world, even before the whole plague thing started. So it is interesting to see that although they have technically been on lockdown all of this time, they start expressing their feelings of isolation and desperation when the lockdown due to the plague starts. The plague is like a catalyst for all of these emotions to explode in the citizens of Oran.

Part 3: Changes

Besides talking only about the "excesses in living" the narrator mentions "burials of the dead, and the plight of parted lovers" (page 167). In the case of "burials of the dead", people still insist on funerals but slowly they have become more and more rushed due to the increasing need for safety. Frequent attacks on the gates have resulted in additional deaths besides the ones already resulting from just the plague. For the prison guards that have died, the authorities began by rewarding their sacrifice with the military medal, but since that might be misinterpreted by the public they decided to changing it to a "plague medal" (page 170). In the case of the public the narrator was a little more specific. Most typical ceremonies had been banded for safety reasons. If a person had died with their family there family was quarantined and if they lived away from their family, the family was noticed to see the person at a certain hour, then forced to leave. These lightning funerals were at first not widely accepted, but as people began to recognize their necessity they realized that " sentiments can't be taken into account" (page 174). Again this is yet another example of how the plague is causing the people to survival over personal feelings as they think they are approaching the end. It seems to me that the people can't take much more of this. Though these precautions are reducing the death toll, people still die at a faster rate then they are probably born so the question is, how long can these people survive?

Sketchy...

Cottard was first introduced to the reader when he tried to hang himself. Later, when he was acting strangely: he was normally a reserved individual – rarely seen with company. However, after the hanging incident he was seen trying to get the whole population of the town to like him. As a reader I believed that he was trying to amount a number of character witnesses, pointing at the fact that he may be guilty of a crime. A crime so bad that he would be willing to hang himself to escape sentencing. However, as soon as the plague struck, his attitude, again, started to change. His attitude returned to its original state – all previous masquerades forgotten. Previously, the narration was so focused on the suffering of the town Cottard was not a central focus. In this part of the novel, however, he is. He has returned to his own, selfish habits. He no longer seems to care how many people like him (inferred by his disinterest in joining the sanitary squads, a status that would have gained him favor amongst the general population). He comments on how the “plague suits [him] quite well and [he] has no reason why [he] should bother trying to stop it” (158). He likes the plague because, as a result of it throwing the town’s police force into extreme disarray, he was never charged for the crime he thought he was going to be convicted of when he attempted to hang himself. Rieux and Tarrou both manage to reach the conclusion that he is a criminal based on his feelings towards the plague, however his crime still remains a mystery… Further adding to the feel of “sketchiness” associated with Cottard. 

Oh, The Irony

Priest Paneloux was known for holding a weeks worth of sermons when the plague originally broke out. He was blaming the inhabitants of the town for the plague – saying that they had not loved God enough, and therefore brought this wrath down upon themselves. He basically told them that there was nothing they could do in defense of this vengeful God, and that they should simply try to love him. Now, however, his opinion seems to change. Whereas before he argues nothing could be done to better the circumstances of the town, now he has changed his beliefs. Tarrou tells Doctor Rieux that he has managed to convince Paneloux to join the sanitary squad. An action the priest seemed to formerly pointedly go against. I found this complete change in direction of the priest’s belief an interesting ironic change of events.  Another irony seen in this section of the novel is the fact that the very men singly-handedly entrusted with containing the disease – and possibly saving the surrounding regions from the extreme misfortune Oran has undergone – are the men responsible for helping smuggle people out of the town. These people have been entrusted not only with the safety of the citizens of the town, but also with the safely of possibly the world (for if the plague were to get out the results could possibly be disastrous). These men, however, are catalyzing the escape of Rambert, an aspect of the novel I found very ironic. 

Part 3: Changes

Part three begins with the narrator taking an opportunity to describe the "excesses of the living, burials of the dead and the plight of parted lovers" (page 167). On the excesses of living the narrator begins by explaining how is has taken away everyone's individuality. Recently the plague has hit harder in areas where previously the people had been spared and this has subsequently caused people who live in large groups to be affected more. These groups of people, such as monks or military personnel have been forced to disperse and live individually in relative isolation. This is a little ironic in my opinion because the narrator makes it a point in the beginning of this part of the novel to say that the plague has individualized the people, but though mentally and emotionally they have been brought closer together they are actually being driven apart physically by the plague. Another impact on the lives of the citizens of Oran is that martial law has been declared the authorities have enforced some new rules to attempt the combat the spread of the plague caused by the strong winds that have been "broadcasting germs" (page 168). Some of these rules include things like a curfew and the narrator makes a point to say that the city is completely deserted after curfew. This is evidence that the fear  of plague has lead people to accept even the most extreme conditions, such as martial law.

Rambert

Rambert is the classic character that you want to believe is bad, if He tries to leave legally, waiting by the train, asking for permission, but nothing seems to work for him. Rambert then decides on more illegal methods of escape these including underground transactions. His selfish nature is asserted at this point.

In short...

So far the plague is progressing and the glorified antibiotics from Paris have done nothing to stop the advances. Meanwhile Dr. Rieux is working with a limited quantity of materials to help the whole sick population. It is difficult to imagine the responsibility that he must have set on his shoulders. As a doctor in modern times, one assumes that they will be calm and knowledgeable. Dr. Rieux has been very good at assuming this role and providing for his town.The people of Oran who are working to sanitize the streets of Oran also are serving as a species of workers towards one communal goal. This communal goal is to try to minimize the spread of the disease meanwhile an antidote is being created.

Motives

Tarrou and Rieux are currently in the story as the main proponents of the sanitation movement. With Tarrou having started the sanitation league and Rieux treating patients all over town. Though each has different beliefs and reasons for what they are doing the plague brings them together. Rieux and his atheist ideals make him fight for life with anything and everything at his disposition even though he realizes that it inevitably will come. While Tarrou believes in working for the greater good of everyone, he believes that the plague is a problem for everyone and there are too many, “slackers” (157) that need to start helping otherwise they will never get through this. Tarrou and Rieux have inevitably been brought closer together and have even asked if Cottard wishes to help the sanitation league. Cottard refuses by the notion that it isn’t his duty to help the sanitation league, but Rieux counters by saying that it is simply common decency to help. Cottard’s refusal to help only emphasize that he does not want the quarantine of the plague to end. He is finally free of the fear of being arrested for that mysterious crime he commited sometime before the plague settled in,because the authorities have bigger problems on their hands. Not only that but Cottard is also making a fortune through his smuggling of goods into the city. The plague has only benefited him and thus he represents the small portion of people in Oran who are better off with the plague infesting the town.

Rambert

This last section of Part Two really focuses on Rambert’s escape attempts. He has finally, given up on trying to get out of Oran by legitimate means and resorts to the criminal underworld to find a way out. Cottard who has gotten involved in smuggling operations has become affiliated with certain people of specific skill sets, which he introduced Rambert to after overhearing that Rambert is trying to leave Oran.  On this point I agree with Lauren that no one wishes to undertake the task of smuggling a person out of Oran, for the very reason of jeopardizing the rest of the world because of one person’s selfish desires to get out. From Cottard to Garcia to Raoul to Gonzales to Marcel and Louis, it seems like they are all just passing Rambert around until someone decides to take on the task because in the end if Rambert were caught no one wants to be to blame for the resulting chaos. In the end of it all even though Marcel and Louis say they are willing to smuggle Rambert out, they miss their meeting and the whole thing is a bust leaving Rambert to start looking for a means of escape once again. This never ending search for a means of escape shows how selfish Rambert truly is, only thinking of himself and his desire to get out of the city without even once stopping to take into consideration the millions of lives he would be putting at risk.

Responsibility

The gravity of the sealing of the town gates is even acknowledged by the people attempting to smuggle things in and out of them – be it people or simply items. This is seen in the complicated process Rambert must endure on his mission to escape the town. He first hears news of illegal smuggling from Cottard who says he can help him. Cottard introduces him to the smuggler he knows – Garcia. Garcia, however, does not want to be held accountable for the spread of the plague, and refers Rambert to someone else. When Rambert meets this other person, who could have allegedly gotten him out of town, Raoul, this man then introduces Rambert to someone else. This person is first not given a name – a reflection upon how secretive the process is, and the attempt to make as to make no one accountable. This person then, however, after meeting with Rambert introduces himself as Gonzales. Gonzales, as with the rest of them, does not want to be held accountable for the spread of the plague by smuggling out someone as inconsequential as Rambert either, and says that he can refer him to some friends. These friends will then introduce Rambert to some sentries who could help him escape. This whole complicated process is introduced to allow for as much confusion as possible as to who the people involved are, because if Rambert were caught – or if the plague were to spread as a result of his escape - none of the people who helped him would want to be held accountable. Even the smugglers can acknowledge the gravity of the threat the plague imposes, while Rambert still cannot.

Selfish

Rambert, unlike the rest of the town at this point, continues to discount the gravity of the plague. He has exhausted the possibility of escaping the town illegally – last seen when he would sit listlessly at train stations. He now begins to look for an illegal way to escape. He is still selfish; he fails to understand that his leaving not only is unfair to the rest of the people confined within the city, but could possibly endanger a countless number of lives. His selfishness is even seen as an embarrassment to Cottard, who says he knows someone who could get him out of the city. Cottard arranges for a meeting with this man – Garcia – during which he informs him of Rambert’s situation. Cottard acknowledges that this is the Rambert's selfishness - to try and escape and put others in danger simply because he is frightened of the current situation and lusts for a girlfriend. So he lies and tells Garcia that Rambert has a wife waiting for him in an attempt to make Rambert’s case seem more substantial.  Even while Rambert listens to Cottard lie for him to try and make his case seem more legitimate, he never questions the necessity of his escape. He is completely blind to the truth of the situation and is far to self-absorbed in getting his own goals accomplished to even begin to be able to understand the larger picture: that the plague is a real threat to the world, as a whole, and must be contained at all costs. This section of the novel portrays Rambert as a continuously static character. Last time when the reader encountered him he was depressed and has just about given up hope, but he was still completely ignorant to the fact that his escape is simply not that important, and could also be potentially dangerous.  He now still continues to be completely self-centered and selfish -  never stopping even once on his quest to question if his escape is really worth the possibly threat, let alone acknowledge that there are people in far worse circumstances than him as a result of the closing of the town gates.